About an hour after Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) gave his concession speech Wednesday afternoon in Boston, President Bush took the stage at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, asking Kerry backers for their support.

"To make this nation stronger and better, I will need your support and work to earn it," Bush said. "I will do all I can do to deserve your trust."

Kerry conceded from Ohio Wednesday morning, tossing Bush the state's 20 electoral college votes. According to the Associated Press, Bush received 279 electoral votes, nine more than the 270 needed to win, and Kerry had 252 electoral votes.

Election officials in Ohio said they will still count the more-than 150,000 provisional ballots cast in the state, the Associated Press reported.

Bush said Kerry waged a "spirited campaign" and should be proud of his efforts.

"A new term is a new opportunity to reach out to the whole nation," Bush said. "When we come together and work together, this is no limit to the greatness of America."

Kerry spoke at about 1 p.m. at Boston's Faneuil Hall, asking Americans to unite and work for the good of the country.

"We must find common cause," Kerry said. "We must join in common effort, without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancor. America is in need of unity."

Kerry won Wisconsin over Bush by a narrow margin. According to the Associated Press, unofficial returns show Kerry claimed the state by less than 12,000 votes.

John Broehm, communications director for the Wisconsin Bush–Cheney '04 campaign, said everyone who worked on the campaign is excited. He attributed Bush's victory to grassroots organization.

"We had 50,000 volunteers in Wisconsin alone," Broehm said. "Kerry understood that and had to put a lot more time and money in here."

In the city of Milwaukee, Kerry received just over 71 percent of the popular vote and Bush received a little over 27 percent, according to numbers from the city's Election Commission. Independent Ralph Nader, who had struggled to get his name on Wisconsin's ballot, received less than a half percent of the popular vote.

Turnout among registered voters in Milwaukee was about 69 percent, according to Lisa Artison, executive director of the Election Commission.

Bush thanked his thousands of supporters across the country, attributing their work as the reason for his celebration.

"I want to thank you for everything you did to make the calls and to put up the signs, to talk to your neighbors and to get out the vote," Bush said.

Kerry also thanked volunteers all across the country "who gave so much of themselves."

"We worked hard and we fought hard, and I wish that things turned out a little differently," Kerry said. "But in an American election there are no losers, because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as Americans."

Wisconsin Victory '04, Kerry's local campaign, could not be reached for comment.

Assistant Professor of Political Science Andrew Barrett said one reason he thinks Bush won was because of the support he received from women voters. Although Kerry won the women's vote by five points, Bush appealed to "security moms" — women who are worried about the war and a military draft.

Political science professor Janet Boles commented on Wisconsin's vote.

"Wisconsin is basically a Democratic state — particularly with the popular Russ Feingold and Gwen Moore poised to mobilize Milwaukee," Boles said. "I think the issues that were of concern to Democratic voters were articulated very well by the Kerry campaign, especially the labor vote and the African-American vote."

Andrew Johnson of the Tribune staff contributed to this report.