Elizabeth Warren, the Democratic nominee and Harvard Law School professor, defeated Republican incumbent Scott Brown in the Massachusetts senatorial election last night.

For the first time in Massachusetts' history, a woman will serve the commonwealth in the United States Senate.

"This is your night," said Warren to her supporters in her victory speech last night. "This is your victory."

In one of the most anticipated and highly contested races in the 2012 election cycle, Warren earned 53.9 percent of the vote compared to Brown's 46.1 percent. 1,603,045 people casted their vote for Warren, whereas 1,372,068 supported Brown in the election.

On campus, the Brandeis community, especially those students hailing from Massachusetts, voiced their opinions on Warren's historic victory.

"[I'm] really, really excited because I think it was very needed," said Margaret Hoffman '15, a Massachusetts native. "She's just very focused on education reform. She's such an intelligent and role model of a woman that I'm just really proud to have her representing my state."

Haley Packard '16, also from Massachusetts, echoed Hoffman's support for Warren.

"[My friends and I] went to go see her at a rally in Boston and we all really liked her," she said. "Obama supports her. I like her opinions. I side with her more than I do with Scott Brown."

CBS News and NBC News, followed by CNN, declared Warren, founder and the first director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the winner of the election shortly before 10 p.m. The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald then followed suit prior to 10:20 p.m.

Although Brown won a greater percentage of the commonwealth's counties, Warren was victorious in a greater share of highly populated areas such as Boston, Brookline and Lynn, Mass. In Boston, 183,606 people voted for Warren in comparison to the 63,858 who voted for Brown.

Warren will represent the state alongside Democratic Senator John Kerry, who has been in office since 1985.

The loss to Warren was Brown's first defeat as a political figure. He previously served in the Massachusetts Senate from 2004 to 2010 and in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1998 to 2004.

"Defeat is only temporary," Brown said in his concession speech last night, possibly hinting at another Senate run in the future. Brown won a special election by 4.8 percentage points over Democratic nominee Martha Coakley on Jan. 20, 2010 after the death of Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. He became the first Republican senator from Massachusetts since Henry Cabot Lodge served one term from 1947 to 1953.

As senator, Brown prided himself on his ability to work with both major political parties, but he was unable to convince Massachusetts voters to elect him for a full six-year term.

"You all sent me to Washington to be my own man, and I'm returning my own man," he said.

In contrast to Brown's independent voice in Washington, D.C., Warren centered her campaign on helping the middle class and battling large corporations, as well as regulating Wall Street institutions.

"This campaign was never about me," said Warren after voting yesterday morning. "This campaign was about all of us, about all the people who invested in it, all the people who truly believed that if you got out there and worked together you can make a difference."

Warren will be sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2013 at noon.

-Sara Dejene and Tate
Herbert contributed reporting.