November 7th 2024.
Noelle Smyth was getting ready to attend an Election Night watch party with her friends on Tuesday. She was feeling optimistic and decided to bring a bottle of Ridge Montebello wine to celebrate what she hoped would be a victory for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. However, as she looked at the label, she suddenly felt uneasy. The vintage was from 2016, the same year she had worn her pantsuit and pearls to watch Hillary Clinton's historic candidacy go down in flames to Donald Trump.
Feeling a sense of dread, Noelle put the bottle back and headed to the Democratic volunteer center in Mountain View. She couldn't shake off the feeling of impending doom as she made her way there. She was wearing a Susan B. Anthony necklace that had belonged to her late mother, a strong advocate for abortion rights in the 1960s. Noelle, who is 58 years old, watched in disbelief as Trump not only won the battleground states, but was also projected to win the popular vote across the country.
"This can't be real," she said to a friend. "It feels like a bad dream."
As the news of Trump's victory sunk in, volunteers and attendees at the Democratic watch party in Mountain View hugged each other before leaving. Now, supporters of Harris, especially California Democrats and those in the Bay Area where she grew up, were left wondering if they would be facing an even more isolating political climate. It wasn't just Trump's hardcore base that had voted for him, he had also gained support across the country.
Laurie Stewart, who is 62 years old and from San Jose, founded a local activist group that had been meeting weekly to support Democratic campaigns. She was heartbroken by the loss, but not entirely surprised. "That's the world we live in now," she said sadly. "I just hope that California is strong enough to withstand it."
On Wednesday morning, Harris conceded the race, but made it clear that she would not give up the fight that had fueled her campaign. Her supporters were left struggling to make sense of the fact that more than half the country had voted for a convicted felon who had incited a mob to storm the U.S. Capitol, refused to accept the results of the 2020 election, and had a long history of sexual abuse allegations. Not to mention his use of vile language towards Harris and other disturbing antics.
"It's baffling to me how America could elect someone with such a lack of character as our new president-elect," said Zina Slaughter from Richmond. She had joined a "Win with Black Women" call on Sunday, but had now canceled her flight to Washington, D.C. where she had planned to attend the presidential inauguration. "I am deeply disappointed in America," she added.
Harris, who is 60 years old and was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, had spent 107 days campaigning to appeal to the middle class with family-friendly policies and to attract women and young voters who were upset with the former president's appointment of three Supreme Court justices who had overturned the constitutional right to abortion.
On Wednesday, Harris delivered a concession speech at Howard University in Washington, D.C. She thanked her supporters and vowed to continue fighting for the causes that she believes in. The mood at the Democratic watch party on Valencia Street in San Francisco had turned somber as they watched the national results projected on the screen. Supporters became emotional as they listened to Harris's speech, still in disbelief that the majority of the country had voted for someone with such a questionable character.
Despite the disappointment and heartbreak, the dedicated election watchers continued to pay attention to the returns at the outdoor watch party on Valencia Street. They were joined by supporters who looked on as Harris delivered her concession speech, still holding onto hope for the future.
As Noelle Smyth prepared to attend an Election Night watch party with her friends, she grabbed a bottle of Ridge Montebello wine to toast what she hoped would be a triumph for Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris. However, upon glancing at the label, she was suddenly overcome with a feeling of unease. The vintage was from 2016 – the same year she had proudly donned her pantsuit and pearls to witness Hillary Clinton's groundbreaking candidacy being defeated by Donald Trump.
Feeling unsettled, Smyth decided to put the bottle back. But her unease lingered. She adorned herself with a Susan B. Anthony necklace, passed down from her mother who had fought for women's rights in the 1960s, and headed to the Democratic volunteer center in Mountain View. As she watched in disbelief, Trump not only secured the battleground states but also the popular vote across the nation. It was a devastating blow for Smyth and many other Harris supporters.
"This can't be happening," she confided in a friend. "It feels like a bad dream."
Volunteers and attendees at the Democratic watch party in Mountain View, California, embraced each other before leaving on Tuesday, November 5th, 2024. Now, Harris supporters – particularly those in California and the Bay Area where Harris grew up – are left wondering if they will be facing an even greater form of political isolation. Trump had not only maintained his loyal base but also expanded it throughout the country.
Laurie Stewart, a 62-year-old from San Jose, had founded a local activist group that met weekly to support Democratic campaigns. She shared her heartbreak over the election results, but also expressed her lack of surprise in the outcome. "That's the type of dystopian reality we're living in," she stated solemnly.
On Wednesday morning, Harris conceded the race but reassured her supporters that she would not give up the fight that fueled her campaign. It was a tough pill to swallow for her loyal followers, who couldn't make sense of how more than half the country could have voted for a convicted felon who incited a violent mob to storm the U.S. Capitol, was found guilty of sexual abuse, and had a history of seeking revenge against his enemies. Not to mention the degrading language he used to describe the vice president and his other antics.
"It's just baffling to me how America could elect someone with the character of our new president-elect," said Zina Slaughter, a Richmond resident who had joined a "Win with Black Women" call on Sunday but had to cancel her trip to Washington, D.C. for the presidential inauguration. "I'm incredibly disappointed in America."
Harris, who was born in Oakland and raised in Berkeley, had spent 107 days on the campaign trail, focusing on policies that would benefit middle-class families and appealing to women and young voters who were outraged by the previous president's appointments to the Supreme Court. These appointments had resulted in the overturning of the constitutional right to abortion.
On Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a concession speech on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. Her supporters gathered to listen, their emotions running high as they came to terms with the election results. It was a stark contrast to the glum atmosphere at the Democratic election night watch party on Valencia Street in San Francisco, California, the night before, as national results were projected.
But despite the disappointment and heartache, Harris remained resilient. She reminded her supporters that the fight was not over and urged them to keep pushing for the change they wanted to see. Her words resonated with the attentive election watchers at the outdoor watch party on Valencia Street, who kept a close eye on the returns as they came in.
In the end, Harris's supporters may have been left reeling by the outcome of the 2024 presidential election, but they were not defeated. They stood together, determined to continue fighting for what they believed in, even in the face of such a devastating loss.
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