Vice President Kamala Harris called off all public appearances for tonight. The decision comes after a night of tense elections, where early results at least showed former President Donald Trump pulling away in key swing states. She was supposed to speak at Howard University, her alma mater, as results came in, rallying her supporters. As the night went on though, the mood felt dramatically different.
There are still votes to count,” co-chair of Harris’s campaign, Cedric Richmond, told the crowd at Howard University. He said that on what was happening, the Vice President did not have a speech because some votes were still being counted. Besides, this uncertainty appeared to Pend over the result of the election. This statement resonated with many in the audience who were hoping for a different outcome. Scrapping the victory speech speaks volumes about election nights, where emotions can change in a matter of seconds from hope to despair.
The air on the campus of Howard University was heavy, thick with disappointment. Supporters who came out to a watch party in celebration of election night were initially filled with excitement and anticipation. However, as the results began to roll in, showing a clear advantage for Trump, many attendees left the event in tears. The hopeful energy that filled the room quickly dissipated, replaced by a sober realization at the challenges Harris faces in this election.
One visibly shaken supporter said, “We came here tonight believing in change, but it feels like we’re losing ground.” That feeling was reiterated throughout the crowd, as election nights can be particularly brutal for candidates and their supporters alike.
As night wore on, one could see the implications of the election outcomes getting clearer. Trump had flipped pivotal swing states such as Georgia, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania and picked up to 276 electoral votes, which put him in a strong lead to reclaim the presidency. This set of victories was particularly important because these states were the battlegrounds since both the 2016 and 2020 Elections.
Yet, Harris still clings to her strongholds within the traditional Democratic constituencies. Recent polling as of this morning has her holding a thin 51% support rate among likely voters versus Trump’s 47%. While that is small, it does show she does have a good base going forward in this election.
Harris has made critical issues, such as healthcare and political extremism, the focal points of her campaign, which is where she excels. This has been one avenue where she has been able to relate to voters, and now her traction may be locked in for this election. There have been various signs that some lawmakers within her party remain cautious about fully embracing her candidacy and this may affect how she whole campaign strategy will be worked out.
As the situation develops, Harris’s campaign is keeping focus on the outstanding votes. They are holding onto hope that the final tally may yield a different outcome. The emotional roller coaster that election night was brought full circle to them in one important respect: how unpredictable politics is and how resilient one needs to be to cope with it.
Meanwhile, Trump will speak to his supporters at an election night watch party in Florida. His remarks are expected to tout key victories he sees and detail where he intends to go from here. This vibe from the supporters contrasts great with what was happening on the campus of Howard University, to further drive home how these two candidates nights diverged.
One apparent undisputed fact, however, is that this election’s journey is far from over, with both candidates certain to continue rallying their supporters through the coming weeks.
