On Nov. 7, the suspense of the election came to an end, resulting in Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States with California senator Kamala Harris as his Vice President. This is a historical win for the country as Harris will be the first female, first Black, and first South Asian Vice President.
The Biden-Harris ticket was able to pull ahead by flipping three crucial swing states that gave President Trump the win in 2016: Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.
It is still unclear whether the current president will accept the defeat; his legal team is challenging election outcomes in several battleground states.
Students at Glendora High have different feelings about this election outcome, especially in the polarizing political atmosphere.
Nadia Bashier, Tara Goller, and Crystal Widado, sophomores at GHS, expressed hope for the Biden administration.
Bashier admitted that “Joe Biden is a push in the right direction” despite her hope for a more progressive president.
Widado, echoing Bashier’s words, was glad that “there’s still room to work under Biden to create more progressive policies.”
Biden’s key campaign message was to restore the soul of America, and although many obstacles lay ahead, Goller believes the Biden administration “can help start reuniting this country and restoring the nation” which is currently divided on so many fields.
All three agreed that the election was fairly conducted but are still a little skeptical about the current president’s next steps and the handling of ballots in swing states and red states.
On the other side of the political spectrum, William Nickell, Tristan Chamsi, and Domenica Luce, Trump supporters at GHS, expressed disappointment in the election, but each treated the outcome differently.
Nickell was initially upset with the news but eventually confessed “I’ve come to terms with it [and] will root for [Biden] no matter what. He’s my president, however, I do have my doubts.”
Chamsi, disappointed with the process of counting ballots, still has hope in Trump’s legal comeback in some states, but emphasized how important it is to “make sure this [election disaster] never happens again.”
Luce had a different reaction; she was content because she knew “the media has no constitutional right to call presidency” and as states continue to count ballots and legal actions are being taken against voter fraud, “I feel more hopeful now than I did when it was announced.”
Election Day has become Election Week. For some Americans, they believe the result secures the protection of civil rights and room for progressive action while the economy and Americans’ freedom may be at stake in the eyes of others. The official result of the election will be determined by each state’s electors on Dec. 14. Until then, America prepares itself for the new administration.
