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6 | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016
The Chronicle
Durham residents lament ‘depressing’ election results
Han Kang | The Chronicle Durham residents gathered at Motorco Music Hall to watch the president, senate and gubernatorial race results.
elections to affect their relationships with each other. “I’m actually seeing a Trump supporter right now,” Leecanup said. “We have different political views, but we still get along fine.” Ivon Lewis, who is originally from Germany but obtained U.S. citizenship 20 years ago, explained that she decided to vote for Clinton “years ago.” She noted that her friends and family back in Germany had strong opinions about the U.S. elections. “They think that Trump is crazy,” Lewis said. “I struggle to explain [the US elections] to people back in Germany.” Others noted that they are ready for the election to end. Durham resident Erin McArdle described it as a “circus.” “I’m sick of it all, I just want it all to be over. I understand that sexism exists and people are afraid of having a female president, but Trump is just a clown,” McArdle said. Jonathan Katz, acclaimed journalist and author who attended the party, shared his distaste for Trump, who he called a “fascist” and a “proponent of Herrenvolk democracy.” “I think that this election are very important in determining the future of both the country and the international politics,” Katz said. North Carolina was one of the fiercest battlegrounds in this election, but the initial dead heat widened to an impressive lead for Trump and finally a win. The mood at the Motorco Watch Party noticeably darkened quickly after Clinton’s North Carolina loss. McArdle’s partner, Daniella, who is an Ecuadorian immigrant and obtained U.S citizenship two years ago, expressed her
BURR from page 2
GOVERNOR from page 2
Alethea Toh The Chronicle Residents from all over Durham gathered at the Parts & Labour restaurant in Motorco Music Hall, anxiously watching the nail-biting 2016 election night. In the early stages, the atmosphere was crowded, boisterous and charged as people chatted excitedly, drinking and eating while watching the MSNBC live stream. The crowd mostly cheered during each Clinton victory and booed during every Trump win, as Durham has become a Democrat stronghold in recent years. Roaring applause broke out when it was announced at 9:45 p.m. that Clinton was leading in Durham with 81 percent of the votes.
the Democrats are having a tough time taking up the Senate.” Burr has supported the coal, oil and natural gas industries, favors limited government spending and is in favor of preventing federal money from being given to organizations that support abortion. In his acceptance speech, Burr promised to continue advocating for conservative principles in the Senate. Key to his re-election platform has been his foreign policy experience as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has opposed closing the Guantanamo Bay prison and has criticized the Obama Administration’s Iran Deal as a “foreign policy disaster.” “I think we had high turnout rates in the western region of North Carolina, and that pushed him over the brink,” said Chronicle columnist and senior Addison Merryman. “The polling data we’ve seen over the last few weeks suggested that he would have a two to three point lead, and that’s what we’re seeing.” Merryman added that Burr can help fix problems with the Affordable Care Act, which has been largely decried by Republicans. Regarding Burr’s next term, Merryman said he was “hopeful and optimistic.” Sophomore Sabriyya Pate, also a columnist for The Chronicle, said it was a shame North Carolina had elected “another Washington insider.” In her concession speech, Ross said she would continue working to inspire young people. “The way I see it, this is not only a loss for Deborah Ross, it’s also a loss for the people of North Carolina,” Pate said. “Deborah Ross was a prime candidate for this position. Furthermore, we have Richard Burr, in many ways he’s reflective
Laura Leecanup, who has lived in the Hickory-Lenoir area for the past two years and just graduated from the Aveda Institute Chapel Hill, said that she would normally vote for an independent party, but decided to vote for Clinton in this election. She expressed that the elections have created a divide within the Research Triangle Area community, as many people there are pro-Trump. “I have friends who were beaten and punched by pro-Trump supporters during rallies,” Leecanup said. “It’s so different once you step outside of the Research Triangle Area.” Both Leecanup and her sister, Renea Bryant, expressed that although most of their family, including their parents, are Republicans, they have not allowed the
of Donald Trump.” First-year Leah Abrams, also a columnist for The Chronicle, said Burr’s re-election might actually harm the reputation of students graduating from Duke. “Your degree is worth more when the state has a good reputation,” Abrams said. Libertarian candidate and pizza delivery driver Sean Haugh received less than four percent of the vote.
TRUMP from page 1 School of Public Policy, said his election would have severe implications for trade and Supreme Court justices. The election result will also significantly impact immigrants and minorities, added first-year Axel Herrera. “I came in 2005 undocumented and am under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which was given by executive order,” Herrera said Tuesday night before the result was announced. “Whichever president is elected is the one who’s going to decide whether DACA stays or goes.” Mayer agreed that the ramifications of a Trump presidency are profound, noting that “there’s going to be a lot of soul searching about how we got this wrong.” Disbelief was a common emotion among Duke students Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. “I’m surprised that [Trump]’s getting a lot of these votes. He’s winning these traditional Republican seats, which is right, but Florida or Virginia are surprises,” firstyear Ibrahim Butt said early in the evening. “As an international student and a Muslim student, in the past few days I’ve become a bit more fearful with the realization that if he is elected, we will have a president of the free world who has these backwards, manipulative views.”
for Cooper in part because of his education funding policy. “I watched, over the last six years of my public school career, the deterioration of the public school system in this state,” she said. “It was terrible being a kid and seeing all of your teachers leave. It caused a lot of pain to my teachers, to students, to parents and to families all across the state. I feel really confident that Roy Cooper is going to redeem the reputation of North Carolina, because it hasn’t been good.” Cooper won the Democratic nomination for the office by defeating former State Representative Ken Spaulding with a 37 percent margin. Cooper is one of 150 candidates President Barack Obama has endorsed during this election cycle, according to Ballotpedia. In addition to attacking McCrory’s social policies, Cooper has campaigned on increasing teacher pay, cutting taxes for the
Han Kang | The Chronicle The crowd expressed distaste for Donald Trump each time he won a state.
deep disappointment at Trump’s win in North Carolina. She explained that in the misogynist culture in Ecuador, “men tell people what to do and what to say, and I thought the U.S has such a positive culture.” She said she feels that Trump is “backward” and repressive against women. Nashawa Wilson, ‘Tank’ Wall and Alex Griffith, who all work for Working America in Durham and have been relentlessly campaigning for Clinton in Raleigh, expressed disappointment at the North Carolina result, calling it “depressing.” “We campaigned so hard for nothing,” said Wilson, who studies at the Durham Technical Community College. Griffith called the Durham polling stations’ malfunctions “utter bulls***.” “It’s all very frustrating and exhausting,” she said. middle class and expanding Medicaid. He has also stated his intention to allow online voter registration and roll back the state’s voter ID laws. McCrory first took office in 2013, and he won this year’s Republican nomination in March with 81.7 percent of the votes over former state Rep. Robert Brawley and 2012 gubernatorial candidate Charles Moss. McCrory has rejected focusing on social issues and “bathroom politics,” instead honing in on the fiscal success his administration has had. His campaign website claimed that 230,000 jobs were created and a $450 million budget surplus was accumulated during McCrory’s tenure. Colin Duffy, junior and chair of the Duke College Republicans, said that he expects McCrory to come out victorious despite the uncertainty. “I, personally, am a huge McCrory fan,” Duffy said. “I’m a little biased in this sense. I really do believe that Pat is going to win. I think that the down-ballot indicators are pointing that way as well.”
Neal Vaidya | The Chronicle Students gathered in the Sanford School of Public Policy to watch election results come in, with many noting their shock at the outcomes.