Print Edition of In Focus: Election 2016 for Wednesday, November 9, 2016

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IN FOCUS Volume 51, Issue 49 | wednesday, november 9, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

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ELECTION

The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

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“Electric.”

“Dramatic.”

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“Bananas.”

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“Absurd.”

“Tempestuous.”

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MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Sophomore Matthew Marsland leads the crowd with an American flag draped over his shoulder at the College Republicans election watch in LaFortune Student Center’s Montgomery Auditorium on Tuesday night.

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ROSIE LoVOI | The Observer

Senior Bryan Ricketts, sporting a Hillary Clinton campaign button, watches as election results are announced on television during ND Votes’ election night watch party at the Geddes Hall coffeehouse.

ELECTION

ndsmcobserver.com | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016 | The Observer

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Trump claims astounding victory Republican candidate takes majority of key swing states to become America’s 45th president Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump claimed his place Wednesday as America’s 45th president, an astonishing victory for the celebrity businessman and political novice who capitalized on voters’ economic anxieties, took advantage of racial tensions and overcame a string of sexual assault allegations on his way to the White House.

His triumph over Hillary Clinton, not declared until well after midnight, will end eight years of Democratic dominance of the White House and threatens to undo major achievements of President Barack Obama.

Trump has pledged to act quickly to repeal Obama’s landmark health care law, revoke America’s nuclear agreement with Iran and rewrite important trade deals with other countries, particularly Mexico and Canada.

As he claimed victory, Trump urged Americans to “come together as one united people” after a deeply divisive campaign.

Clinton called her Republican rival to concede but did not plan to speak publicly until later Wednesday. Trump, who spent much of the campaign urging his supporters on as they chanted “lock her up,” said the nation owed Clinton “a major debt of gratitude” for her years of public service.

The Republican blasted through Democrats’ longstanding firewall, carrying Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, states that hadn’t voted for a GOP presidential candidate

since the 1980s. He needed to win nearly all of the competitive battleground states, and he did just that, claiming Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and others.

Global stock markets and U.S. stock futures plunged, reflecting investor concern over what a Trump presidency might mean for the economy and trade.

A New York real estate developer who lives in a sparkling Manhattan high-rise, Trump forged a striking connection with white, working class Americans who feel left behind in a changing economy and diversifying country. He cast immigration, both from Latin America and the Middle East, as the root of the problems plaguing many Americans and tapped into fears of terrorism emanating at home and abroad.

Trump will take office with Congress fully under Republican control. GOP Senate candidates fended off Democratic challengers in key states, including North Carolina, Indiana and Wisconsin. Republicans also maintained their grip on the House.

Senate control means Trump will have great leeway in appointing Supreme Court justices, which could mean a shift to the right that would last for decades.

Trump upended years of political convention on his way to the White House, leveling harshly personal insults on his rivals, deeming Mexican immigrants rapists and murderers, and vowing to temporarily suspend Muslim immigration to the U.S. He never released his tax returns, breaking with

decades of campaign tradition, and eschewed the kind of robust data and field efforts that helped Obama win two terms in the White House, relying instead on his large, free-wheeling rallies to energize supporters.

His campaign was frequently in chaos, and he cycled through three campaign managers this year.

His final campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, touted the team’s accomplishments as the final results rolled in, writing on Twitter that “rally crowds matter” and “we expanded the map.”

Clinton spent months warning voters that Trump was unfit and unqualified to be president.

But the former senator and secretary of state struggled to articulate a clear rationale for her own candidacy.

The mood at Clinton’s party grew bleak as the night wore out, with some supporters leaving, others crying and hugging each other. Top campaign aides stopped returning calls and texts, as Clinton and her family hunkered down in a luxury hotel watching the returns.

At 2 a.m., Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta told the crowd to head home for the night with the race not officially called, but the Democrat’s fate all but certain.

Trump will inherit an anxious nation, deeply divided by economic and educational opportunities, race and culture.

Exit polls underscored the fractures: Women nationwide supported Clinton by a doubledigit margin, while men were significantly more likely to back

Trump. More than half of white voters backed the Republican, while nearly 9 in 10 blacks and two-thirds of Hispanics voted for the Democrat.

Doug Ratliff, a 67-year-old businessman from Richlands, Virginia, said Trump’s election was one of the happiest days of his life.

“This county has had no hope,” said Ratliff, who owns strip malls in an area badly beaten by the collapse of the coal industry. “Things will change. I know he’s not going to be perfect. But he’s got a heart.

And he gives people hope.”

Trump has pledged to usher in a series of sweeping changes to U.S. foreign policy, including building a wall along the U.S.Mexico border and suspending immigration from countries with terrorism ties. He’s also praised Russian President Vladimir Putin and spoken of building a better relationship with Moscow, worrying some in his own party who fear he’ll go easy on Putin’s provocations.

The Republican Party’s tortured relationship with its nominee was evident right up to the end. Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura Bush declined to back Trump, instead selecting “none of the above” when they voted for president, according to spokesman Freddy Ford.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, a reluctant Trump supporter, called the businessman earlier in the evening to congratulate him, according to a Ryan spokeswoman. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the American people “have

chosen a new direction for our nation.”

Obama, who campaigned vigorously for Clinton throughout the fall and hoped his own rising popularity would lift her candidacy, was silent on Trump’s victory, but he is expected to invite him to the White House this week. It will be a potentially awkward meeting with the man who pushed false rumors that the president might have been born outside the United States.

Democrats, as well as some Republicans, expected Trump’s unconventional candidacy would damage down-ballot races and even flip some reliably red states in the presidential race. But Trump held on to Republican territory, including in Georgia and Utah, where Clinton’s campaign confidently invested resources.

Clinton asked voters to keep the White House in her party’s hands for a third straight term. She cast herself as heir to Obama’s legacy and pledged to make good on his unfinished agenda, including passing immigration legislation, tightening restrictions on guns and tweaking his health care law.

But she struggled throughout the race with persistent questions about her honesty and trustworthiness. Those troubles flared anew late in the race, when FBI Director James Comey announced a review of new emails from her tenure at the State Department. On Sunday, just two days before Election Day, Comey said there was nothing in the material to warrant criminal charges against Clinton.

Shock, joy and fear as voters elect Trump Associated Press

From Virginia coal country, as election results trickled in, Jimmy McDonald texted his boss to warn he might need a day off Wednesday.

Celebrations, it seemed, were in order.

“Historic day,” his boss wrote back. “There’s still some good in America,” McDonald responded.

Just before midnight, he said he could barely believe it.

“The people have spoken,” he cheered. “The people said, ‘Enough is enough.’”

In a presidential contest that bitterly divided the nation, the election of Donald Trump to the White House left America’s voters just as polarized. For those watching as the results came in, there was exuberance, despair — and surprise on both sides of the political aisle.

McDonald was overjoyed.

He’s vice president of collections at a bank in Tazewell, Virginia, where he spends his

days working with neighbors who are losing cars, homes and businesses amid a collapsing coal economy. Trump is viewed a savior there, the man McDonald believes will deliver new prosperity to working class communities.

“He’s going to bring back jobs. He’s going to bring back faith in America,” he said.

On the other side of the nation, Democrat Terry Zee Lee felt something far different.

“I fear for our country,” said the 68-year-old Lee, who earlier Tuesday had no doubt in her mind that Hillary Clinton would be elected president. “I cannot imagine that as well as our country is doing right now, with all the improvements and all the gains we’ve had for equal opportunity and social justice — it just makes me sick to my stomach that my fellow Americans have that much hate and misogyny.”

Election night turned into a nail-biter for millions of Americans as the nation waited

for the final tally of votes from a small number of states, mostly in the upper Midwest.

But Trump victories in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, along with traditional Republican strongholds, gave the real estate mogul the path he needed to win.

The final determination of who would become the nation’s 45th president extended an already long, acrimonious race.

In Hagerstown, Maryland, Sebiina Odin, an AfricanAmerican who supported Clinton, wondered about the prospects of the nation coming back together after such a rancorous campaign. She joked that her son asked her, “’You want to go to Canada for four years?’”

But Odin said that on Wednesday, “I’m going to get up and go to work. And I’m just going to be like, he’s in the White House. And hopefully, four years from now, we’ll win it back. “ Even as Democrats sought

to make sense of the outcome, Republicans pointed to Trump’s outsider status as part of his unorthodox appeal.

Josetta Smith, a 38-year-old Tazewell, Virginia, resident who’d never even registered to vote before this year, was so wowed by Trump that when she renewed her license plate, she got a personalized tag — “GOTRMP” — as a show of support.

“He’s not a politician. But that’s awesome because he always speaks whatever he thinks,” said Smith, who’s unemployed. “He’s completely determined to have his way, which is good and bad. Whatever he says he wants to make happen, he’s going to make happen.”

John Fusaro, a 50-year-old Dallas resident who works for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, believes Trump’s success reflects the public’s deep frustration with the so-called “establishment.”

“I think people are just tired of these people in Washington thinking we work for them,

when they work for us,” he said.

Fusaro stayed up late watching the results come in — feeling, like much of America, stunned.

“When this first started, I didn’t think Trump would get this far, and I’m kind of a little bit in shock. But I’m very relieved. He’s had no support from the Republican establishment, or very little support. He had a lot of negative media. And despite all that, he’s done very well. That’s just a testament to the man’s will and ability.”

Fusaro had no illusions, however, about what it might take to begin healing the fractured electorate.

Trump, he said, must appeal for unity.

“I think he just needs to get out there and let them know that he’s not the monster that he’s been made out to be, and he will work for every American,” Fusaro said. “And hopefully they’ll begin to trust him once he gets in office. That’s what I’m hoping for anyway.”

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ELECTION

THE OBSERVER | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016 | NDSMCOBSERVER.COM

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Students anxiously watch the election results on the TVs in the lobby of LaFortune Student Center on Tuesday.

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

For the majority of students, this was the first presidential election in which they were able to vote.

MICHAEL YU | The Observer

Members of Notre Dame College Republicans applaud as Donald Trump earns electoral votes.

ELECTION NIGHT 2016 AT NOTRE DAME: 7:04 p.m. — Geddes Hall: The first results roll in as about 15 students sit down at the NDVotessponsored election watch.

Donald Trump takes Indiana and Kentucky, and Hillary Clinton clinches Vermont.

“They’re expected because they’re naturally all Republican states,” freshman Elizabeth Olson says of Trump’s victories.

7:30 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: West Virginia called for Trump, with scattered applause at the College Republicans’ election watch.

7:31 p.m. — South Bend: Freshman Steven Higgins arrives at the West Side Democratic and Civic Club for the St. Joseph County Democrats’ election watch party. A native of Montgomery, Alabama, he volunteered for Democrat Lynn Coleman’s campaign for the House from Indiana.

“When I left, the Montgomery Democrats didn’t even have an office,” he says. “Coming up here, where there’s actually a competitive race for the second Congressional District, it was kind of a breath of fresh air. There aren’t many Democrats in the state of Alabama.”

7:41 p.m. — Saint Mary’s Student Center: Students in the Cyber Café express frustration at the overwhelming majority Trump is pulling in Indiana, with 30 percent of votes in.

“It doesn’t surprise me since Pence is from Indiana, but I’m still disappointed. And I’m an Indiana resident,” senior Elise de Somer says. “South Bend is very overwhelmingly Clinton-esque, but we have such a tension between the urban and country population. There’s two different populations being represented.”

7:45 p.m. — South Bend: Michelle Kyle of United Auto Workers watches election results roll in at the West Side Club. The United Auto Workers’ regional president, Joe Taylor, is running for the Indiana House of Representatives, and she and

a group of UAW members are there to support him and other candidates.

“It is very on edge,” she says of the presidential election.

“Everyone is waiting to see what the results will be, see what the American people are wanting to say and what they do with their votes.”

At the back of the room, Abby Halling and George Dhoore are drinking beers and watching election results. Halling, who has worked for several political campaigns, cares particularly about the race for U.S. House of Representatives — but she says the presidential election is “the most stressful election I have ever been a part of.”

“I think this is the highest stakes as people who aren’t as qualified to do the job as they could be, and I think for a lot minorities, there’s a lot at risk here,” she says.

8:02 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: “Nothing surprising yet,” College Republicans vice president Dylan Stevenson says. “These were all to be expected. They’re still counting Florida. … I expect we’ll see more significant results soon.”

8:06 p.m. — Geddes Hall: As state polls close across the East Coast, supporters of both candidates are hopeful.

“Hillary is up by 20,” sophomore Juliette Garcia-Flahaut, a Clinton supporter, says. “It’s looking good; she’s going to win.”

Sophomore Montana Giordano, a Trump supporter, expresses optimism as well.

“I’m liking the results so far,” he says. “I’m a little nervous about Florida — he’s got to win it.”

8:13 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: Hoots and hollers in the College Republicans’ watch party as Marco Rubio keeps his Senate seat.

8:27 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: Claps and cheers, again, from the College Republicans as Indiana Republican Todd Young secures

his seat in the Senate.

8:32 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: Students clap and cheer “Roll Tide!” as Alabama is called for Trump.

Attendees “ooh” as Florida is still too close to call.

8:35 p.m. — South Bend: Mayor Pete Buttigieg prepares to head out, after an hour at the West Side Club, “to spend some time with supporters who have worked so hard and support the folks who are winning.” Many of the Democratic candidates on the Indiana ticket have lost, including U.S. House candidate Lynn Coleman, but Joe Taylor has won a seat in the Indiana House’s 7th district.

As for the presidential election: “There’s a lot of energy and a lot of enthusiasm, a lot more than there have been in others,” he says. “I’d say 2008 had more of an uplifting atmosphere to it.

This time there’s a darker atmosphere. … I really hope we can move on from that quickly because it’s more important than ever for people to find a way to come together.”

8:35 p.m. — Dillon Hall: “I thought Hillary was going to win Florida more decisively,” freshman Bart Bramanti, watching election results, says. “I would bet who wins Florida wins it all.”

8:50 p.m. — Stanford Hall: Students gather in the Stanford basement, watching the election results and chatting. Many of them have open laptops in front of them, doing homework while they watch.

“It’s kind of fun,” freshman Ryan Schleicher says. “At the same time, I have no idea how this is going to end up. Like, I had my thoughts going into it, but now that it’s actually happening, I’m not so certain.”

“I’m nervous,” freshman Jack Diederich says. “I just don’t want Trump to become president. … I have a lot of Republican friends and all, but I just feel like I can’t really get behind him at all.

“And I mean, if he wins, he

wins. He’s our president. Still, I prefer it the other way, I guess.

But in the heat of the moment, you always think things are bigger than they actually are.”

8:50 p.m. — South Bend: Lynn Coleman, who lost the U.S. House race to incumbent Republican Jackie Walorski, arrives at the West Side Club to give his concession speech. He thanks his family, campaign staff, volunteers and supporters and congratulates them for “causing consciousness.”

“I will be eternally grateful for this opportunity,” he says. “I’m not done. We will still find a way to serve people.”

Other St. Joseph County Democratic candidates follow with concession and acceptance speeches.

9:00 p.m. — Geddes Hall: Students count down to the latest results as if it were New Year’s Eve. Few are surprised as Clinton takes New York and Trump takes states across the plains. There is little clapping or cheering.

9:03 p.m. — Morrissey Manor: As Hillary Clinton is named the winner of New York, several Morrissey freshman nod in support, while others loudly express their frustration.

“I’m seeing a lot of close races, but so far most have gone the way everyone projected,” Chris Wilcox, a Morrissey freshman, says. “ ... The fact that it’s close right now shows that Trump is going to stay in it.”

9:03 p.m. — Breen-Phillips Hall: A group of freshmen girls sits in front of the television in “The Pen,” Breen-Phillip’s common room.

“We’re nervous about Florida,” freshman Katie Mason says.

“It’s like fluctuating from .5 to .8 [percent] — how much he’s up,” freshman Julianna Ortiz says. “Every time it pops up, it’s just like, ’It’s too close to call.’”

“Honestly, at this point, I don’t want either of them to win,” freshman Revell Cozzi says. “I don’t even know what I’m expecting by

watching this. No one’s going to be a happy outcome for me.”

9:24 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: “I didn’t expect it to happen, so I’m thrilled,” Stevenson says on Republican Eric Holcomb’s election as Indiana governor. “We worked with a lot of races, including Holcomb. … To see races that we contributed to go our way — when it wasn’t always clear it was going to — is a big deal.”

9:28 p.m. — Fisher Hall: Fisher residents ease election nerves with pizza.

“I’m surprised by how much red there is,” Loyal Murphy, a Fisher freshman, says. “It’s shocking. ...

Anything can happen.”

9:50 p.m. — Geddes Hall: As Jon King on CNN goes through increasingly likely scenarios in which Trump could win, gasps are heard throughout the crowd.

“Right now I feel disturbed by the American people,” sophomore Chris Carbonaro, a Clinton supporter, says.

9:50 p.m. — Keough Hall: “I am extremely worried,” Daniel Remus, a sophomore and Clinton supporter, says. “We still have California, we still have Nevada and a lot of other traditionally Democratic states that haven’t been tallied. But all the swing states are swinging in Trump’s favor.”

10:15 p.m. — Keough Hall: At the dorm’s Mass, Keough Hall rector Fr. Pat Reidy and Mass attendants pray for the country and all elected officials who strive for a more just society.

“I have no idea how tonight’s going to end up,” Reidy says during his homily. “... But I remain confident that the salvation of any of us who strive to be just is going to come from the Lord.

It’s up to us to strengthen this Eucharist, and to continue to love God and to love neighbor.”

10:17 p.m. — “We’re disappointed, especially with the governor’s race,” College Democrats

ELECTION

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016 | THE OBSERVER

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

A Ryan Hall resident observes election night coverage in the dorm’s lounge with apprehension.

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Many students gathered at the Grotto throughout the night to reflect on the night’s results.

5

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

A Trump supporter watches election results roll in. The Associated Press declared Trump the winner at 2:32 a.m.

A MINUTE-BY-MINUTE TIMELINE co-president Grace Watkins says over the phone. “It wasn’t what we were expecting. The polls closed in the last week really narrowed in. We’re regrouping now and thinking about the next cycle.

“We’re still confident that Clinton will pull through, just keeping a close eye on Florida and Virginia right about now,” she adds.

10:27 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: “Colorado would have been nice to win,” Stevenson says, as it goes to Clinton and Ohio to Trump. “But Ohio — it would be a bit profane for me to say how I’m feeling. But it’s jolly good news. I’m feeling good at the moment. That’s the key, though: at the moment.”

10:40 p.m. — Geddes Hall: Signs of life appear in the basement of Geddes Hall as Clinton is declared the winner of Virginia to thunderous applause. There’s still a sense of tension in the room.

10:40 p.m. — Knott Hall: “That’s me! Right there, that’s my house,” sophomore Molly Kuehn says as a map on the news zooms into a picture of a county in Iowa.

A group of five or six people sits in a dorm room on the third floor of Knott Hall. The group is largely comprised of Clinton supporters, and its members say they are not feeling well about how the election is going.

“Not feeling great,” junior Rachel Warne says. “I am definitely anti-Trump and this is not the results I think most people were expecting.” “[I’m] surprised,” junior Jack Gallaher says.

“I’m guessing that the same thing that just happened in Virginia happens in North Carolina, and we save all of you,” junior William Morgenlander says.

10:45 p.m. — Knott Hall: Just down the hall, another group of students sits in a dorm room watching the election.

“I’m shocked,” sophomore Bobby Greaser says. “It hasn’t

really set in yet that Trump might actually pull something off that I don’t think anybody really gave him a chance to.”

“I personally am a little nervous for the future of our country,” sophomore Pat Hosty says.

“Just proves how weird the election cycle has been,” sophomore Tim Papiernick says.

“And it definitely has long reaching implications because Trump, so far, has really shown that he is sort of changing the way like the maps are drawn,” Greaser adds. “I mean, obviously it’s not over yet in Michigan and Wisconsin — states that in the past couple of elections have been pretty reliably pro-Obama.

He’s really working people out to vote. I guess they’re just a lot stronger of a group than maybe we thought that they would be.”

10:47 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: “I’m cautiously optimistic,” Stevenson says after North Carolina is called for Trump. “I’m trying to stop myself from being overly optimistic.”

The rest of the crowd isn’t as reserved in its celebration.

10:51 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: “[Republican Ron] Johnson winning [the Senate race] is huge,” Stevenson says of the Wisconsin senator; Democratic challenger Russ Feingold had been up by 10 points at one point.

10:58 p.m. — Saint Mary’s Student Center: Students gasp as it is announced that Trump has won Florida.

“I feel very angry. And I feel like such a large state with so much power, the fact that they want a man like Trump in charge — I’m just disgusted,” junior Stefanie Dyga says. “I have no words.”

11:01 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: “It’s starting to look like a real possibility that we’ll have President Trump, a Republican Senate and Republican House, and we can make America great again. Other things have to go his way though,” Stevenson says as the room fills

with cheers after Florida was called for Trump.

the name of the World Series champions with “Trump.”

11:34 p.m. — LaFortune Student Center: In a quieter moment, Stevenson compares Trump’s lead to Brexit: “I’m British, obviously,” he says. “This is how Brexit felt, listening to it on the radio. Everyone had Brexit down and people just say no.

People have had enough.”

2:23 a.m. — John Podesta, Clinton’s campaign manager, sends supporters home, telling them the campaign will reassess in the morning after the closest states’ votes are counted. College Democrats co-president Grace Watkins is encouraged.

“We appreciate Podesta’s statement and waiting to hear what she says in the morning and waiting to see what the popular vote is and waiting to see where Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania fall,” she says.

She adds the College Democrats will make its final statement in the morning.

12:48 a.m. — The Grotto: Several people come to light candles and say prayers, as usual. But tonight, a few students are having discussions about the results of the election. Two students conclude a conversation and walk over to say a prayer together.

12:57 a.m. — Geddes Hall: The last few people have begun to trickle out of Geddes Hall, no one wanting to talk. Instead they are fixed to their laptop screens, their thoughts diverted to Facebook, Twitter, gaming and other small amusements. None celebrate as the results roll in.

1:16 a.m. — Cavanaugh Hall: Fifth-year Bryan Ricketts says he understands that economics drives voters in an election.

“I think what’s shocking and concerning is that none of Donald Trump’s and Mike Pence’s statements and actions regarding sexual assault, general treatment of women, language on immigrants, language on restrictions on religious freedom, treatment of LGBT people — none of that was a disqualifier,” he says. “Even in the face of the economic story — one that’s factually untrue.”

As more results trickled in on the screen in the background, Ricketts says he hopes to work in politics and on public policy.

“But I find myself somewhat at a loss to explain or understand how to move forward in a country where none of those values seem to be shared,” he says. “At least within a large portion of the electorate.”

1:59 a.m. — South Quad: A group of students sing a new version of “Go Cubs Go,” replacing

2:32 a.m. — The Associated Press calls the election for Trump.

2:43 a.m. — College Democrats sends a statement: “We admire the campaign that Secretary Clinton ran against a racist, sexist, xenophobic candidate. We are extremely disheartened to hear of Donald Trump’s election.

Our primary concern is with the minorities, survivors of sexual assault, immigrants, LGBTQ, and women — both on our campus and off — who will wake up to learn of the election of a candidate whose policies and rhetoric are so dangerous. We remember that when they go low, we go high, and, as such, our focus in the upcoming weeks will be checking in with our members and looking at next steps.”

Senate, held the House and increased the number of governor’s mansions they hold,” he says.

“Earlier today, the talk was how great the Democrat victory would be — so to see the silent majority in force was quite something.

“On a more club level, every race we worked on — Young, Holcomb, Walorski — was successful, a GOP sweep of Indiana,” he adds. “To see that our efforts making phone calls, knocking on doors and more paid off is exceptionally satisfying.”

3:08 a.m. — Zahm House: Four students sit in a dorm room, letting the election results sink in.

“I don’t think anyone saw that coming. It just sort of shellshocked me,” junior Brian Pulawski says.

“Everyone said he had no chance — everyone thought that Hillary was going to win in a landslide — and I didn’t expect it.

“I’m not happy about it. The Republicans now control the House, Senate and the Supreme Court, so they could enact any sort of change that they want — and any policy that Trump wants and whatever position that would be,” he adds. “It’s pretty spooky.”

2:54 a.m. — LaFortune Student Center: A small group of students stands by the TV in Smashburger. No one says a word, as they watch Trump take the stage in New York. When asked

by The Observer, the students declined to comment.

3:15 a.m. — Morrissey Manor: Sophomore Redmond Tuttle watches the news alone in his section lounge.

“I was just ecstatic that Trump pulled it off, because it was against all odds. Even today, I just didn’t think it was going to happen,” he says.

Looking forward, it will be interesting to see if Trump can accomplish all the things he said he could do, Tuttle adds.

“He’s a great leader, just like Ronald Reagan was,” he says.

“And people hated him at first. So I think he’s going to change people’s minds over the next couple days, months and years.”

3:05 a.m. — Stevenson says in an email that though most of the College Republicans had gone home by the time the race was called, there was “palpable joy in the room.”

“Not only did the GOP win the White House, they held the

Saint Mary’s Editor Nicole Caratas; Associate News Editors Rachel O’Grady and Megan Valley; and news writers Courtney Becker, Lucas Masin-Moyer, Emily McConville, Aidan Lewis, Natalie Weber, Ben Padanilam and Chris Collins contributed reporting.

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The observer | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016 | ndsmcobserver.com

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2016 Election Observer: Election Night Edition Editor’s Note: Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, The Observer sat down with Notre Dame and Saint Mary’s experts to break down the election and its importance to students. In its final installment, Associate News Editor Rachel O’Grady asked a variety of Notre Dame professors about their opinions on the projected winners as they were announced.

8:05 p.m.

Rachel O’Grady: As the earliest exit polls are coming in, what are some important trends you are seeing?

Joshua Kaplan (director of undergraduate studies, political science department): Conventional wisdom tells us that higher [voter] turnout normally favors Democratic candidates, but the Indiana results at this point seem to indicate that higher-than-normal turnout has benefited Republican candidates. It’s not a surprise that Republican candidates are doing well in Indiana, but if this pattern in turnout applies in other states, the results could be less predictable than the polls have indicated.

10:09 p.m.

ROG: What is Trump’s path to victory at this point in the night? How

9:25 p.m.

ROG: Florida is looking close at the moment. What would the implications of a win in the state be for either campaign? More generally, what’s your assessment of the electoral map right now?

Geoffrey Layman (professor, political science department): Well, things are looking pretty good for Trump right now. He’s winning all the battleground states (Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia) at this point. Of course, there are still a lot of outstanding votes in these states.

But, Trump supporters have to be happy right now. As for Florida, Trump absolutely needs it. Clinton still has a chance to win without it, but Trump does not. Losing would make it much harder for Clinton. ... It should make her supporters nervous. But, Trump absolutely has to have it.

has voter turnout impacted this election so far?

David Campbell (department chair, political science department): At this point, even with Trump leading in Florida and Ohio, he would still need to run the table in order to win. North Carolina and Virginia are the states to watch. At this point, we do not yet know the turnout rate, but with Trump appearing to overperform, it suggests that Clinton’s get out the vote operation was not as successful as had been suggested. If that turns out to be true, it will mean rethinking a lot of what we thought we knew about voter mobilization.

1:52 a.m.

ROG: What is your final assessment of the 2016 Election?

Fraga: However challenging this election may seem to many, it does not compare to the challenges the next president will face to govern the nation. The way that the divisions and suspicions on display in this campaign are healed by the next president will be the true measure of success by which we should judge our next national leader.

11:14 p.m.

ROG: What is Clinton’s path to victory this evening, and do you think it will happen? Did Latino voter turnout impact the Florida result tonight?

Luis Fraga (co-director, Institute for Latino Studies):Clinton’s path to victory, at 11 p.m., seems very narrow. She has to win either Michigan or Wisconsin, and Trump is leading in both states. Losing both Ohio and Florida makes her path to victory very, very problematic. Latino voter turnout was high in FL. Again, as best we can tell at this point, that vote trended to Clinton. However, as best we can determine it right now, white voter turnout was very high as well. And much of that white turnout favored Trump in Florida, especially in traditionally Republican counties.

2:04 p.m.

2:22 a.m.

ROG: How did Donald Trump win the 2016 Election?

Kaplan: At first I thought this was a matter of higher turnout among people who don’t normally vote and who were not included among the pollsters’ “likely voters,” but it looks like, despite changing demographics, it came down to Trump’s ability to get a very high percentage of the white vote. Trump was able to get the votes of anti-establishment voters, while also getting the votes of establishment Republicans who could not bring themselves to not support the Republican candidate. It is difficult to imagine this coalition holding together over time.I have believed for at least 16 years that the Republican party was approaching a crossroads where it would have to decide if it would or could continue to fall back on the strategy of getting large percentages of white voters in a racially divided electorate. This election shows that this strategy can still work in the short term, but at the great cost of divisive appeals that seem unsustainable. The coming years will present great challenges to Republicans, many of whom will be very unhappy with the direction the party is taking.

ROG: What are your thoughts as Election Night draws to a close?

Campbell : As I write these words, a winner has not yet been declared. However, no matter what happens, this is a stunning outcome.

Either a Trump victory or a near miss underscores that there is great discontent in America.

Contact Rachel O’Grady at rogrady@nd.edu LINDSEY MEYERS | The Observer

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Clinton calls Trump to congratulate him on win Associated Press

EMMET FARNAN | The Observer

Students watch the election results at LaFortune Student Center while eating Smashburger on Tuesday night.

NEW YORK — As the night wore on and things looked progressively worse for Hillary Clinton, her aides stopped taking calls or answering text messages. Ordinarily they would have been busy offering their spin to reporters, but as the presidential race slipped away from her and toward Republican Donald Trump, they went dark.

When finally a call went out from the Clinton camp, it was from the Democratic candidate herself to the New York businessman, who claimed the presidency in a stunning outcome fueled by disaffected white, working-class voters who saw Clinton as an embodiment of the political establishment they disdain.

Among the thousands of

Clinton supporters who had gathered outside New York’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the intended site of her election night party, enthusiasm turned to despair. Some stared quietly at the election maps and data on their smartphones. Others cried as they filtered out of the convention center.

By the time Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta spoke in the early hours of Wednesday morning, there were only about 150 Clinton supporters were left in the huge outdoor pens that once held thousands of people expecting to see the first woman elected president. Custodians began sweeping up.

Podesta said the Democratic nominee would not speak.

“My disappointment makes me not trust the rest of the

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world,” said Katie Fahey, who had flown to New York from Grand Rapids, Michigan, wearing a red pantsuit, expecting a victory party. “I don’t even want to go out. I want to wear sweatpants and curl myself up in a corner.”

As the night wore on, the shape of the contest was startling to Clinton and her aides, who ended their campaign exuding confidence. Clinton, her family and close aides were hunkered down to watch returns at a Manhattan hotel suite.

Her supporters became increasingly despondent as they watched key swing states Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida go for Trump on Tuesday night. Then Pennsylvania and Wisconsin — both reliably Democratic states — also went to Trump, and The Associated Press called the race for Trump around 2:30 a.m.

EST. “I’m terrified,” said Niki Rarig, 34, who traveled to New York City from Portland, Oregon, for what they thought would be a victory celebration.

“I just can’t even imagine what a Trump presidency would look like.”

Earlier in the day, Clinton voted at an elementary school near her suburban New York home with her husband, exPresident Bill Clinton. She spent Tuesday afternoon and in a Manhattan hotel suite, watching, waiting, and playing with her grandchildren.

Her dark Election Day was a stark contrast from Clinton’s confident final days on the campaign trail. The former secretary of state and New York senator dashed through battleground states, encouraged get-out-the-vote efforts and campaigned with a starstudded cast of celebrities. The eve of the election included appearances with President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, Jon Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga.

Some good news boosted Clinton’s spirits in the final moments of the campaign. On Sunday, FBI Director James Comey sent a letter to Congress, informing lawmakers the bureau had found no evidence in its hurried review of newly discovered emails to warrant criminal charges against Clinton.

The late October announcement of a fresh email review rocked the race just as Clinton appeared to be pulling away from Trump in several battleground states. The update from the FBI may have come too late: In the nine days between Comey’s initial statement until his “all clear” announcement on Sunday, nearly 24 million people cast early ballots. That’s about 18 percent of the expected total votes for president.

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INDIANA GOVERNOR

INDIANA SENATE

Holcomb rides Young surges to hand Bayh GOP wave to office first-ever defeat Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Eric Holcomb extended the 12-year hold on the Indiana governor’s office as part of wave that produced a GOP sweep of statewide offices and large majorities in the General Assembly.

Holcomb’s win in Tuesday’s election completed his quick Statehouse accession as he had never been elected to office before and only became Gov. Mike Pence’s lieutenant governor eight months ago. He raced to introduce himself to voters after replacing Pence as the Republican candidate in July when Pence became Donald Trump’s vice presidential running mate.

Holcomb defeated Democratic candidate John Gregg while running several percentage points behind Trump’s landside margin in the state.

Holcomb told a raucous victory celebration Tuesday night that Republicans across the state helped him overcome doubts about whether he could put together a campaign and raise enough money in little more than 100 days.

“Holcomb can’t do this and Holcomb can’t do that,” he told the crowd. “Well, they were partly right. Holcomb couldn’t do it, but we did!”

The only Democrat holding a state office was ousted as Republican Jennifer McCormick, now the superintendent of the Yorktown Community Schools near Muncie, defeated incumbent state schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz. Ritz had frequently clashed with Republican legislators and Pence over education policy over the past four years.

Holcomb’s running mate, state Auditor Suzanne Crouch, was elected lieutenant governor, while Republican Curtis Hill, the prosecutor in northern Indiana’s Elkhart County, was elected the new state attorney general.

Republicans retained large majorities in the state House and Senate that will give them control over the legislative agenda for the next two years.

Gregg, making his second run for governor after a narrow 2012 loss to Pence, aimed to link Holcomb to controversies during Pence’s term such as Indiana’s 2015 religious-objections law that

sparked a national uproar from gay-rights supporters.

To deflect Gregg’s criticism on social issues, Holcomb stressed economic bright spots such as a $2.4 billion state budget surplus, an unemployment rate of only 4.5 percent, recent tax cuts and the state’s AAA credit rating.

Lenny Paxton, a 56-year-old retired train engineer from LaPorte, said he voted for Holcomb because of Gregg’s support for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and Holcomb’s priority of continuing Republican state budget policies.

Holcocmb, 48, also largely avoided mentioning Pence, instead highlighting his time as a top aide and campaign manager for Pence’s two-term popular predecessor, former Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Holcomb praised both governors in his victory speech, saying he aimed to continue on the trajectory they started for the state.

“It is because of their collective, proven leadership that Indiana finds itself in the position that we occupy today,” Holcomb said.

“Mitch Daniels built a foundation. Mike Pence added a couple stories and Suzanne Crouch and I are gonna add story after story after story as we take Indiana to the next level.”

Gregg, a former House speaker, cited Donald Trump’s landslide win in the state and Republican victories in the U.S. Senate race and other statewide races as making his race an uphill climb.

“It was tough with what happened in the state with the landslide that came across Indiana,” Gregg said in his concession speech.

Holcomb has mostly been a behind-the-scenes political operative, including as state Republican Party chairman. He spent 10 months running for this year’s Republican U.S. Senate nomination, but had little fundraising success. He dropped out when Pence picked him to become lieutenant governor in March, after Pence’s 2012 running mate, Sue Ellspermann, resigned to take a university job.

Pence’s decision to drop his reelection bid means Indiana will have a one-term governor for the first time since the state constitution was changed in the 1970s to allow governors to seek a second consecutive term.

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Evan Bayh’s return to Indiana politics looked like it would be a coronation when he announced in July a bid for the Senate seat he gave up in 2011.

Instead, he was trounced by Todd Young, an ex-Marine who represented a southern Indiana district in Congress, delivering Bayh the first defeat of his 30year political career.

“I’m a competitive person. I like to overcome great challenges,” Young told The Associated Press in an interview. “People stepped up during what could have been an insurmountable situation in the minds of many people.”

Young’s victory keeps the seat held by retiring Sen. Dan Coats in Republican hands. But it also toppled an Indiana political dynasty started when Bayh’s father, Birch Bayh, was first elected to the Legislature in the 1950s and later served as the state’s Senator.

Bayh, 60, banked on his political name and millions of dollars in his campaign bank account to carry him to victory. He was a prized Democratic recruit who was supposed to help the party regain a majority in the U.S. Senate.

But he faced a barrage of withering attack ads from Young and his allies that questioned Bayh’s residency in Indiana, his ethics and lucrative business dealings since leaving the Senate six years ago.

his condo during rare visits to the state.

For Rose Lenig, an 82-yearold retired teacher from Rolling Prairie in Northern Indiana, Bayh’s absence from the state was reason enough to vote for Young.

“I felt Bayh was here just to get a Senate seat and I think he left Indiana and he shouldn’t be returning,” Lenig said.

Addressing supporters in Indianapolis Tuesday night, Bayh encouraged civility.

“I ask all of you here this evening as we nurse our disappointments, tomorrow reach out to those who perhaps voted in a different direction because they are not are adversaries,” Bayh said. “In spite of what some people may tell you, we have more in common than what divides us.”

Young, 44, is a former Marine Corps intelligence officer, Naval Academy graduate and was an aide to former Sen. Richard Lugar. He received an MBA from the University of Chicago and a law degree from Indiana University. He was an attorney living in Bloomington when he narrowly won a four-way Republican primary and then defeated Democratic Rep. Baron Hill in 2010, riding the Tea Party wave into Congress.

While Young often says he wasn’t raised in a political family, his wife Jenny is a niece of former Republican Vice President Dan Quayle, who rose to prominence by defeating Bayh’s father in Indiana’s 1980 Senate race.

INDIANA ROUNDUP

Republicans keep large legislative majorities Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Republicans swept the top election races in Indiana with Donald Trump winning the state’s electoral votes for president and Eric Holcomb and Todd Young winning open seats for governor and U.S. Senator respectively.

Here’s a guide to Tuesday’s action:

Triumph for Trump

Follow us on Twitter. @NDSMCObserver

By late October, Bayh’s big early lead in the polls evaporated despite previously enjoying a sky-high approval rating during his two terms as governor and 12 years in the Senate.

Indiana University public affairs professor Paul Helmke said there were a number of factors that led to Bayh’s defeat.

“He’s like the star athlete who comes out of retirement. They’ve got some good moves but show that they are rusty,” said Helmke, a former Republican nominee for Senate who lost to Bayh in 1998.

Bayh last ran for re-election in 2004. Many younger voters don’t know him or about his ties to the state, said Helmke, who added that Young and his allies did a good damaging Bayh through attack ads.

Bayh’s post-Senate work left him open to accusations that he had become Washington insider who left Indiana behind to work for a lobbying firm. He also did himself no favors when, during a television interview in August, he forgot the address of the Indianapolis condo that is listed on his drivers’ license and voter registration as his home.

The AP reported last month that Bayh spent substantial time in 2010, his last year in the Senate, searching for a private sector job, while voting for or seeking changes to legislation that benefited the corporate and financial world. The AP also reported Bayh’s schedule showed he stayed in hotels rather than

Trump won Indiana’s 11 electoral votes, which was likely even before he picked Mike Pence as his vice presidential candidate in July.

Trump topped Democrat Hillary Clinton to become the 12th Republican to carry Indiana in the last 13 presidential elections.

Neither candidate paid much attention to Indiana during

the campaign. Trump essentially clinched the Republican nomination with his victory in Indiana’s May primary.

defeated Democrat Lorenzo Arredondo, a retired judge from northwestern Indiana’s Lake County.

Education, legal chiefs

GOP legislative control

The only Democrat holding a state office has been ousted as Republican Jennifer McCormick defeated incumbent state schools Superintendent Glenda Ritz. Ritz had frequent clashes with Republican legislators and Pence over education policy over the past four years.

McCormick, now the superintendent of the Yorktown Community Schools near Muncie, was critical of Ritz’s management of the Education Department and maintained she could work better with the General Assembly.

Republican Curtis Hill, the prosecutor in northern Indiana’s Elkhart County, was elected the new state attorney general. He

Republicans retained large majorities in the Indiana General Assembly and were close to keeping the margin that’s given them a lock over the legislative agenda for the past four years.

Democrats needed to gain five House seats to break the twothirds supermajority that allows Republicans to take action even if no Democrats are present.

Republicans won several hotlycontested districts while trying to protect seats in Democratic areas that they’ve won in recent years.

Republicans kept their supermajority in the Senate, even gaining a northern Indiana seat held by a retiring Democratic senator.

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U.S. SENATE

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

GOP retains Senate control Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Republicans were all but guaranteed to keep their majority in the Senate Wednesday as they racked up key wins in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Indiana and Florida.

In Missouri, Democrat Jason Kander conceded to incumbent GOP Sen. Roy Blunt, eliminating Democrats’ paths to Senate control. Republicans were expected to win an outstanding race in Alaska and a December runoff in Louisiana.

The outcome added to what was shaping up as a grim election night for Democrats, who face being consigned to minority status on Capitol Hill for years to come.

In Pennsylvania, GOP Sen. Pat Toomey won a narrow victory for his second term over Democratic challenger Katie McGinty. It was a race Democrats expected to win going into the night â and one that many Republicans felt nearly as sure they’d lose.

The story was the same in Wisconsin, where GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, written off for months by his own party, won re-election against former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold in a rematch.

The race in GOP-held New Hampshire was too close to call, but even if Democrats won it they would be short of the seats needed to topple Republicans’ 54-46 majority.

Republicans celebrated their wins, already looking ahead to midterms in 2018 when Democrats could see their numbers reduced even further with a group of red-state Senate Democrats on the ballot.

“We ran targeted, data-driven campaigns and communicated directly with voters. Those efforts paid off,” said GOP Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, head of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm.

“With the map strongly favoring Democrats and uncertainty at the top of the ticket, we protected our majority and paved the way for a Republican-run Senate for years to come.”

Democrats grabbed a Republican-held seat in Illinois, where GOP Sen. Mark Kirk lost to Democratic Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a double-amputee Iraq war vet. That stood as the one Democratic pickup as Wednesday got under way.

The other bright spot for Democrats was in Nevada, where Minority Leader Harry Reid’s retirement after five terms created a vacancy and the one Democraticheld seat that was closely contested. Reid maneuvered to fill it with his hand-picked successor, Catherine Cortez Masto, Nevada’s former attorney general who spoke often of her family’s immigrant roots in a state with heavy Latino turnout.

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Cortez Masto will become the first Latina U.S. senator. She beat Republican Rep. Joe Heck, who struggled with sharing the ticket with Donald Trump, first endorsing and then un-endorsing Trump to the disgust of some GOP voters.

As the night wore on, Democratic operatives struggled to explain why their optimistic assessments of retaking Senate control were so mistaken. Some blamed unexpected turnout by certain segments of white voters, or FBI Director James Comey’s bombshell announcement that he was reviewing a new batch of emails connected with Democrat Hillary Clinton.

In North Carolina, Democrats had high hopes of unseating entrenched GOP incumbent Sen. Richard Burr, who infuriated even his own party with his laid back campaign style. But in the end he had little trouble holding off a challenge from Democrat Deborah Ross. In Indiana, GOP Rep. Todd Young beat former Democratic senator and governor Evan Bayh, who mounted a much-ballyhooed comeback bid, but wilted under scrutiny.

And in Florida, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio beat Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy, giving Rubio a platform from which he could mount another bid for president in 2020.

In Arizona, meanwhile, GOP Sen. John McCain, at age 80, won his sixth term in quite possibly his final campaign. The 2008 GOP presidential nominee was re-elected without much difficulty despite early predictions of a competitive race, and struck a reflective note ahead of the outcome.

“While as Yogi Berra said, ‘I hate to make predictions, especially about the future,’ I’m not sure how many more I have in me,” McCain said.

In New York, Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democrats’ leaderin-waiting for a new Congress, easily won re-election. But the results elsewhere meant he would be leading a Senate minority when he replaces Reid in the leader’s role.

The Senate races were shadowed every step of the way by the polarizing presidential race between Clinton and Republican Donald Trump. Yet in the end, Trump was apparently not the drag on GOP candidates widely anticipated, even though some Republicans struggled with sharing the ballot with him.

Even though the GOP’s renewed control of the Senate is likely to be narrow, the advantages of being in the majority are significant. The controlling party holds the committee chairmanships, sets the legislative agenda and runs investigations. First up is likely to be a nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Reps keep House despite minimal Dem increases Associated Press

WASHINGTON — Republicans retained their lock on the House for two more years early Wednesday as GOP candidates triumphed in a checkerboard of districts in Florida, Virginia and Colorado that Democrats had hoped Donald Trump’s divisive comments about women and Hispanics would make their own.

Democrats who had envisioned potentially big gains in suburban and ethnically diverse districts instead were on track for disappointingly modest pickups. Republican contenders were buoyed by Trump’s startlingly strong White House bid against Democrat Hillary Clinton and appeal to white working-class voters.

Expectations were low that Democrats would win the 30 seats they had needed to capture House control. But both sides had anticipated they’d cut the historic GOP majority by perhaps a dozen seats, which seemed possible but unlikely.

Republicans currently hold a 247-188 majority, including three vacant seats, the most the GOP has commanded since their 270 in 1931.

By Wednesday morning, Republicans had at least 232 seats — guaranteeing control — and just five of their incumbents had lost. The GOP retained seats in Minnesota, New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Iowa and Wisconsin that Democrats sought to grab, and Republicans prepared to build on their current six-year run of House control.

“This could be a really good night for America,” House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., who won a 10th term, told supporters

back home in Janesville, Wisconsin.

It was initially unclear what impact the marginally smaller size of the GOP majority would have on Ryan, who’d angered some Republican lawmakers by refusing to campaign for Trump.

While one member of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus was defeated, several newly elected Republicans could bolster it. That would increase conservatives’ leverage to demand their way on issues like curbing spending and government regulations.

In Florida, freshman GOP Rep. Carlos Curbelo won a race that underscored how Trump’s damage to Republicans would be limited. With around 7 in 10 of the Miami-area district’s voters Hispanic, Democrats targeted it and the race became one of the country’s most expensive with an $18 million price tag. But Curbelo distanced himself from his own party’s nominee and held on.

Virginia freshman Rep. Barbara Comstock kept her seat in the Washington, D.C., suburbs despite Democrats’ attempts to lash her to Trump. The two sides spent more than $20 million in a district of highly educated, affluent voters that both sides had viewed as vulnerable to a Democratic takeover.

Democrats defeated two Florida GOP incumbents, but that seemed due to local circumstances.

Rep. John Mica, 73, a 12-term veteran from the Orlando area, was criticized by GOP strategists for a lackluster campaign and lost to Democrat Stephanie Murphy, a political neophyte.

Democrat Charlie Crist, once the state’s Republican governor, defeated Rep. David Jolly in a St

Petersburg district redrawn to favor Democrats.

Democrats spent $4 million and beat GOP Rep. Scott Garrett, a Freedom Caucus member from New Jersey’s suburbs of New York City. Also defeated was Rep. Bob Dold, a GOP moderate from outside Chicago, and Republican Rep. Cresent Hardy from Nevada.

No Democratic incumbent had lost by early Wednesday.

Both parties’ candidates and outside groups spent nearly $1.1 billion combined on House campaigns, shy of the $1.2 billion record in 2012, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a nonpartisan research group. Republicans had only a slight financial edge.

Even with the Ryan-led House GOP’s current formidable advantage, work has stalled this year on spending bills after hitting objections from conservatives.

Moving into 2017, Congress faces a fresh round of budget legislation plus the need to renew the government’s borrowing authority or face an economyjarring federal default. Those are never easy to pass.

Ryan, 46, has said he wants to be speaker in the new Congress and has expressed confidence in doing so. But he is not immune to ire from the Freedom Caucus, which chased former Speaker John Boehner from Congress last year, and other Republicans upset over his frigid treatment of Trump.

Just a handful of disgruntled conservatives could possibly block Ryan from the 218 votes he’d need to retain his post.

That would be an embarrassing setback for the GOP’s 2012 vice presidential candidate, who may harbor White House aspirations.

IN FOCUS

AL ABAMA

NDSMCOBSERVER.COM | WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2016 | THE OBSERVER

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AROUND THE NATION were filled by Republicans.

were filled by Democratic candidates.

was won by Republican incumbent Steve Pearce.

being the lone Democrat to win Tuesday night.

Democratic candidate Tammy Duckworth took 54 percent of the votes to beat out Republican Mark Kirk in the Senate race, while both House seats were filled by Republicans.

MICHIGAN

NEW YORK

SOUTH DAKOTA

Democrats took just over one third of Michigan’s House seats, with five seats going to Democrats and the remaining nine to Republicans.

AL ASK A

INDIANA Republican candidate Eric Holcomb defeated Democratic opponent John Gregg in Indiana’s gubernatorial race. Holcomb, previously Indiana’s lieutenant governor, will replace current Republican governor and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Republicans also took seven of Indiana’s nine seats in the House and reclaimed a senate seat as well.

As of 4 a.m., Republicans had won three seats and Democrats, four, of the state’s eight total seats in the House.

Republican John Thune cruised to his third term in the Senate while fellow Republican Kristi Noem won re-election to her fourth term in South Dakota’s lone seat in the House.

As of 3:25 a.m., races for both Senate and House seats were still being tallied.

In anything but a close race, Democratic candidate Charles Schumer won New York’s senatorial race with 70 percent of the votes, while only nine of New York’s House districts went to Republicans.

NORTH CAROLINA

On a relatively quiet night in the Volunteer State, Republicans won seven of Tennessee’s nine races in the House.

Republicans nearly swept the traditionally red state, with Republican incumbent Sen. Richard Shelby winning re-election and Republicans clinching six of seven districts in the race for seats in the House.

ILLINOIS

ARIZONA W hile the Senate race was still too close to call as of 3:25 a.m., Republicans took five of the nine districts up for House seats, leaving Democrats with four.

ARK ANSAS Former Representative and Republican John Boozman won the Senate race.

Republicans took all four available House districts.

CALIFORNIA As of 3:25 a.m., votes for both the Senate and the House races were still being tallied.

COLOR ADO As of 3:25 a.m., the Senate race was still too close to call. Republicans came away with four House districts, only narrowly eclipsing the Democrats’ three.

CONNECTICUT As of 3:25 a.m., the Senate race was still being deliberated; however, Democrats swept the entire House race, taking all five districts.

DEL AWARE Democratic candidate John Carney won Delaware’s gubernatorial race, defeating Republican opponent Colin Bonini by a margin of 19 percentage points. Democrat Lisa Blunt Rochester, the state’s former secretar y of labor, won 56 percent of the vote to claim the state’s lone House seat.

MINNESOTA

Three of Mississippi’s four possible House districts went to Republicans, with District 2’s Bennie Thompson being the only Democrat to get a place in the House for the state.

In one of the tightest contests of the night, Democratic challenger Roy Cooper defeated Republican incumbent Pat McCror y in the race for the governorship by less than 5,000 votes.

Republicans took 10 of the 13 House seats and also won the Senate race.

MISSOURI

NORTH DAKOTA

UTAH

Winning 60 percent of the votes, Republican Chuck Grassley easily defeated Democratic contender Patty Judge, who received 36 percent of votes, to win Iowa’s senatorial race. Only one of Iowa’s four House seats was taken by a Democrat.

The gubernatorial race ended with a win for Republican candidate Eric Greitens, who defeated Democratic candidate Chris Koster. Republican incumbent Sen. Roy Blunt defeated Democrat Jason Kander to reclaim his Senate seat, and Republicans claimed six of the state’s eight House seats.

K ANSAS

MONTANA

Republican Doug Burgum easily won North Dakota’s gubernatorial race, defeating Democratic opponent Marvin Nelson by a margin of nearly 50 percentage points.

Burgum will take the place of current Republican Gov. Jack Dalr ymple, who did not run for re-election. Republicans also claimed both the House seat and the Senate seat.

Republican incumbent Jerr y Moran won re-election to his second term in the Senate while all four of Kansas’ House seats were filled by Republicans.

As of 3:30 a.m., incumbent Gov. Steve Bullock of the Democratic Party led Republican challenger Greg Gianforte by a narrow margin with 67 percent of precincts reporting. Republican incumbent Ryan Zinke also won re-election to the state’s lone House seat.

In a runaway contest, Republican incumbent candidate Gar y Herbert reclaimed the office of governor, defeating Democratic challenger Mike Weinholtz by a margin of more than 35 percentage points. Republican incumbent Mike Lee easily won re-election to his second term in the Senate, and Republicans swept Utah’s four House seats.

IOWA

KENTUCK Y Winning 57 percent of the vote, Republican candidate Rand Paul beat out Democratic candidate Jim Gray to reclaim his Senate seat. Five out of Kentucky’s six House seats were filled by Republicans.

LOUISIANA

MISSISSIPPI

NEBR ASK A Republicans took two of the three House seats and held a narrow margin in the contest for the third as of 3:50 a.m.

NEVADA

Republican Marco Rubio came out on top of six other candidates to take Florida’s Senate seat, while 16 of 27 House spots were filled by Republicans.

With none of the Senatorial candidates garnering at least 50 percent of the votes, Louisiana will instead hold a runoff election Dec. 10. W hile House Districts 1, 5 and 6 were filled by Republicans, and District 2 was filled by a Democrat, Districts 3 and 4 will also be determined during a runoff election on Dec. 10.

GEORGIA

MAINE

Republican Johnny Isakson took 55 percent of the votes to beat out Democrat Jim Barksdale by 14 percentage points for the Senate, while 10 of 14 House seats were filled by Republicans.

Maine’s two House districts were split between the two major parties, with District 1 going to Democrat Chellie Pingree, and District 2 going to Republican Bruce Poliquin.

HAWAII

MARYL AND

Democratic incumbent Brian Schatz was re-elected to the Senate for his first full term after Sen. Daniel Inouye’s death in 2012. Both of the two districts available for House seats went to Democrats.

Winning 60 percent of the votes, Democrat Chris van Hollen took Mar yland’s Senatorial race, eclipsing Republican Kathy Szeliga, who won just 36 percent of the vote. Seven of Mar yland’s eight House seats were filled

by Democrats.

NEW JERSEY

MASSACHUSETTS

House Districts 1 and 3 went to Democratic candidates Michelle Lujan Grisham and Ben Ray Lujan, respectively, while District 2

FLORIDA

IDAHO Republican incumbent Mike Crapo was elected to his fourth term in the Senate, and both of the two districts available for House seats

TENNESSEE

Keeping true to its traditionally Democratic leanings, all nine of Massachusetts’ House seats

Democrats took two of the state’s four House seats and led in the race for a third seat as of 3:50 a.m. Democratic candidate Catherine Cortez Masto won the race for the Senate.

NEW HAMPSHIRE In the New Hampshire gubernatorial race, Republican candidate Chris Sununu beat out Democratic opponent Colin Van Ostern in a closely contested race. As of 3:30 a.m., the race for the both the Senate seat and the House District 1 seat were too close to call. Democratic candidate Ann Kuster won the District 2 House seat.

Winning seven House districts, Democrats came out with a narrow lead over Republicans — who won five House districts — in the race for New Jersey representation within the House.

NEW MEXICO

OHIO Republican Rob Portman took Ohio’s senatorial race with 58 percent of votes, while 12 of 16 possible House districts also went red.

OKL AHOMA Republican Senator James Lankford won his first full term in office after being victorious in a special election in 2014 while his party also swept the state’s five House seats.

OREGON Democratic incumbent candidate Kate Brown won re-election to the governorship, becoming the first openly LGBT candidate to be elected to the office of governor. Democratic incumbent Ron Wyden returns to the Senate where he has served since 1996, and Democrats also won four of the five races for seats in the House.

PENNSYLVANIA

TEX AS Republicans dominated Tuesday in the Lone Star State, winning 25 of Texas’ 36 seats in the House of Representatives.

VERMONT In Vermont’s gubernatorial race, Republican candidate Phil Scott defeated Democratic candidate Sue Minter. Democratic incumbent Peter Welch claimed a sixth term in Vermont’s lone seat in the House.

VIRGINIA Republicans claimed seven of the 11 House seats up for grabs Tuesday night while Democrats snagged the remaining four.

WASHINGTON Incumbent Gov. Jay Inslee won re-election to a second term while fellow Democrat Patty Murray easily defeated Republican challenger Chris Vance to secure a fifth term in the Senate. Democrats also won six of the state’s 10 available House seats as Republicans won the remaining four.

Republican incumbent Pat Toomey won a tight race over Democratic challenger Katie McGinty to return to the Senate, but Republicans claimed 13 of the state’s 18 House seats.

WEST VIRGINIA

RHODE ISL AND

WISCONSIN

Democratic incumbents Dvaid Cicilline and Jim Langevin were re-elected to Rhode Island’s two House seats.

Republican incumbent Ron Johnson, the state’s senior Senator, defeated challenger Russ Feingold while Speaker of the House Paul Ryan was one of four Republicans who claimed seats in the House.

Democrats won the three remaining House seats.

SOUTH CAROLINA Republican Sen. Tim Scott was re-elected to his first full term in the Senate after Gov. Nikki Haley nominated him to fill the seat vacated by Senator Jim DeMint in 2013.

Republicans also won six of the seven races in the House, with incumbent Jim Clyburn

Coal executive and Democrat Jim Justice won the state’s gubernatorial election while Republicans swept West Virginia’s three House seats.

W YOMING Republican Liz Cheney, the eldest daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, won the state’s lone House seat.