The 2024 Presidential Election held on Nov. 5 concluded with a decisive victory for former president-Donald Trump with 312 electoral college votes over Vice President Kamala Harris’s 226.
According to USA Today, the election was called at 5:34 a.m. on the morning of Nov. 6, shortly after the time in which Pennsylvania was given to Trump and his speech at the watch party in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President elect JD Vance won the 2024
Presidential Election.
Dr. Gary Rose, Scholar in Residence at Sacred Heart University, said that the magnitude of Trump’s victory was more of a surprise than the victory itself.
“I was not surprised that former President Trump won, as the election, according to the polls, could have gone either way,” said Rose. “But I was surprised over how decisive his win was and that in addition to winning the electoral vote, he also won the national popular vote.”
Trump’s win in the popular vote meant that he became the first Republican candidate to win the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
“I was surprised that the former President won the popular vote and performed very well among certain voting groups,” said sophomore Matt Meaney.
According to an AP VoteCast chart, Trump received more votes from people of color during the 2024 election in comparison to the 2020 election.
“This election showed that the Democratic Party needs to change the way they campaign and present themselves in the midterms and ultimately in 2028, as they significantly underperformed compared to previous years,” said Meaney.
The seven perceived swing states heading into the election – Nevada, Arizona, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia – all went to Trump.
The state of Connecticut and its seven electoral votes went to Harris. As of Nov. 10, 56.5% of voters in the state – 986,573 – voted for Harris, while 41.9% of the state’s voters – 731,164 – voted for Trump.
Harris received 72.7% of the vote – 26,992 – in Bridgeport, while Trump received 26.1% – 9,707. In Fairfield, 61.7% of votes – 21,492 – went to Harris and 36.5% – 12,693 – went to Trump.
Following the results of the election, Harris delivered her concession speech at 4 p.m. on Nov. 6 at Howard University.
“I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions and aspirations,” Harris said during the speech.
Rose said that it’s important for SHU to show respect for the democratic process and acknowledge the way in which the issues that decided this election impact the lives of students, faculty and staff.
“Our university should understand the contemporary concerns and values of voters as they were expressed in this election, and perhaps consider curriculum changes that more directly tie our university to what the American people feel are the central issues affecting our country,” said Rose.
Now that the election has passed, the Office for Inclusive Excellence will host an event titled “Election Reflections: A Community Debrief” on Nov. 13 at 12:30 p.m. in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Meaney said that unity is imperative during times like this.
“Regardless of which candidate you supported going into the election, it is important that we remain unified coming out of the election,” said Meaney.
For senior Amanda Valency, it is crucial to keep an open mind going forward, despite the election being over.
“Now that the election has passed, we as students should continue to stay informed, learn about important issues in the community, and think about the role we play in shaping our own futures,” said Valency. “We must choose unity over division.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
