On Nov. 5, United States citizens had the opportunity to cast their vote in the presidential election for the 47th president, as well as vote for other offices such as U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, as well as local offices within their respective states and counties.
The race between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump ended with a win for the Republican Party with 312 electoral votes, and the Democratic Party receiving 226.
Pennsylvania served as a defining factor in the election, as one of the seven swing states. Pa. has one of the highest numbers of electoral votes out of the swing states, with 19. Since Pennsylvania often sway between voting for Democratic and Republican nominees, the students at Emmaus High School are passionate about the election’s outcome due to the results it holds upon their future, as many seniors got the chance to give their voice.
President of the Young Democrats club at EHS, senior Jackson Kreiner expressed his concerns about the recent election results, especially with regards to Trump’s campaign which includes topics relating to abortion, government, immigration, climate, economy, education, and more, many of which concern Americans and their future.
“The Senate and House will most likely be under Republican control, as well as the White House, and this scares me,” Kreiner said. “Given an outcome like this, it will enable Trump and his administration to carry out many of their dangerous plans that will have disastrous effects on our government.”
Additionally, Republican Dave McCormick won the Senate race against Democrat Senator Bob Casey. In District seven, another tight race between Susan Wild and Ryan Mackenzie occurred in the fight for the House seat. Mackenzie won the house seat as he leads in a red Pennsylvania.
Senior Michael Lam, a conservative, views the presidential election from the perspectives of both candidates, explaining why he believed Trump won versus Harris when it came to support and voter outcome.
“While Harris continued with a somewhat traditional political strategy, Trump created a voter base who found him and his speeches entertaining rather than a political bore like most politicians,” Lam said.
Trump will enter office on Jan. 20, 2025, marking his second term in office and the return of Republican leadership in the White House.
“Thus, it is time to move on and look towards the future in order to focus on things that we can impact and change,” Kreiner said.
