Supporters gather at Peck Welcome Center at the Milwaukee County Zoo for the Election Night Watch Party hosted by Wisconsin Democrats (Photo/Karen Stokes)
By Karen Stokes
The excitement and anticipation Tuesday night as supporters gathered for the Milwaukee Election Night Watch Party began to dwindle as the night progressed.
The prospect of Kamala Harris becoming the first woman U.S. President drew hundreds to the Peck Welcome Center at the Milwaukee County Zoo.
Cheers erupted when blue states like California and Illinois were called in the Vice President’s favor. However, the mood shifted as the path to a Harris/Walz victory grew increasingly uncertain.
On a positive note, LaTonya Johnson secured re-election for Wisconsin State Senate District 6, and Congresswoman Gwen Moore also won re-election. At the watch party, Moore addressed the crowd, saying, “This has been a long, hard battle, and I feel very encouraged. Let’s celebrate all the work you’ve done.”
Congresswoman Gwen Moore addresses supporters at the Election Night Watch (Photo/Karen Stokes)
With 99% of the vote counted, Trump was leading Vice President Harris in Wisconsin by just one percentage point and secured the state.
Vice President Harris spent election night at her alma mater, Howard University, an HBCU in Washington, D.C. However, she did not address supporters as originally planned when it became clear that she was losing the election.
Her campaign co-chair Cedric Richmond briefly addressed the crowd at Howard University to let them know Harris would not be speaking. She made an optimistic concession speech Wednesday afternoon at Howard.
“The outcome of this election is not what we wanted, not what we fought for, not what we voted for. But hear me when I say, hear me when I say, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we never give up and as long as we keep fighting,” she said.