During a somber election ceremony at the Capitol on Tuesday, voters who had hoped to celebrate the historic presidency of a Democratic daughter of California cast their votes for Vice President Kamala Harris, knowing that Republican Donald Trump will go to the White House next month instead of.
It was a very different scene from 2020, when Democratic voters in Sacramento erupted in cheers and applause as California cemented Democrat Joe Biden’s victory and ousted Trump after his first presidential term, with the Republican refusing to accept defeat and making baseless claims of voter fraud. .
This time, a quiet hush filled the Assembly chamber as all 54 of California’s electoral college votes were cast for Harris, the first California Democrat to become a presidential candidate.
“You can talk to your friends. This is not a funeral, this is a good time,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber said as she praised voters, who sat at desks usually reserved for lawmakers, for their “commitment to democracy” regardless of how they felt about the outcome of the elections.
Read more: Will Kamala Harris run for governor of California in 2026? The question is already circulating
Harris won about 58% of the vote in her home state of California, beating Trump by more than 20 points, but losing to him nationally.
Although the national vote between Harris and Trump was close, Trump won the electoral college – the system based on population and state representation in Congress – by 312 votes to 226. Members of the Electoral College met in each state on Tuesday to cast votes for the candidate. who won their state.
Rusty Hicks, chairman of the California Democratic Party, said it was not a sad day of defeat, adding that the Golden State remains “a beacon of freedom” for the nation. Democrats retain unfettered power in Sacramento and rule in the governor’s office and in the Legislature, even though they lost a few seats.
And while the election was a major victory nationally for Republicans, who will soon control the Senate, House of Representatives and the presidency, Democrats dethroned three Republican incumbents in California’s congressional races, reducing the razor-thin Republican majority.
Read more: A bright spot for Democrats as voters shifted to the right: three seats in the California House of Representatives
“Do most of us want a different outcome? Of course,” Hicks said at the Capitol on Tuesday. “But this is part of our democracy: having our voices heard, coming to the people’s house and honoring the results of the election. I think that’s something we should all be proud of.”
California’s presidential electors included a selection of Democrats from across the state: city council members and mayors, political strategists, nonprofit leaders and elected officials such as Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Salinas) and new Assembly Member Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles).
Family members of politicians also acted as electors, including Karen Waters, daughter of Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles); Angela Padilla, wife of Democratic U.S. Senator Alex Padilla; Candice Adam-Medefind, mother of new Democratic Rep. Adam Gray; and Elizabeth Cisneros, mother of newly elected Democratic Rep. Gil Cisneros.
Trump was not mentioned during Tuesday’s official ceremony, but his looming presidency is inescapable at California’s Capitol, where Gov. Gavin Newsom recently launched a special legislative session devoted to funding lawsuits against Trump’s conservative policy proposals.
“This process reminds us of what is possible when we honor the voices of the people and the values we hold dear, of freedom, fairness and the right of every individual to have their say and shape the future,” Rivas said in a welcome speech. the assembly floor.
Gray, who claimed a crucial seat in Congress and ousted Republican Rep. John Duarte in an extremely close race in the Central Valley, was at the Capitol on Tuesday as an observer.
The newly elected congressman was cautiously optimistic about the incoming administration and said he is willing to work with Trump on areas where they agree.
“In every election, no one wins. That doesn’t stop us from waking up the next day and still working on the things that matter to our communities,” he said.
Xiomara Flores-Holguin was a voter and top volunteer for Democrat George Whitesides’ congressional campaign on Tuesday. Whitesides, a first-time candidate, defeated Republican Rep. Mike Garcia in another closely watched House race in northern Los Angeles County.
Flores-Holguin said Tuesday she was filled with “mixed emotions.” She plans to help Democrats overhaul voter engagement strategies, with a renewed focus on Latino voters before the next election.
“Today it seems like there is still a glimmer of hope that Democrats will come back,” she said. “We have learned lessons from it and we are not giving up. We are not going away.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
