Donald Trump is the U.S. president-elect after winning 295 electoral votes as of Wednesday evening in one of modern history’s most contentious and polarizing presidential contests.
The issues ranged from economic inequality and climate change to national security and immigration, making the stakes especially high. Trump won over Vice President Kamala Harris in a race that saw heightened political divisions and deepening distrust in the democratic process. As advocates across issues responded to the news on Wednesday, they warned that now is the time to begin organizing.
“Donald Trump’s election—following his embrace of white supremacy during the campaign—brings us to one of the most dangerous moments in our country’s history,” said Kica Matos, the president of the National Immigration Law Center (NILC), in a statement. “We knew Trump could win, and that is why we helped lead a movement-wide effort to plan for this moment.”
Trump ran on a xenophobic policy promising mass deportations, ending birthright citizenship and the right to public education for immigrant children, internment camps, and using the military to hunt down immigrants.
“We should take him at his word,” Matos said. “One thing is certain: We cannot and will not retreat. For more than 40 years, NILC has been steadfast in our fight to defend the rights of low-income immigrants and their loved ones. We successfully fought Donald Trump before, and we will do it again.”
Reproductive rights organizers faced conflicting emotions as seven states voted to codify existing law or otherwise make abortion more accessible but defeats in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota ended the previously unbroken post-Roe ballot measure winning streak.
Florida, where a ballot measure to protect abortion rights failed despite receiving 57% of the vote, was a critical battleground.
Yet, amid the setbacks in three states, there were significant wins across the country. In Maryland, Colorado, Nevada, and New York, voters clearly expressed their support for abortion rights.
Dr. Jamila Perritt, president and CEO of Physicians for Reproductive Health and an OB-GYN in Washington, D.C., said in a statement that advocates “are devastated” by another Trump presidency. “Over the course of this campaign cycle, we heard loud and clear that the next Trump Administration aims to further punish our communities by engaging in disinformation and misinformation campaigns about sexual and reproductive health care, criminalizing patients and providers of abortion and gender-affirming care, and encouraging and enabling racist, xenophobic violence across the country. We are mourning what this means for our safety, our health, and our wellbeing,” Perritt said.
Meanwhile, abortion bans continue to cause devastating harm. ProPublica reported the deaths of at least three people as a result of abortion bans in Georgia and Texas. While on the campaign trail President-elect Trump said he would not sign a national abortion ban, advocates say they will demand that he keep his word and recognize the harms that have followed the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and work to remedy them.
“We know that this is just the tip of the iceberg,” Perritt said. “As long as abortion bans and restrictions remain in place, pregnant people will continue to die.”
The presidential race was punctuated by a Democratic voter base disappointed in its party’s refusal to answer its demands, including calls for a ceasefire in Gaza as Israel continues its genocide of Palestinians. Notably, Arab and Muslim voters in Michigan skewed away from the Democratic ticket.
“Democrats had every opportunity to win this election with ease,” said the Abandon Harris campaign in a statement. “But instead, they chose to betray their base, to abandon the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, and to align themselves with some of the darkest figures in American history—like Dick Cheney. The Democrats made their choice, and they alone are responsible for what happened last night and the consequences it will bring to this country.”
The campaign called on President-elect Trump to immediately call for an arms embargo and a permanent ceasefire.
“We understand full well that Palestinians will not see relief under another administration,” the group said in a statement. “For the last 14 months, 2.2 million people have been enduring a relentless campaign of extermination backed by our government. We are under no illusions about what a Trump presidency entails. But genocide must be a line no party dares to cross. Any political party must be made to understand that if they tear apart innocent lives, if they trample over children, they will pay the price for it.”
For the LGBTQIA+ community, advocates remain fearful of what Trump’s presidency will mean for healthcare and rights across the country. Trump, who rolled back protections for LGBTQIA+ people during his first term, campaigned this year on policies that discriminate against trans people and limit access to gender-affirming care.
According to a statement from FOLX Health, a first-of-its-kind LGBTQIA+ digital healthcare service provider, 95% of 1,500 patients surveyed struggled with mental health due to the current political environment.
“As we head into the next 4 years, the queer community is faced with anxiety and fear of how their rights could be compromised,” the statement said.
FOLX is now offering mental health services and community support to LGBTQIA+ patients as they come to terms with the election results.
This year’s presidential race came down to crucial swing states, including Pennsylvania. As a critical battleground state with the highest number of electoral college votes among key swing states, all eyes were on Pennsylvania—and residents felt the attention and the pressure. According to NPR, for the first time in history campaigns spent $1.2 billion on political advertising in the state, making it the highest investment made in any swing state during this election cycle. The night before Election Day, Trump and Harris closed their campaigns by hosting rallies across the state. Trump spoke to Pittsburgh voters as Harris focused her efforts on Philadelphia.
Carolyn, a 30-year-old voter in Philadelphia who did not want her last name published, cast her ballot for Harris on Tuesday morning. She cited the candidate’s focus on preserving reproductive rights and her stance on gay marriage as key factors in her decision-making.
“I have a lot of people that could be disenfranchised by this election and I’m just trying to vote in the best interest of everyone around me,” said Carolyn.
While Philadelphia has traditionally skewed liberal, with Biden garnering more than 80% of votes in the 2020 election, his win across the state of Pennsylvania was only by a slim margin of 50% to 48.8%. That thin line of difference has led Philadelphia voters like Carolyn to acknowledge the implications of casting a Pennsylvania vote.
“Just being in Pennsylvania, I feel like the stakes are really, really high,” she said. “There’s maybe more responsibility to get out there, and you really feel like you’re making a difference versus maybe voting somewhere where you know the state is going to go a certain way.”
Poll workers in Philadelphia’s Spring Garden neighborhood described the lines on Tuesday morning as “Obama-esque.” They also acknowledged there was more energy, anxiety, and a heightened sense of obligation this election cycle. According to the Associated Press, 76% of registered Pennsylvania voters turned out in 2020.
Greg Kilkineng, a New Jersey native who has lived in Philadelphia for the past two years, shared both the excitement of casting a ballot in a battleground state and disappointment in how the system allows only a few states to have such outsized decision-making power.
“It’s frustrating that it’s ultimately coming down to seven states,” said Kilkineng. “I wish the system was a little bit more inclusive of everybody, and that’s even for, say, Democrats in Texas or the Republicans in California whose votes don’t necessarily matter. It’s kind of a messed up system.”
Kilkineng cast his ballot for Harris because he supported her policies and felt she would help young people. He also expressed disappointment with Trump’s rhetoric.
“I think it’s depressing how he would talk about how the greatest days of America are behind us,” said Kilkineng. “I’m looking for a more positive future, and I think the Democratic Party and Kamala Harris are more in line with that.”
For Black women voters like Jasmine, a 31-year-old Philadelphia native who did not want her last name published, Harris’ victory would have been personally resonant. However, unlike some Pennsylvania voters, Jasmine’s political engagement is not particularly driven by living in a swing state. For instance, she voted in the last election but not the one prior. Harris’ stance on reproductive rights, in large part, is what compelled Jasmine to cast her ballot for the vice president—despite her personal opposition to abortion.
“We all have the right to choose, and just because that is my personal choice and option, I have no right or jurisdiction over someone else’s body,” she said.
Election results across the state were expected to be slow because of the overwhelming number of mail-in ballots cast—in the 2022 midterm elections, mail-in ballots across the state’s 67 counties comprised almost a quarter of the total vote. In the interim, some voters, including Jasmine, intentionally avoided the news as they awaited the results.
“I’ll maybe say a Hail Mary and hope for the best,” she said. “Hope that we are victorious.”
Meanwhile, in what was previously a swing state, Florida has all but decided it is a Republican stronghold. Even previous Democratic communities, such as Miami-Dade County, sided with Trump. The county, which is predominantly Latinx, was bombarded with misinformation campaigns that were particularly prevalent across Spanish-language media.
One older Cuban-American immigrant voter in Miami, who requested to remain anonymous, said she was proudly voting for Trump to avoid what she sees as another “Communist” politician.
“I escaped from communism, and if I left communism, I’m not going to come here and implant it or support it,” she said outside of the polling location at Iglesia Bautista Resurreccion.
Jamie Brown, a Miami native who voted at Elizabeth Virrick Park, explained why this year’s election was particularly important to him. His decision to vote wasn’t just a matter of civic duty but a reflection of his personal goals and concerns about the future.
“I’m born and raised right here in Miami,” Brown said, adding that his primary reason for voting in this election was tied to his desire to eventually own a home in a city where housing costs are soaring. “Housing is very expensive now, and it doesn’t seem like it’s going to slow down. So for me, that was my primary interest, to try and put more money back in the county and in the state so that maybe someday I would be able to buy a house.”
Despite reservations about both candidates, Brown felt it was essential to make a choice. “I can’t let that happen again,” he said, explaining that he voted for Harris in the presidential election.
“As much as I didn’t want to, because personally, I don’t really care for either candidate,” he said, “I had to go for Kamala because we’ve already had Trump, and we saw how that turned out.”
One local Miami resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, shared her thoughts on why this election was particularly important for her after voting outside of the Elizabeth Virrick Park voting center in Coconut Grove, a historically Bahamian community.
“As a Black woman, I feel a strong responsibility to cast my vote,” she said. “There were so many people who worked hard before me to get me this right, and I want to make sure I honor that effort.” Her decision to vote this year wasn’t just about civic duty—it was about acknowledging the struggles of those who came before her and securing the future for those who will follow.
“This is a really important election, more than most,” she continued. “What’s at stake here is a lot more than just policies—it’s about the division that’s happening in our country, particularly around race, sexism, and women’s rights.”
The voter, who identified herself as a strong advocate for gender equality and reproductive rights, expressed deep concern over the current political climate. “The biggest thing at stake for me is the division,” she said. “Whether it’s race, sexism, or the debate over abortion laws, these issues are really important to me. I want to make sure that we have the right to choose what we do with our bodies.”
For her, the issues surrounding abortion rights were particularly urgent. “We need leaders who will protect our rights and not take us backward,” she said. “We need someone who can bring more peace into the world instead of fueling division.”
The woman said she cast her ballot for Harris. This election, like so many others, carried the weight of history and personal conviction. As a Black woman, the voter acknowledged the legacy of those who fought for civil rights and the ongoing struggle for equality.
As advocates look ahead, they say there is work to be done.
“There is too much at stake in the months ahead to succumb to despair,” said Matos. “Instead, we will come together, lift up the courage and resilience of immigrant communities, and fight back with everything we have.”
