Across the country yesterday, millions of Americans voted in local elections. Some, like the gubernatorial race in Virginia, had garnered major national coverage. But most had not. I felt a little left out of the mix as there were none here in my hometown of Indianapolis, where I’d recently relocated from New York City.
I have loved voting in every election since I turned 18 and have tried to be a pretty involved citizen most of the time. At the very least, I make sure I’m well-informed on the issue. I canvassed for Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. And 2016 basically broke me, like so many others.
I was not some reluctant supporter of Hillary Clinton’s as a reaction to the horrors of Donald Trump. I truly loved and believed in my candidate. I used my social platforms to push out her message and spent countless hours calling voters in swing states. When she lost, a wave of grief rocked me in a way I hadn’t experienced since the sudden loss of my mom in 2014.
Over the course of this year, I’ve cried a lot and raged even more. I’m usually an avid reader, but I can barely get through a book. Even my move back to the Midwest was not unrelated. I wanted to be on the ground to help support candidates and organizations, like Planned Parenthood, that reflect my values…in a state (though not city, thanks Indy!) that is almost always red.
So it was with great trepidation that I tuned in to the election results last night as I’m pretty sure 2016 left many of us with some kind of electoral PTSD. No, we weren’t electing a president and these were not the all-important 2018 midterms. But these races might give us a clue about what we’re facing when they arrive.
The numbers looked good for Democrat Ralph Northam in Virginia who was up against Ed Gillespie, a candidate in the mold of Trump who used race-baiting and confederate statues as major campaign talking points. Then they started looking even better, ending with the largest margin of victory by a VA Democrat for governor since 1985. Dems also took the governorship in New Jersey and won countless local seats in many states. A trans woman—Danica Roem—took down the man who wrote Virginia’s horrible bathroom bill. Maine voted for Medicaid expansion. New Jersey elected its first-ever female African-American lieutenant governor, Sheila Oliver. Elizabeth Guzman and Haya Ayala became the first two Latina delegates in Virginia’s House of Delegates, defeating Republican incumbents. The list goes on and on.
What was this feeling coming over me? It was wonderful, yet strange. Oh right, that’s hope. Hi hope—I missed you so much! I was seriously fired up.
So were a lot of other people. For one brief moment, Twitter wasn’t a total garbage fire.
I cried again last night, but for different reasons.
I cried with joy for all the women who took Hillary’s defeat as a call to run for office…and won. I cried for all the people in Maine who will now have access to healthcare. I cried with gratitude that women, especially women of color, showed up to vote and made their voices heard loud and clear. I cried because the light at the end of the tunnel got brighter and brighter as the night wore on, just the opposite of what happened one year ago.
Make no mistake, I realize there is much work to be done and further change will not come if we get complacent. I don’t know about you, but I’m more motivated than ever. And for once it’s coming from a place of hope, not fear.