Elections have always been community-building days for Delaney Denton, director of the Spirit and Traditions Board and senior in the School of Public Affairs. During the 2008 election, she said she remembers going to the polls with her mom and being particularly impressed by the women who were running.
On Nov. 5, Denton brought that sense of collectiveness to American University with an election watch party, hosted by the Kennedy Political Union with the Spirit and Traditions Board and the School of International Service.
“We’re at school where we get more people seeing political speakers than we do at sporting games,” Denton said. “I decided to focus on that by bringing spirit to something that I know our community is going to be talking about and paying attention to, which is this election.”
The watch party, held in the Abramson Family Founders Room in the School of International Service, displayed the ongoing election results on three separate screens, showing three different news channels with different political leanings – CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. According to Aidan Skidds, KPU director and a junior in SPA, this was intentional to stay in line with their non-partisan roots.
Turnout for the event was greater than expected, according to Skidds. Though the event started at 8:00 p.m., students were posted outside the SIS building at 6:45 p.m., waiting to be let in.
“People really came through. Everyone seems really engaged,” Skidds said.
Students from all political backgrounds and voting aspirations were in attendance. Vice President Kamala Harris supporters, former President Donald Trump supporters, third-party voters and international students watched the results alongside each other, as state results were revealed.
In a race closer to home, Delaware State Senator and AU alum Sarah McBride is projected to win Delaware’s at-large United States House of Representatives seat, the Associated Press reports.
McBride, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the School of Public Affairs in 2013, will be the first openly transgender person to serve in Congress, defeating Republican businessman John Whalen III.
AU alum and Delaware state senator Sarah McBride at a Students for Change Event on March 31.
In a statement on her X account, McBride said she was proud to be Delaware’s next member of Congress.
“Delaware has sent the message loud and clear that we must be a country that protects reproductive freedom, that guarantees paid leave and affordable child care for all our families, that ensures that housing and health care are available to everyone and that this is a democracy that is big enough for all of us,” McBride said on X.
McBride lobbied for successful anti-discrimination legislation in Delaware in 2013 and is credited with helping shape President Joe Biden’s LGBTQ+ stance. McBride has had close ties with the Biden family since 2006, when she worked for Beau Biden’s attorney general campaign while in high school.
McBride came out as transgender in 2012 while serving as the president of the University’s student government, gaining national attention. As a state senator, McBride is currently the highest-ranking transgender elected official in U.S. history and broke her record again as Congresswoman-elect.
McBride was one win for the Democratic party in a night of contested congressional seats. As for the presidency, results throughout the night were swaying in favor of Trump.
“I’m very confident that my candidate is going to win,” Aaron Veysman, a freshman in SPA, said. “My issues are the economy, immigration and foreign policy – all have been completely mismanaged over the past four years, there’s no question about it. We are in a terrible place as a country right now.”
Many students at the event were first-time voters.
“You are first-hand choosing someone who is representing your views and how you want issues to be addressed,” said Breanna Jimenez, freshman in SPA and first-time voter from Texas. “I think [voting is] imperative to the foundation of democracy, but also just making sure that your voice is heard.”
When speaking to those in attendance, reproductive rights, economic policy, environmental policy and immigration were a few key issues students highlighted when describing how they decided to choose who to vote for.
“This is my first presidential election that I’ve voted in,” said Kaitlyn Finnerty, a sophomore in SPA. “I voted for Kamala Harris. I think that her support for women’s rights is a major thing for me.”
Flavia Azizaj, international student and a freshman in SPA, was one attendee who felt strongly about immigration policy, and how each candidate has managed it in their past administrations.
“In Albania, we’re not as open as in the U.S. to talk about controversial topics, or topics that are stigmatized,” Azizaj said. “I’m also an immigrant here, but I’m on two visas. I just really hope what the Biden and Harris administration did with open borders ends once and for all.”
While some students had strong opinions on either side, others said they voted for a “lesser of two evils,” feeling as though both candidates did not represent their political views.
“It sounds bad — but she’s not the other guy,” said Aaron Miller, a junior in SPA. “I like the goals that the Biden/Harris administration had. I’m hoping that Harris, moving forward, will continue what Biden had.”
Alongside free viewership of the election, KPU, STB and SIS provided food, games and politically-themed merch for students, including bingo cards, stickers and pins.
“We really wanted to give people a watch party where anyone, from any political background, would feel welcome,” Skidds said.
This article was edited by Payton Anderson, Tyler Davis and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks and Emma Brown.
