DeKalb – As election results came in Tuesday night NIU students and the DeKalb community sat in anticipation watching results get reported in what is being called a historic election.
YOUNG DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISTS OF AMERICA WATCH PARTY
Students gathered after 6 p.m. in the Capitol Room of the Holmes Student Center at a watch party organized by the Young Democratic Socialists of America at NIU.
Senior political science major Princess Rogers said she was feeling disappointed as results came in.
“It’s a little bit jarring seeing how many states are red right now (around 8 p.m.),” said Rogers, who is also president of the NIU College Democrats. “There is a completely other side of America that we can’t ignore that feels that Donald Trump is the best option for America.”
Rogers said she enjoyed voting for the first time in this election.
“I wasn’t nervous actually,” Rogers said. “I was really excited because I’ve never done it before.”
Students in the Capitol Room cheered with every state that was called in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.
John Delaney graduated from NIU in 2024 and said he was the only one at the polls when he voted on Election Day.
“This feels like the most up in the air election that I’ve lived through,” Delaney said. “Usually it’s more obvious who’s going to win.”
Delaney said he was detached from the result but could see that the result mattered to his family.
“My sister and my parents, it actually seems to affect them every day,” Delaney said. “On the other side, my brother –who believes we live on a dome and that we have a flat earth – thinks that putting Kamala into office would be World War III.”
John Lockard, a junior anthropology major, said he would be watching the results until he fell asleep.
“I’ll probably be continuing to watch them as I do homework throughout the night,” Lockard said. “Probably until I fall asleep around 2 a.m.”
Lockard said Donald Trump’s authoritarian tendencies worried him.
“It’s a very concerning trend, and I’m very worried about it,” Lockard said. “I’ve also been really worried after the repeal of Roe v. Wade for my sisters’ futures and all my friends’ futures.”
DEKALB COUNTY DEMOCRATS WATCH PARTY
As the 2024 general election unfolds, the DeKalb County Democratic Party hosted a watch party in support of the party’s local and national candidates.
The watch party began at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the River Heights Golf Course in DeKalb.
The watch party was attended by a variety of candidates, including DeKalb County Circuit Clerk candidate Tammie Shered.
“This is a history-making election,” Shered said. “I’m making change and making history in this community. I grew up here, I used to work at the courthouse, and I want to get back in there to make restorative justice and make changes in our community.”
Ahead of her election results being released, Shered spoke about what differentiates herself as a candidate.
“I’m loyal, exemplary at whatever I do,” Shered said. “I’m like a good glass of Cognac, it’s straight. There’s no hiding with me. I don’t fake, I’m real.”
Anna Wilhelmi, chair of the DeKalb County Democratic Party, helped put the watch party together and spoke about the success of the event.
“The watch party has been fantastic,” Wilhelmi said. “I’m surrounded by like-minded people and generally positive people. So, I’m really pleased.”
Wilhelmi also shared her excitement toward the turnout of young and early voters in this year’s election.
“It’s been going really good; I’m very excited about all of the early vote turnout,” Wilhelmi said. “It was exciting to see students just lined up around, you know, today, around the buildings and students popping into, you know, our temporary office, you know, like: ‘Hey, where can I vote?’”
Running for the DeKalb County Board, Stewart Ogilvie was another candidate in attendance. This is Ogilvie’s second time running and first time running during a national election, and Ogilvie compared his experiences.
“The first time I ran, it was not a part of a national, so it’s been a different experience for me,” Ogilvie said. “It’s been kind of nerve-wracking.”
The watch party also served as a spot for local voters looking to connect with like-minded people.
“I normally keep to myself,” said DeKalb resident Sid Kincaid. “I just kind of, like, have an opportunity to reconnect with politicians in the area.”
