College and DeKalb County Democrats gathered at Hopkins Park Community Center Tuesday for election results and birthday cake.

The mood remained high early in the night as the “victory celebration” kicked off. Cheers echoed through the Terrace Room whenever a Democratic win was announced.

DeKalb County Democratic Party Vice Chair Stephen Slack stood on a chair and announced the party was also a birthday party for party chair Eileen Dubin.

“I am going to get the best birthday present, I mean president, ever,” Dubin said.

Other Democrats agreed with Dubin’s prediction of a victory for Sen. John Kerry.

NIU College Democrats spokeswoman Kristen Erekson said Kerry would win for a couple of reasons, including the high voter turnout and the way President George W. Bush has split the country.

Nancy McMenamin, a volunteer for the Bob Brown campaign for state representative, said she likened Bush to a cowboy and was confident voters would not choose a cowboy.

As the night wore on, hopes of a Kerry victory began to disappear faster than the pizza and sandwiches.

Around 10 p.m., Bush’s lead in Ohio began to widen – in response, Slack’s voice echoed through the room.

“We’ve got to sue them now,” he said with a chuckle.

The closeness of the election was on the mind of some Democrats.

Jill Sanderson, a senior sociology major, said she thought the race was extremely close because people were voting against a candidate instead of for a candidate.

Others hoped the closeness of the 2000 election would not be repeated.

Dubin said she hoped the high voter turnout would increase the margin of victory for whoever won.

She said a larger margin would help the president-elect bring the country together.

“We shall see what happens,” said 3rd Ward Alderman Steve Kapitan near the end of the evening.

With Kerry leading in other states as of midnight, Kapitan said he held out hope that Kerry would still be able to win.

Democrats worried what a second Bush administration would do for America.

“One concern is, how will we continue to supply military personnel for the Iraq War?” said Bob Brown, who lost the election for 70th District State Representative to Bob Pritchard.

The draft issue loomed large for Slack also.

The candidates say not to worry about it, Slack said, but it happened in Vietnam after everyone said the war there was over.