With the quick outcome of the election coming and going into the rearview mirror, most of Ellensburg has been left thinking about the outcome of the election and what it means to them and their future.
After the election, Molly Spilker, a sophomore majoring in political science and communication, expressed her shock at Trump’s unexpected sweep in the presidential debate. “And seeing him just like, not only like a win, but it was a sweep.” Spilker said. She highlighted potential impacts on healthcare, particularly for women of color, especially if federal abortion bans are enacted.
When speaking with Spilker, she had concerns about abortion. “A lot of women, and especially… people of color, [abortion bans] will have a big impact on their life,” Spilker said. “And especially black women, it will have an impact on their health care, especially in those states with abortion bans.” Spilker felt that the youth turnout has been declining, with younger voters becoming disillusioned with the two-party system. “The two-party system makes voting hard since there is such a divide between the two,” Spilker said. “There a very little chance of unity between them.”
Jayden [Last name], a junior industrial engineering technologies major, highlighted the significant differences between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris regarding the policies and portrayal of the two on social media. He felt strongly about the Second Amendment. “I’m all for it.” [Last name] said. “The two main points I’ve drawn is a support of the second amendment, and then the opinions on abortion are the two biggest things.” [Last name] also believed social media was a deciding factor. “There was a lot of positive and negative portrayals of each other, and I think that does affect it in a way,” [Last name] said.
Garrett Wolf, a 24-year-old mechanic and supervisor resident in Ellensburg, expressed his neutral political stance and the potential economic impacts of Trump’s re-election. “That would be the hope,” Wolf said. “Is to lower prices for not only food and groceries, but also make the cost of living a lot cheaper.” Wolf felt little concern for the results of this election’s impact on foreign affairs. “I know when he was in office before, he seemed like he had an excellent relation with a lot of other leaders in other countries,” Wolf said.
While students’ and residents’ perspectives varied in Ellensburg, there were points of view on each side that expressed their thoughts on what the election outcome meant to them and their values. While some are optimistic about Trump’s win, many people feel shocked and genuinely afraid of what will come for our nation.
