Following former President Donald Trump’s win in the 2024 presidential election, reactions were varied among community members.
Political parties react to Trump’s win
The Columbia County Republican Party called Trump’s victory “a huge win for America,” said Ashley Lee, public relations for the group.
“He, Trump, has said he is going to close our border on day one,” Lee said. “He’s going to stop fentanyl from coming across our border, he’s going to stop the wars, he’s going to protect women’s sports, he’s going to stop the crime. You know, all these things impact every American, but us too, here in Columbia County, because we have fentanyl right here in Columbia County. Our own DA (district attorney) prosecutes these crimes, so, this is a huge victory for everyone.”
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Lee said the Columbia County Republican Party has worked hard to get people out to the polls, so they were celebrating Trump’s victory.
“We worked really hard to understand the differences between Trump and the Harris policies and share that with all the residents in Columbia County, and they showed up,” Lee said. “They showed up to vote with the early voting and day of, so, we’re excited, you know, we’re going to make America great again. He’s going to lower taxes, decrease inflation, make groceries affordable, gas, make us energy dependent. That impacts us, not just, you know, certain areas, it’s everyone across our nation. We’re very, very excited about it.”
Richmond County Republican Party Chair Steve Sanders said he was happy with the results of the presidential election. He was also surprised a winner was able to be called so quickly.
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“I was very surprised that they were able to essentially call it, you know, last night,” Sanders said. “We thought that it was going to be dragged out [with] some of these swing states. But, it looks like, you know, he just over-performed what all the polls were saying and what the experts were thinking and I think it just is a pleasant surprise for us…the Trump campaign was really great as far as boots on the ground and local outreach and grassroots efforts and all of their organizing with the poll watchers and all of that, was, you know, just better than what we’ve seen in the past and I think it paid off.”
Sanders added that the Richmond County Republican Party will hold its monthly breakfast meeting on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 9 a.m. to celebrate the win, talk about the election results and “look forward to the next four years.”
Asked to comment on the election, the Richmond County Democratic Party praised Harris in a statement for her leadership, dedication and inspiration, despite her loss at the polls.
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“We thank her for championing justice, equality and opportunity and for being a steadfast advocate for all Americans,” it said. “While we obviously are disappointed in the outcome of last night’s election, we remain committed to continuing the work of building a brighter future for all who call our country home.”
Republican activist Dave Barbee noted the developments of the day: a ceasefire in the Red Sea, special counsel winding down criminal cases against Trump and the stock market’s 1400-point rise.
“The American people are sick and tired of the constant degrading of friends, or. neighbors being called names,” Barbee said. “The bottom line is the whole campaign was this – it was the economy. It didn’t matter if you were white, Black, yellow, green, whatever.
“They were all concerned about continuing inflation. They were all concerned about over 20 million illegal immigrants coming to this country. This was such a huge victory for America and I’ve been doing a happy dance since I found out about it.”
The chairman of the Columbia County Democratic Party, Parin Amin, said the group was disappointed but not discouraged by Tuesday’s results. He congratulated Trump and his supporters for winning the election.
“While this election may be over, our commitment to creating a better future remains unchanged. We will face the challenges ahead with strength, optimism, and resolve,” Amin said.
Business owners voice their thoughts
For Wayne Brown, owner of Augusta scuba touring and travel company Aggressor Adventures, he said it’s important to him that the president have clear policies.
“From a business owner perspective, to be able to plan capital expenditures and add additional staff for growth, it is imperative that we have clear, long-term policies that are not subject to potentially drastic changes every four years,” Brown said. “While the two major parties have always had different approaches to the success of the USA, it has never been as wide a chasm as it is today. If the political parties continue their vastly divergent ideas of what is best for the future of our country, it is going to stifle the growth of small businesses.”
He added that small business owners have become “overly cautious” when in comes to spending, which has repercussions on employees.
“(This) results in slower wage growth for their staff and stagnant growth for their company. This is not a business plan that is survivable long term,” Brown said.
Ronnie Garvin, co-owner of the Whipped Creamery dessert shop, which has two locations in Columbia County, said that if people are happy with the selection, they’ll feel good about spending.
“I believe that as long as America feels good about their selection, that people will feel good about spending money and at the end of the day, you know, the President doesn’t account for every single thing that happens in our country,” Gavin said. “His decisions don’t affect us every day… The real people you need to hold accountable are in your local government: the city commissioners, your district offices… Because these guys make decisions that affect you every single day. So I’m impartial to the president. My biggest thing is, is that as long as our county, our area, our town, is doing well and excelling, I’m happy.”
Reporters Skyler Andrews, Susan McCord and Erin Weeks contributed to this story.
