ITHACA, N.Y. — At the Tompkins County Democratic Victory party in downtown Ithaca Tuesday night, the Democrats are nervous.
Some are pacing. They’re crowded around televisions, cell phones and laptops. They’re cheering when they find out hopeful updates form around the county and region. An eruption of applause rang out when it was announced that with 61 percent of the Tompkins county vote in at 10:05 p.m., U.S. Representative candidate John Plumb has 71.77 percent of the vote and incumbent Tom Reed has 28.14 percent of the vote.
We talked to some prominent people in attendance at the Ithaca Hotel, and this is how they are feeling on the eve of what could be one of the most historic elections in the country’s history:
- “I’m a little nervous about everything, especially the U.S. Senate. I think the White House is fine.”
- — Second Ward Ithaca Alderperson Ducson Nguyen
- “Optimistic, I guess. Just cautious. I’m really waiting for the Dryden stuff more than the national because that’s just insane.”
- Dryden Town Supervisor Jason Leifer
- “On the national level, I am unbelievably stressed because there’s also like this underlying excitement that things will go out way.”
- Cornell student, former Tompkins County Legislature candidate Elie Kirshner
- “It would be very honest to say that I’m nervous and I still can;t fully believe the tenor of this race…Even if Hillary wins, which I expect her to, it’s brought some shadows to the surface that we really need to address in our culture.”
- Tompkins Legislature Anna Kelles
- “I’m enormously anxious. I’ve been anxious for weeks. I don’t understand my country anymore…He’s a racist, sexist, obnoxious sociopath.”
- Jean McPheeters, President at Jean McPheeters Consulting LLC
- “She needs to win. She needs to win.”
- Tompkins County Legislature Martha Robertson
Featured photo by Alyvia Covert/The Ithaca Voice