Tuesday’s presidential election results, securing a second term for Donald Trump, sent shock waves through local politics.

Liberals who expected a strong showing, and possibly a landslide, were left crushed and anxious about the consequences on women’s reproductive rights, immigration and health programs.

Republicans reacted in triumph and vindication as they looked forward to pushing their agenda after taking the White House and the Senate.

According to Bobbi McGinnis, chair of the Santa Barbara County Republican Party, she was holding her breath as the results began to pour in.

“I was anxious. We knew that we were looking at two very different kinds of America — the difference between a Donald Trump America and the Kamala Harris America,” McGinnis said.

Despite some polls showing that Trump might be doing better than expected, McGinnis said she did not expect him to win so decisively. She said she also is happy that he has won the popular vote for the first time and called his election “historic.”

Moving forward, she said party members feel rejuvenated and happy.

“They’re pleased as punch. It’s a bright day. It’s a sunny day. The air is clear. The way is clear. They feel relieved — a tremendous amount of relief. They feel like, ‘Oh my gosh, this heavy cloud has been lifted over our shoulders,’” McGinnis said.

Gregory Gandrud, a former member of the Carpinteria City Council and current treasurer of the California Republican Party, echoed the feeling of relief.

He watched the results at a party with fellow Republicans in Orange County. Going into election night, he said he felt a sense of trepidation. Yet, internal polls gave him some hope.

“I think people are just so relieved,” Gandrud said. “People feel like we really dodged a bullet, that our country dodged a bullet.”

For local Democrats, election night brought mixed emotions. Despite the national results, Democratic incumbents on the state and national levels successfully fended off challengers.

One of the successful campaigns for Democrats was the State Senate race, where Sen. Monique Limón was leading her opponent, Elijah Mack, by a wide margin.

During a speech to her supporters on election night, Limón acknowledged the sense of nervousness and anxiety that many were feeling.

She reminded the crowd that they had made it through 2016 and stressed the importance of running for city councils, school boards and other local races.

Limón was elected in 2016, the same year Trump was elected to the White House. She said she hopes the second Trump administration wants what’s best for California, but state representatives are prepared.

“California is the fifth-largest economy the world,” Limón told Noozhawk. “We matter, and what happens here in California, the legislation, our budget, all has an impact. And so certainly, we will be working, no matter what happens at the federal level, to try to advance the issues.”

In a statement, Santa Barbara County Supervisor Laura Capps expressed her intention to ensure that residents are supported by the local government.

“Santa Barbara County is a place where we value inclusivity, compassion and support for all residents, regardless of gender, faith, ethnicity or political affiliation. There is still more that unites us; we are stronger together,” she said.

“Beginning today, we will be even more vigilant to ensure the safety of all people, especially the most vulnerable. Immigrants are and will be safe and supported here. LGBTQ+ people are and will be safe and supported here. People of color are and will be safe and supported here. Women are and will be safe and supported here.”

At UC Santa Barbara, the election brought a wide range of reactions and thoughts on the candidates.

For Emma Rudy, a 19-year-old who was voting in her first federal election, the results were disappointing.

Rudy was at her dance class, preparing for auditions, when she heard the news that Trump was gaining ground in the Electoral College. By the time she arrived home, he had won Philadelphia.

The next morning, The New York Times called the election for Trump.  

Now that Trump has been re-elected, Rudy said she worries about what the future holds.

She wonders what the election means for criminal cases against Trump and whether they will be dropped. As a Filipina woman and a feminist, she said she worries about what his re-election means for her and the people she cares about.

“I am concerned about women’s rights. I am concerned about the safety of LGBTQ+ individuals (…) and I am worried that the Trump administration might do some damage to the things I care about,” Rudy said.

Others decided to stay out of the election entirely, saying they did not like any of the candidates.

According to Dana Mae Anhao, a student at UCSB, she chose not to support Trump because of his previous impeachments. She also said she does not support Trump’s goal of weakening the federal government, such as the Department of Education.

However, Anhao said she did not support Vice President Kamala Harris because of how Harris was portrayed online. Anhao said she did not believe that Harris took the job seriously.

“A lot of the videos and a lot of things I saw about her was just her laughing and not really taking a lot of stuff seriously,” Anhao said. “And then I didn’t really hear anything about her economic (plan) in a presidential way.”

Another thing that turned Anhao off Harris was the parade of celebrities who endorsed her in the weeks leading up to the election — some of whom she did not like.

Anhao also said she believed that Trump was more focused on the economy.

“I feel like Harris is more for the people, but I don’t know her standpoint on the economy,” she said. “But I feel that Trump is (better) for the economy, but like favoring the rich.”

The news of the former president’s win was a surprise to many people who expected Harris to win, possibly even decisively.

Zachary Parker said he thought Harris would “blow away” Trump in the general election and was caught off guard by his win.

Parker, who declined to mention who he voted for, said he does not lean too hard to either side of the aisle. Moving forward, he hopes that the Constitution and democracy work as intended.

“No matter who got elected yesterday, I would hope that democracy makes it so that whoever is elected is not the most powerful being in the United States and that there are checks and balances,” Parker said.