Party leaders on both sides ‘shocked’ by Trump victory
Thalia Juarez | Herald-Standard
Scott Day, chairman of the Washington County Republican Committee, discusses his thoughts on the outcome of the election. Day says President-elect Donald Trump’s win, along with Bud Cook’s, had a lot to do with area Democrats registering and voting Republican. Numbers showed more than 2,000 Washington County Democrats and 829 nonpartisan voters had joined the GOP prior to the election.
Signs, stickers, and cookies decorate the tables of the Washington County Republican Committee office. Pennsylvania voters gave President Elect Donald J. Trump 48.83 percent of their vote. Washington county along with Fayette, Westmoreland and Greene followed a Republican-leaning trend in selecting state representatives.
Thalia Juarez | Herald-Standard
Scott Day, chairman of the Washington County Republican Committee expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the election. Day says President elect Donald Trump’s win along with Bud Cook’s had a lot to do with Democrats registering and voting republican. Numbers showed over 2,000 Washington County Democrats and 829 nonpartisan voters had joined to GOP prior to the election.
A largely unexpected victory of Republican Donald J. Trump and a GOP control of the U.S. Senate left some Mon Valley party leaders joyous, others dismayed and most in shock.
“Trump always seems to land on his feet,” said Washington County Republican Party Chairman Scott Day, standing in the county’s GOP headquarters among leftover Trump signs and celebratory decor. “I don’t know how he does it.”
He said stayed up until 4 a.m. watching election results trickle in. When he couldn’t sleep, he decided to start the work day early.
Day said he expected Trump would win in southwestern Pennsylvania, and believed he had a chance to win the state. But he said he was shocked the anti-establishment candidate won the general election.
“I think people are sick and tired of the establishment not working for them,” he said. “This has to be a wake up call that the American people are not happy.”
The Mon Valley also trended Republican in state-level races. State Rep. Pete Daley D-California, announced his retirement, leaving the longtime Democratic seat open. Republican Bud Cook won the seat over Democrat Alan Benyak with 53 percent of the vote in Washington County, according to unofficial election results.
In the 58th District, Justin Walsh received 61 percent of the votes over his opponent, Democrat Mary E. Popovich, according to the unofficial results.
Westmoreland County Republican Party Chairman Michael Korns called Walsh’s win “incredibly important.” He said Walsh knocked on more than 10,000 doors to sway voters.
“Justin just did an incredible job of putting in so many hours out there meeting voters,” he said.
A close race in the 50th District between Rep. Pam Snyder, D-Jefferson, and Elizabeth Rohanna McClure favored the Democratic incumbent. Snyder received 50.71 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results.
Washington County Democratic Party Chairman Ron Sicchitano said Synder’s win was some consolation for the overall Democratic loss, adding that the incumbent is liked by many in both parties.
Korns said he expects the GOP-held U.S. House and Senate will prevent gridlock and enable the party to “make life better for working Americans.”
Republican U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey retained a seat against Democrat challenger Katie McGinty, with 48.89 percent of the vote, according to unofficial election results. McGinty received 47.26 percent of the vote, while Libertarian candidate Edward T. Clifford received 3.85 percent of the vote.
U.S. Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Everett, retained his seat against challenger, Art Halvorson, also a Republican who ran as a write-in on the Democratic ticket. Shuster received more than 63 percent of the votes in the 9th Congressional District, according to unofficial results.
Day said many first-time voters went to the polls Tuesday, and many Democrats voted for Trump in Washington County. He said he thinks it will be “interesting” to see how Trump works with the U.S. House and Senate.
“I would like to think he could reach across the aisle and get Democrats on board too,” he said. “I don’t think (new voters) were voting for Republicans. They were voting for Trump.”
Day said he expects Trump will be tough on immigration and rebuild the economy. He said he thinks Trump will take advice from those with experience in politics.
Sicchitano said he is concerned that Trump may repeal the Affordable Care Act and make changes to abortion laws and Social Security.
“I’m afraid that all the advances we made over the past eight years will be gone,” he said. “I’m afraid that it’s going to be a very different society and that a lot of people are going to be hurt by some of the new policies.”
Each party leader said it is essential for Trump to change his discourse to unify the country.
“Elections are often brutal and ugly, and this one was probably worse than most. But ultimately we only have one country and we only have one president,” Korns said. “I think he’s going to try to be a leader for all people.”
Both Republican Party leaders said they saw a change in his tone beginning with his acceptance speech.
“I take him at his word that he’ll be a president for everyone,” Day said. “I think we’ll be fine.”
Sicchitano said it is essential for Trump to unify the country with his rhetoric. He said he has only seen “hate” from the president-elect, and does not expect him to change his ways. Yet, he said it is important to accept the voter’s decision.
“He’s the leader. He has to set the tone by example. If he doesn’t, it will get much worse and he’ll have a real problem on his hands,” he said. “There’s a lot of hate — hate for foreigners, hate for immigrants. This country was not built on hate. It was built on hope.”