Election night: Hope is in the air as Kamala Harris’ election watch party continues at Howard University

In a crowd of Kamala Harris supporters at Howard University, it’s hard to ignore the smiles, bumping music, laughter and pride in one of the biggest presidential elections in American history. As the polls closed at 8 p.m. in Washington D.C., voters said they were anxious; however, a majority said they were optimistic their candidate could win.

Thousands gathered to join Vice President Kamala Harris at her alma mater campus in Washington, D.C., many of whom hope to declare victory for the first Black woman president.

The insides of the university were organized mayhem with police officers paroling each corner, crowds cheering “Kamala,” pro-Palestine activists standing their ground, and children wearing Harris merch with their parents.

Many of the turnout came from Howard University students, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority sisters, travelers, and other local Democratic voters.

Deborah Bridges, a Harris supporter from New Jersey, said she had no choice but to take I-95 all the way to the barricaded streets surrounding Howard University. Bridges said she took Tuesday and Wednesday off to hopefully participate in a historical celebration for Harris.

“I’m feeling completely optimistic regardless of which way it does, but I know it’s going North, she’s winning. Kamala Harris is winning tonight,” Bridges said.

Other attendees continued to share their excitement for Harris tonight.

“It’s a blessing and amazing to have Kamala Harris here,” a Howard student said. “This is the place where people strive [for] greatness and she is bringing greatness back home. I’m proud to see her here and hope to achieve what she will achieve tonight.”

The line of Harris supporters grew throughout the night, along with the amount of pop-up vendors at every corner looking to catch quick cash from attendees (most of them already adorned in Harris merch).

A line of advocates and a crowd of voters, vendors, and the Secret Service sought to spread peace throughout the evening.

One of the advocates lined up outside the university was Nadine Seiler, who has spent the last three months “hammering people” about Project 2025, a 900-page document drafted by the conservative Heritage Foundation that would promote a conservative agenda and overhaul the U.S. government.

Seiler said she was optimistic, but another advocate at tonight’s event, Matt, was more anxious than hopeful.

Matt, who declined to give The Wash his last name for his own safety, said he feared a tight presidential race like tonight. He said that if Trump were to win, he would look at relocating outside the United States for his safety. But even if Harris were to win this election, he said he still feared the other side would retaliate in violence, referring to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Despite the anxiety, momentum continued throughout the hours of the watch party.

Tiffany Kelly, a voting site coordinator in the DMV, said she had been at three polling sites in Montgomery County and said it was a long day of polling and educating voters. Still, the commute to D.C. was worth it in order to witness history in the making.

“It was meant for me to be here tonight, to see history made,” Kelly said.