Midterms leave voters weighing nation’s future as red states shift blue

Voters across generations woke up the morning after midterms asking the same question: what kind of country will they leave behind?

Residents from Texas to Maryland, Trump critics and supporters alike, shared their delight, hopes – and worries – after Democrats decisively took control of Congress.

Here are views from voters and visitors on Nov. 4.

Wake-up call

Myra Clemmons, 59, from Lubbock, Texas, sat on the edge of a Washington, D.C., hotel bed with her daughter on election night as the television announced Texas had flipped.

Clemmons, a retired nurse, and her daughter, a college student pursuing a career in psychiatry, said they were thrilled by the prospect of change in the health care industry.

“I’ve seen the impact Trump has had on students and those in the health care fields with cutting their funds and scientific advancements. It’s disgusting,” Clemmons said.

“I’m glad American people have woken up. Especially us Texans.”

Shocked by Texas

“We’ve always been very left-leaning,” said Jacky Cruz, 30, a D.C. resident, describing her family’s politics.

Cruz’s parents, immigrants from El Salvador, stayed up until 1 am watching the elections on her phone. Her mother works as a custodian at a Senate office, she said.

Cruz said she was surprised by how Latino voters in battleground states, particularly Texas turned out.

“I was shocked by Texas. Historically the Texas Latinos have always been more conservative,” she said.

She pointed to younger Americans and what she described as a progressive moment building across the country, one she believes earlier generations helped spark.

She said it was obvious voters want change.

“Some people, they have voted for Trump multiple times. For decades, maybe. But this time around, they’re like … no, we’re done.”

Still a Trump supporter

The day after Elections, Roberto Escobar, 43, sat cross-legged on the edge of the grass lawn, adjacent to the Washington Monument.

Escobar, a tourist visiting from Ecuador, described himself as a “rare” Latino supporter of President Donald Trump even though he couldn’t vote here.

He said he checked election updates throughout the night. He admired Trump’s immigration policies and worried the midterm results could disrupt border security.

“I truly believe if you’re a bad person and you come to the United States and don’t do things the right way, you should not be here.”

‘Seen a little bit of everything’

After working as an agent for the FBI, from which he is now retired, Chuck B. said he has “seen a little bit of everything.” He said that ICE is still a big issue in the community. He is from Western Pennsylvania but has lived in Columbia, Maryland, for 40 years.

“You’re taking mothers and fathers and separating them from their kids, and they’re getting killed,” said Chuck, who would not use his full name. “It’s ridiculous. The way [Trump] he’s going about immigration, ICE, and the National Guard cities, in my opinion, is absolutely wrong.”

Chuck said he is hopeful that the midterms “will put us in a positive direction.” Moving forward, he hopes community members can quit finger pointing and “work in unison.”

Give peace a chance

Shamar Pitts 21, a college junior from Baltimore, moved to Columbia, Maryland in 2023.

“A lot of discrimination stuff is happening, bullying and cyberbullying” Pitts said reflecting on the midterms.  “We all just want peace.”

Pitts also admired the variety of voters for this election. “A lot of people were angry at certain races [of people] for how they voted,” Pitts said.

“Some people might not like the reason, but that’s why we vote; for our own reasons.”

Dems need to get organized

Robert Budway, 71, is an Arlington, Virginia, native and former Capitol Hill employee.

After following the midterm election season closely, he said that the election day results were a “renunciation of Trump’s policies completely.”

Budway said that the Republican party will need to realign, and he suspects that there will be infighting within the GOP. He added, “Democrats need to govern. They are not good at governing immediately, so I’m hoping they’re better organized around that.”  

As election results rolled in, Budway said that the race in Texas stood out to him because the “margin of victory was massive.”

Budway said that the GOP took the Hispanic community for granted, and that the ICE raids in Hispanic communities took its toll at the voting booth.  

Budway said that soon, he hopes that the economy grows, income inequality shrinks, and that solutions should be created to support the middle and lower classes. He also said that the Trump administration should be held accountable for its corruption.

‘Obama-style’

Mekonnen Fekade, 52, an Alexandria resident, has lived in Virginia for 20 years after emigrating from Ethiopia.

He said that he is happy with the election results because “it’s going to change everything.”  

He said that this election was done “Obama-style,” and that grassroots efforts in the community contributed to the election results. Fekade said that he is most focused on government corruption, immigration reform, and improving the economy, adding that $100 doesn’t buy much food anymore, and gas is too expensive.   

“This place is the land of opportunities. You should give that opportunity to everybody who’s eligible to live here,” Fekade said.  

‘Out of there’

Deborah Nelson-Gutrich, 63, a Virginia native said, “I guess they now actually see the trouble that we’re in as far as dealing with Trump.”  

Nelson-Gutrich said that many issues were on her mind this midterm election season: food prices, gas prices, changes to SNAP benefits for families, Medicaid access, and potential threats to her 401K.  

“Hopefully, what comes next is that when it’s time for him to come out of there, he’s up out of there,” said Nelson-Gutrich of President Trump. “You see how all of the people came out? It turns the tables.”