Elected officials representing Boston on the local, state, and federal levels swiftly reacted to former President Donald Trump winning a second term in the White House.
My message about the election results: pic.twitter.com/Z1X9F6jWik
— Elizabeth Warren (@ewarren) November 6, 2024
Sen. Elizabeth Warren was re-elected to a third term by nearly 20 points on Tuesday night but said in a video statement that she would not ask her supporters to look for any silver linings in the national results.
“I will not ask you to feel anything but grief right now,” Warren said. “Donald Trump won the election and the consequences will be real and devastating.”
Warren reminded viewers that on the road ahead, “there will be opportunities to fight back.”
“We will face [choices] to give up or press forward,” Warren said. “I will do everything I can in my position to defend our values and to fight back.”
Dear Madam VP,
There are no words for the admiration and inspiration so many of us feel. You have paved the way for women and girls and anyone with a dream and a humble beginning. You made many personal sacrifices and dedicated years to public service and you become one of the… pic.twitter.com/cAsFdVALds
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) November 6, 2024
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who represents parts of Boston in the U.S. House and won a fourth term running unopposed, released a statement directed toward Vice President Kamala Harris.
“There are no words for the admiration and inspiration so many of us feel,” Pressley said. “You have paved the way for women and girls and anyone with a dream and a humble beginning.”
Pressley thanked Harris for her “steadfast leadership” and for rising to the occasion in the 2024 presidential election. She added that the results are not a reflection of what Harris did, but of the work “we need to do.”
“As you gracefully offered at the podium today, the light of America’s promise will always burn bright as long as we keep fighting for it,” Pressley continued, “with joy, with enthusiasm, and with conviction. And we will.”
At a press conference at the State House on Wednesday, Gov. Maura Healey acknowledged that the election is over, that Trump is the president-elect, and that her administration will support the peaceful transfer of power between the Biden and Trump administrations.
“There are … many people in Massachusetts and across the country who are very unhappy … and are not pleased with the results,” Healey said. “This is a moment to acknowledge those concerns and it’s also a moment of resolve.”
Healey added it is time for Massachusetts and the nation to come together.
“We see so much anger and division across the country,” she said. “But, I know Massachusetts is a place and will be a place where we care about each other and we look after one another.”
She added that the United States is “bigger than any one person alone.”
“We all have a role to play in building the kind of community, state, and country that we want to be,” Healey said. “It is up to all of us to chart the path forward.”
Attorney General Andrea Campbell emphasized the need to recognize the will of the American people and support a peaceful transfer of power in a statement released on X. She added that Trump told the public “exactly what he intends to do” as president.
“Across the country, attorneys general will be on the front lines to protect our fundamental rights and freedoms, and Massachusetts will continue to be a beacon of light and hope,” Campbell said. “My office is prepared for the threats our residents may face, ready to act and we will not shy away or back down from the critical work ahead.”
State Sen. Liz Miranda asked “Where do we go from here?” in a statement released on Facebook.
“There will be some dark days ahead, but we have always had defining moments throughout history where everyday extraordinary people have stood up for humanity,” Miranda said.
Miranda added that the U.S. is a “very divided nation” after this presidential election.
“I hope in my lifetime, we will elect an overqualified woman to the highest office in the land, since two of the highest ranking of them were not good enough,” Miranda said.
View this post on Instagram
District 5 City Councilor Enrique Pepén said he is “gutted” by the outcome of Tuesday’s election in a statement released on X.
“We cannot be blinded by [Trump’s] false policy promises, because his true agenda is to divide and conquer,” Pepén said. “He is the antithetical of true American values.”
Pepén echoed Healey’s sentiments that democracy is greater than any one person.
“These are the moments when we need to come together and show the rest of America what our values truly are,” Pepén continued, “that we are a country of inclusivity, compassion, integrity, freedom, of hard-working people.”
My statement on the election results: pic.twitter.com/zZteLQO6sF
— Sharon Durkan (@RonDurk) November 6, 2024
District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan said that the U.S. is making history for the “wrong reasons,” as Trump is the first convicted felon elected president.
“It is valid to feel frightened, frustrated, and confused during this time,” Durkan said. “We must continue the fight for our rights and those of folks across the country to be protected and renewed.”
