North Bay residents react to Trump’s victory: trepidation and fear on one side, jubilation on the other

Legal Aid of Sonoma County Interim CEO Sunny Noh said that during Trump’s first term, Legal Aid had a guardianship program that helped immigrant families develop a safety plan for minor dependents if the parents were detained or deported. Similar programs could be revived.

“I think everyone’s still kind of reeling right now,” Noh said. “We want to give people a chance to think about the situation, and once we can get our bearings, we’ll start strategizing and get to work.”

Joanna O’Kelly, President of the Napa Valley Democratic Party: said the result was “heartbreaking for us.”

“There is a feeling that fear and hatred have overcome joy and hope,” O’Kelly said. “But we are not broken.”

“I think the Democratic Party may have moved on too quickly for a lot of people and hasn’t brought everyone into this more inclusive, equality-oriented, multicultural America. Things are changing very quickly, and I think that worries a lot of people. I think this is something that the Democratic Party needs to look at and re-evaluate and think about how best to move forward. But we will get back to work, organize and mobilize, because we are going to fight for democracy. We are truly fighting for a fairer democracy. Not only for us, but also for the world. because we have a big role to play in the world.”

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Rabbitt attributed Trump’s victory to inflation, cost of living and high housing costs as key factors in the election. “There is no doubt that the economy had a lot to do with the outcome,” he said.

He expects state and federal programs, including President Biden’s 2021 infrastructure bill, to help the county and state overcome any future “chaos.”

“I don’t want to fall into (thinking) the sky is falling,” said Rabbitt, who expressed his disgust at Trump’s divisive rhetoric and treatment of others.

“It’s a reset across the country, and it’s a big country where a lot of people see things differently and are very divided,” he added. “We continue to be fortunate in California to have our own values ​​as a state and as a county.”

Rabbitt added that he doesn’t mean he expects a Trump presidency to have no impact on California and the country.

“It is what it is and we’re going to have to persevere and keep going,” he said.

Davida Sotelo Escobedo of North Bay Jobs With Justice said: “While powerful people want us to go down a path of hopelessness, the most important question now is: What can we do together right now? she said via email. “There will always be things we cannot control, but what we do control is our collective ability to act—to come together in solidarity, to organize, to build strength rooted in our neighborhoods and workplaces, to fight for a transformative vision, that meets the needs of our communities.”

Chris Rogers, a longtime member of the Santa Rosa City Council, who on Tuesday night declared victory in his bid for a seat in the California Assembly, said state leaders will continue to fight for reproductive rights, combating climate change and protecting immigrants and LGBT communities, which he called “non-negotiable values” for Californians and Democrats. .

“None of this has changed because the presidential election went wrong,” he said. “It just means we need to keep working hard.”

He said Trump’s election was not all that unexpected, adding that it gave him a sense of purpose to “be in the fight” rather than being on the sidelines.

“Over the next four years, we will have to remain at the tip of the spear to ensure that our country does not descend into a fascist regime,” he added.

Ellie Cohen, CEO of the Climate Center, headquartered in Santa Rosa, called Trump’s election “a blow to our community’s hopes for faster, more equitable action on climate change.”

Trump is expected to reverse policies aimed at weaning Americans off fossil fuels and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, even as the world gets hotter every year and extreme weather causes more climate disasters. consequences and natural disasters.

On the campaign trail, Trump promised to increase oil production – already at a peak under Biden – cut support for electrification and sideline the United States when it comes to international efforts to combat climate change.

Cohen said California still has the ability and momentum to lead the country and the world in “just climate action commensurate with the scale of the crisis we face.” She noted in particular the passage of $10 billion in climate bonds approved by state voters on Tuesday.

“Our core faith in the Climate Center remains true,” Cohen wrote. “As California develops, so does the world. What we do here in California has a significant impact on other states, the nation and the world.”

Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Corsi acknowledged that many people, including women, people of color and undocumented people, may be fearful of what lies ahead. He said he believes his job now is to put safety measures in place.

“We need to focus on the things we can control locally, to be more inclusive, to look after the people who are most vulnerable. More than ever, we need to protect and support these people in their daily lives.”

He said it was time to “redouble efforts” to “support people in disadvantaged communities”.

Chase Overholt, Director of Development, Positive Imagessaid he woke up to an outpouring of supportive messages from allies in the community, as well as questions from members of the queer community about what Trump’s victory means locally.

A Santa Rosa nonprofit that supports and advocates for the North Bay’s LGBT community extended hours at its community center Wednesday to provide a safe place for people to gather, Overholt said.

He said the organization’s leaders have since been discussing how to combat a potential rise in anti-LGTBQ rhetoric and discrimination. The group is exploring partnerships with other local groups to expand legal and other services to meet new needs in the new reality, he said.

“I want to make it clear that while we are disappointed about this, it does not mean the work stops,” Overholt said. “Our sleeves are already rolled up, and we will roll them up further. We are committed to working to ensure our district continues to be a place where queer people belong.”