California Democrats vow to fight for party ideals following Trump win

Supporters embrace after Vice President Kamala Harris delivered a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

LOS ANGELES – With Vice President Kamala Harris officially conceding defeat to Republican President-elect Donald Trump, heavily Democratic California elected officials and community leaders vowed to work with the nation’s new leader but continue fighting for the party’s ideals.

“No matter what, Angelenos will always protect each other,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a statement Wednesday after Harris gave her concession speech in Washington, D.C. “The fabric of our city is woven by the hearts of people from all over the world coming together in pursuit of opportunity and equity. That’s who we are — and that’s what our policies in the city of Los Angeles will uphold.

“Vice President Kamala Harris has inspired millions all over the country and all over the world — and she continues to do so. It’s our responsibility to ensure that the flame she has lit still burns bright. We will fill the sky with stars. No matter where you were born, how you came to this country, how you worship, or who you love, Los Angeles will stand with you.

This is not a time for despair, this is a time for action. I’ve spoken with leaders across the city, the state and the country. We are ready.”

Vice President Kamala Harris arrives to deliver a concession speech for the 2024 presidential election on the campus of Howard University in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statement saying the state “will seek to work with the incoming president — but let there be no mistake, we intend to stand with states across our nation to defend our Constitution and uphold the rule of law. Federalism is the cornerstone of democracy. It’s the United STATES of America.”

FILE PHOTO (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

He noted that “though this is not the outcome we wanted, our fight for freedom and opportunity endures.”

Sen. Alex Padilla, D-California and a former Los Angeles City Council member and state senator, wrote on X, “Progress does not always come easily or quickly.”

“This election was a difficult reminder of that, but the work will continue,” he wrote. “To ensure hard-working Americans can provide for their families. To protect vulnerable communities. To defend our democracy. We must stay engaged and stay in the fight. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s important.”

Former Los Angeles-are Assemblyman Mike Gatto, a Democrat, wrote on X that the party needs to reassess its “messaging.”

“For years, many Democrats called Trump `Hitler,”’ he wrote. “What does it say about our messaging if we lost to `Hitler?’ If your reply is that HALF the country is crazy,’ then you’re part of the problem. Dems have a LOT of work to do to appeal again to everyday, working-class voters.”

Joe Hollendoner, CEO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, issued a statement saying he understands that many people “are feeling anxious and uncertain about the future.”

“The outcome of this election understandably raises serious fears about the direction our country will take, given the president-elect’s history of attacking our rights and dignity,” Hollendoner said. “We want to acknowledge those fears because they are real and valid.

“But let us be clear: Our fight for equality, justice, and dignity is not defined by the outcome of this election. In fact, these results only strengthen our resolve. We are a community rooted in resilience, strength, and the unshakable belief that we deserve to live and love freely without fear of discrimination or violence.”

Republican Rep. Darrell Issa, whose 48th district includes parts of Orange, San Diego and Riverside counties, said Trump’s win was a clear mandate from voters for a change.

“Last night, with clear intent, bright hope, and in numbers too large and too widespread to dismiss, the American people voted for a fresh start, a new direction, and a nation as great as ever,” Issa said in a statement.

“One of the signature reasons why President Trump was re-elected was a vote of confidence by more than 70 million fellow citizens that he will steer the nation away from four years of failure and chart a new and better course of opportunity for all Americans.

“In that mission, he will need partners as determined as he is, and I believe Republican majorities in the House and Senate will be ready to work, lead, and succeed. America has been through a lot over the last four years, and we have the chance to show our best and deliver a rebuilt economy, a restored national defense, and a real border that protects the homeland.”

But Democrat Hilda Solis, a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, insisted the past four years of Democratic leadership have been a success, “including historic investments in infrastructure, pulling us out of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, and passing the most consequential environmental legislation in decades.”

“Today is a difficult day for many of our communities in Los Angeles County,” Solis said in a statement. “We have seen what four years of a Trump Administration looks like and know that it is our most vulnerable residents that will face the greatest harm.

I am grateful to live in a county and a state that have repudiated xenophobia, racism, homophobia, and the politics of fear that drove this election. I remain steadfast in my commitment to stand up for social justice, reproductive rights, keep families together, and ensure that Los Angeles County remains a welcoming place for all regardless of race, gender, or where they were born.” (CNS)