The 2016 Election season is over. The national election concluded Wed. Nov. 9 at approximately 2 a.m. Donald Trump received 279 electoral votes, making him our 45th President. In comparison, Hillary Clinton received 228 electoral votes. However, she won the popular vote. The only other occurrences of a President-elect winning the popular vote and subsequently losing the electoral college occurred in 1824, 1876, 1888 and 2000. The results of this election have created uncertainty about the direction of our country. Political scientists and election polls such as fivethirtyeight.com predicted that Trump would lose the election.
The outcome sent shockwaves throughout both parties. The Republicans won both chambers of Congress and will control our three branches of government once Trump nominates a Supreme Court justice.
This upset of an election will require both parties to consider where they go from here. The Democrats will need to reorganize to put forth a viable candidate for 2020 in hopes of taking back the White House. The Republicans will have to work with Trump, who they have voiced distrust and doubted. They will have to control Trump to ensure that their party remains intact for the 2020 election to maintain control of the White House. The Republicans maintained control of the Senate and the House. Only time will tell what will happen now that one party controls chambers houses of Congress. Trump won the swing states of Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Clinton won the swing states of Colorado, Nevada, New Hampshire and Virginia.
Prior to Election Day, almost every poll and every political scientist said that Trump would lose by large margins to Clinton. Trump won states such as Michigan, which Mitt Romney lost to Barack Obama in 2012. The results of the election have shocked Democrats and Republicans alike.
