Albany area reacts to President-elect Donald Trump

ALBANY — As Americans, many of whom woke up Wednesday to news that Donald Trump would become the country’s 45th president, sought perspective on the bitterly fought 2016 election, there remained lingering elements of divisiveness among Albany residents.

With nearly 120 million votes cast and the candidates separated by less than 200,000 votes, Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, became the fifth president in the history of the United States to win the presidency, but not win the popular vote.

His wins, which included traditionally Democratic states Wisconsin and Pennsylvania along with battlegrounds states Florida, North Carolina and Ohio, added up to at least 279 electoral votes, more than the 270-vote total needed to win the presidency in the Electoral College.

On Wednesday, Albany residents responded to Trump’s victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton, a win that defied polling projections. Going into Tuesday’s election, Clinton, with high-population states like California and New York expected to support her, was seen as having the easier path to the 270 electoral vote goal.

“I didn’t want either one of them to win,” said local business owner Julie Temples. “I voted for Johnson.” Libertarian Gary Johnson was the third candidate in the race on Georgia ballots.

“I think Trump is going to be a very good contributor to our country and help clean up the mess that we’ve had for the last eight years,” Ann Denney said.

According to Trent Corey, pastor of Hope City United Church, the election left a challenge for the nation to stand together.

“Clearly it was a challenging election on every level,” Corey said. “It challenged people’s personal beliefs, their policy, differences and it was clearly representative of a divided mindset. I think the greatest thing that we could do as a nation is respect each other’s positions on different subject matters, but most importantly, unite and come together.

“There were so many hot-button issues in this election — health care, for example. We have a lot of work to do. There are people that are paying more for their health care than their mortgage. Hopefully, we can come together as a nation and figure it out.”

Many of those approached didn’t want to discuss the election, but several offered their opinions on what Trump’s victory means to the nation and to them as individuals.

“I think it is good that Trump won,” Itam Bur said. “He is going to be good for the country.”

“This election was about money, power and respect,” Milton Gully said. “I don’t think it will affect me personally at all.”

“I think if you told anybody two years ago that Donald Trump would be our next president, you would have been laughed out of the room,” Mathew Barnes said.

Trump offered an olive branch in making his acceptance speech after Clinton conceded the presidential election to him in an early Wednesday morning phone call.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Trump said about 2:50 a.m. after it was apparent he had reached the 270 electoral votes needed to become the nation’s 45th president in January. “Complicated business.”

CNN reported about 10 minutes earlier that Clinton had called Trump to concede.

“I just received a call from Secretary Clinton,” Trump said. “She congratulated us — it’s about us — on our victory. I congratulated her and her family on a very, very hard-fought campaign.”

Trump said Clinton had worked long and hard for the country.

“We owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country,” he said.

Noting there were “a few” who had opposed his bid for the nation’s highest office, Trump said, “To all Republicans, Democrats and independents, I say it is time for us to come together as a united people.”

In thanking his family for its support, Trump said, “This political stuff is nasty and it’s tough.”

Toward the end of his speech, he said, “It’s been what they call a historic event. But for it to be historic, we’ve got to do a great job.” Saying he hoped his supporters would be proud of their work on his behalf two, three or eight years into his presidency, he wrapped up his comments with, “I love this country.”

About 2 a.m., Clinton campaign chair John Podesta told the crowd at Clinton’s election headquarters to head home because Clinton would not be speaking.

“We’re not going to have anymore to say tonight,” Podesta said. “… Let’s get these votes counted and let’s bring this home. … She has done an amazing job, and she is not done yet.”

Around 2:20 a.m., Trump’s group arrived at his election headquarters in New York City. Mike Pence spoke at 2:45 a.m. to the crowd at Trump’s HQ.

“The American people have spoken, and Americans have elected their president,” he said. Pence said it was his “high honor” to “introduce to you the president-elect of the United States.”

Trump will take office in January with the U.S. House firmly in Republican control. The GOP also retained control of the U.S. Senate with a majority of 51 senators. One of those re-elected Republican senators was Georgia’s Johnny Isakson, who had endorsed Trump.

“I congratulate Donald Trump and Mike Pence on winning a hard-fought campaign,” Isakson, who will start his third term, said in a statement Wednesday morning. “The genius of America is that the real power always rests with the voters, and America’s voters sent a clear message last night. They want our military to receive better support. They want us to defeat the Islamic state and not allow terror to gain a stronghold on our lives. They want us to stand up for our veterans as our veterans have stood up for all of us.

“Voters also sent the message that they will no longer tolerate the onslaught of onerous government regulation and red tape placed upon hardworking Americans and job-creators. We must promote a level playing field and institute commonsense, pro-job growth solutions. I can also promise that I will continue working to ensure that Georgia’s ports are ready to ship American goods wherever they are needed.”

Isakson’s Georgia colleague in the chamber, U.S. Sen. David Perdue, also a Republican, was an early supporter of Trump’s presidential bid.

“Tonight, the American people sent a strong message, and it is past time for Washington to listen,” Perdue’s campaign said in an early Wednesday statement. “We had a clear choice this election between an outsider, businessman who is committed to restoring American greatness and a dishonest career politician who has failed to help the very people she claimed to champion. Americans wisely chose to elect Donald Trump as our next president and Mike Pence as our next vice president.”

Perdue said it was the same message he received from Georgia’s voters when they elected him to the Senate in 2014.

“Politicians continue to say and do anything to get elected, but then fail to follow through on delivering results,” Perdue said. “Now is the time to change the way Washington does business and finally focus on delivering real results. We need to come together to tackle our country’s debt crisis, protect our homeland, grow the economy and address the rising costs of health care.

“With new leadership in the White House and cooperation from both political parties in Congress, all of this can be achieved within the parameters outlined in our Constitution. I look forward to working closely with President Trump and Vice President Pence to ensure that every citizen has the opportunity to once again achieve the American Dream.”