Indiana GOP watch party
Gov. Eric Holcomb delivered his victory speech at about 9:45 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the JW Marriott in Indianapolis.
Holcomb thanked his family for their support, choking up when he told the crowd that his favorite part of his day is when he comes home to see his wife Janet. He also thanked his campaign team for what he said was an ever-positive campaign and his staff that has worked with him during his time in office.
“When I think of each and every contribution that you all made, I burst with pride,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb said he and his opponent Democrat Dr. Woody Myers, who has conceded his campaign, had talked on the phone earlier that evening.
“I thanked him for stepping up and stepping forward and offering an option, offering a real contribution to the conversation we are having as Hoosiers to where we want to lead this state,” Holcomb said.
Holcomb said he would work hard for the next four years for those that did and didn’t vote for him.
“Whether or not you voted for me or Suzanne, thank you for voting,” Holcomb said. “Let’s get busy.”
Before he delivered his speech, Indiana GOP Chairman Kyle Hupfer and Lieutenant Gov. Suzanne Crouch addressed the crowd.
Hupfer talked about the success the Republican party will have in this election, saying the Indiana GOP is expected to gain seats. Crouch also said she is excited for the future of Indiana as a Republican-led state with Holcomb as the governor.
“Now we have the opportunity to lead Indiana to new heights over the next four years,” Crouch said. “We’ll do it because I know who is going to be leading us for the next four years.”
College Democrats at IU/Union Board watch party
College Democrats at IU and the Indiana Memorial Union Board held a watch party for the 2020 election at the Whittenberger Auditorium in the IMU from 8-11 p.m. Tuesday night.
The election results were broadcast on ABC news.
Sophomore Nina Brochin said she attended the event because she was nervous to watch the results by herself and is unsure of the outcome considering the predictions that Hillary Clinton would win the presidency in 2016.
“I have no idea what to expect,” she said.
Brochin said she is concerned about marriage rights, health care and abortion rights in this election.
Junior Tracy Miles, who attended the event, said he thinks it’s too soon to say who will win the election. He said he thinks Biden will do a better job at handling the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing human rights concerns and LGBTQ+ issues.
Junior Anthony Morales, director of social impact at Indiana Memorial Union Board, said the social impact committee deals with promoting social issues on campus or from a global perspective.
“This upcoming election is a very important election for a lot of people,” he said. “Regardless of your political views, there’s a lot tied to it.”
Morales said they decided to host a watch party for the election results due to the interest in the watch parties for the presidential debates and to provide accessibility.
Sophomore Sonia Nussbaum said not a lot of people RSVP’d to the event but they expected around 30 students to come. Only a handful of students attended the event.
“I wouldn’t say I’m super surprised by the turnout,” she said. “This can be an emotional night and it’s going to go pretty late and people want to be comfortable.”
Nussbaum said she thinks a lot of people might not want to watch the election results because it can produce anxiety.
Indiana Democrats livestreamed watch party
John Zody, chair of the Indiana Democratic Party and Dana Black, Indiana Democrat Party Deputy Chair of Engagement, hosted a watch party for Indiana Democrats on Facebook Live that went from 7p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Zody shared his gratitude for what he believed was a successful general election.
“We’ve been up since the early morning hours,” Zody said. “What’s been going on all day is a solid voter portion program to make sure everyone gets to exercise their constitutionally protected right to vote.”
Along with many Democratic Indiana representatives, the group focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, health care, education and organized labor.
Dana Black, Indiana Democrat Party Deputy Chair of Engagement. thanked young voters and volunteers for their participation in the election.
“They were hitting all of the polling places and making all the phone calls,” Black said. “And that’s what our party is about. We want to make sure that everybody has to the opportunity to participate in this citizen government.”
Shelli Yoder, who ran in an unopposed race for District 40 of the Indiana State Senate, was the first to announce her victory on the live stream.
“I was so moved by all the hard work that party leadership has done up till today,” Yoder said.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Woody Myers conceded to his Republican opponent, Gov. Eric Holcomb, after 9 p.m. He thanked the governor and his supporters.
“I ran because I knew we could be better and we could do more, more for those who have so little and more for those who need so much,” Myers said. “I’d announced my candidacy before we’d ever heard of COVID-19 and before we’d ever seen the murder of George Floyd.”
Myers pushed for better voting rights protections in the future. He said while he is grateful to those who waited for hours to cast their ballots, he looked forward to a time when that would not be necessary.
“That must be nurtured, not further suppressed or ignored,” Myers said. “Voting, like breathing, should be easy, not hard. It’s way past that and so much else to change.”
With early election results appearing to be in his favor, Democratic candidate for Indiana’s first congressional district, Frank Mrvan, shared his excitement in the live stream from his small, celebratory gathering.
“We’re doing everything we can to just make sure that we’re enjoying this moment,” Mrvan said. “It’s been a long year, it hasn’t been a long day. I just want to be victorious today.”
Around 2,500 people watched the stream Tuesday night.
Monroe County Republican Party of Indiana watch party
About 30 people, almost all of which were unmasked, gathered for burgers and cake at Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream for a Monroe County Republican Party event for Election Night.
Party chair William Ellis said this is the first election night in a while that he’s felt excited.
Ellis visited most of the polling places Tuesday, and he said it seems like Republicans have been turning out. He said he’s hopeful about local elections.
Larrin Wampler, who wasn’t elected to one of three Monroe County Council at-large seats, attended the watch party and said she felt hopeful for President Donald Trump and Gov. Eric Holcomb’s reelections.
Wampler didn’t respond to the Indiana Daily Student’s voter guide questions, but she said Tuesday that she decided to run for the position because she’s concerned about and opposes the recent calls to defund the police and tax increases. Wampler also said she’s against mask mandates and limits on gathering sizes.
Carl Lamb, who ended up losing the election for Monroe County Circuit Court Division 1 judge, gave a speech to the crowd and wished luck to other candidates in attendance, including Wampler and other Republican county council challenging candidate Jim Allen.
“One thing about conservatives is this: If we don’t win, we’re not burning down any buildings tonight,” Lamb said, laughing.
Nelson Shaffer, 72, came to the event with his wife. He has previously run for county commissioner and now volunteers for the party.
He said he wants candidates who share his values: fiscal conservatism and personal freedom.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this article misspelled Sonia Nussbaum's name. The IDS regrets this error.
