The election of Republican Presidential Candidate Donald Trump came as a surprise to Americans in both political parties last week.
Taz Tally is the Chair of the District 31 Democratic Party, which includes Homer, Anchor Point and Ninilchik. Tally said he was disappointed to see the election results.
“It wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it’s not what I certainly wanted. I think he’s a bully, personally. But there was obviously something defensible about his message that appealed to just under half of the electorate,” said Tally.
Tally says he’s not concerned about the direction of the country because there are built-in checks and balances in the Democratic system. But he is worried about the deep divides among our citizens. Open communication between political groups is essential, he says.
“In order for the healing to occur, people have to listen to each other and not just be thinking about what their argument is. Respecting the two-party system as a foundation and understanding that there’s value to be had on both sides is, I think important for that,” said Tally.
Jonathan Faulkner is the Chair of the District 31 Republican Party and the owner of Land’s End Resort in Homer. He agrees that it’s time for Alaskans to come together and work toward common goals.
“I think this calls for bipartisanship anytime we have a change of this magnitude. There are many more things that unite us Americans than unite us as Democrats and Republicans. I think that’s pretty obvious just if you look at the two individual parties and look at how much unanimity there is in voice between those two groups,” said Faulkner.
Faulkner isn’t sure what to expect from the Trump administration, but he hopes job growth will be a priority.
“Moving forward, he’s got to focus on real solutions for real problems and we know what they are. Nothing supersedes our need and desire for good paying jobs,” said Faulkner.
President-elect Trump met with President Obama at the White House on Nov. 10 to discuss the transition between the two administrations.