Story by Ashley Traylor, Staff writer
The Democratic presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton, was expected to have the upper hand in the 2016 presidential election but fell short of her goal of becoming the first female president.
Clinton lagged behind Trump in electoral votes for most of Tuesday night. In the end, she earned a total of 228 electoral votes, but Trump exceeded the 270 electoral votes needed to secure his place in the White House.
Early Wednesday morning the Clinton campaign chairman, John Podesta, addressed the crowds at the Democratic Headquarters in New York, where he said several states were still too close to call and told supporters to go home and wait for the last votes.
He also thanked Clinton’s voters who encouraged her throughout her campaign.
“I want you to know, I want every person in this hall to know, and I want every person across the country who supported Hillary to know that your voices and your enthusiasm mean so much to her and to him and to all of us,” Podesta said. “We are so proud of you and we are so proud of her. She’s done an amazing job and she is not done yet.”
Before the results of the election were calculated, the Associated Press predicted Clinton could win if she pulled victories in California, Maryland, Illinois. She also needed the key states Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Nevada to sway the election in her favor.
However, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, who have not voted Republican in three decades, turned out to be Republican-stronghold states.
Clinton did, however, pull victories in California, New York and Illinois; each of which have more than 20 electoral votes.
In the close states, Trump defeated Clinton by only 1 or 2 percent.
Before polls closed and votes were counted, Clinton took to Twitter to express her thoughts about the election:
“This team has so much to be proud of. Whatever happens tonight, thank you for everything,” Clinton wrote.