LANCASTER, Pa. — In the wake of Donald Trump winning his second presidential term against Vice President Kamala Harris, community advocates in Lancaster convened what they called an emergency community meeting.
“We need each other to make sense of what’s going to happen," said Michelle Sales, a volunteer with Lancaster Stands Up.
On Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at Tellus360 in downtown Lancaster for the community meeting. The event was organized by Lancaster Stands Up and featured speakers from ACLU PA, POWER Interfaith, and Mennonite Action.
Michelle Sales said the event allowed people to come together to discuss Donald Trump's reelection.
“A lot of people thought Harris was going to win, and I think people are reeling and trying to figure out what that’s going to mean for me and my community," said Sales.
People in attendance broke out into several discussion groups throughout the event. Voters and advocates voiced concerns about a variety of issues, such as immigration, abortion, LBGTQ rights, and the economy.
"I have a lot of friends in the queer community that are having tough conversations about what comes next," said Sales.
“I’m worried about health insurance, specifically," said Nathaniel Frantz, who attended the community event with his husband. "Both of us are diabetics, so that is very critical.”
Nathan Benefield with the Commonwealth Foundation, a conservative think tank, said inflation and the economy were among the top issues on Election Day—leading many Pennsylvanians to vote with their pocketbooks in mind.
“When you factor in inflation, Pennsylvania workers are earning less in real terms than they were four years ago," said Benefield. "So, [voters] are saying, ‘hey, we were better off four years ago. Let’s go back to that.’”
Lancaster advocates are encouraging people to look out for their neighbors, and comfort them after a long election cycle.
“We want to feel safe, and we want our community to feel safe," said Randi Mattson.