Hillary Clinton came within single digits of Donald Trump in Texas, closer than any Democrat has come in winning this red state. But that was small concession for her Texas supporters who watched Trump win the presidency.
At the historic Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin, an evening that began with the hope of celebrating the first female president cratered as Hillary Clinton lost key electoral states to Donald Trump.
Patsy Woods Martin, the Executive Directive for Annie’s List, a political non-profit whose aim is to elect Texas’ Democratic women, says Clinton’s loss is a deep disappointment, but her campaign inspired a new generation of females.
“Seeing a woman run for the highest level I think is motivating for young women and so we will take advantage of that and we will continue to encourage women to run," Woods Martin says.
Democratic Congressman Lloyd Doggett, whose district includes portions of Travis and Bexar counties, says Clinton’s loss is a reminder of the division between voters and the need for Texas Democrats to work harder.
“There clearly are some people that feel they were forgotten over the last 8 years and they are responding with their votes, we’ve got to find a better way to reach them and their concerns," Doggett explains.
Jacob Limon, the former Texas campaign manager for Bernie Sanders, believes Clinton was caught off guard by a large number of first-time voters that cast ballots for Trump.
“So, it was hard to measure those people who had never voted, never participated on the right wing, just like it was hard to measure the Bernie people on the left wing," Limon says.
Limon hopes Clinton’s loss will mobilize Democrats to launch a grassroots effort that generates enthusiasm among millennials, Latinos, and voters new to the political process.
