The Day After: Disappointment, Resolve, and the Work That Matters Most

Tuesday’s election results landed hard. Across California and the country, the numbers told a clear story: a decisive Democratic wave. Xavier Becerra will be California’s next governor, defeating Steve Hilton by a wide margin. Statewide offices stayed solidly Democratic. In our own backyard, Adam Gray held the 13th Congressional District against Kevin Lincoln. Voter ID (Proposition 39) failed. Nationally, Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate.

For those of us who knocked on doors, made calls, produced voter guides, showed up at rallies, and invested time and money because we believed California and this country could move in a better direction, the disappointment is real. It stings. Many of us hoped the frustration over high costs, crime, housing, education, and government overreach would finally break through. In many places, it didn’t.

It is okay to feel that. Honest people admit when an election didn’t go the way they wanted. Pretending otherwise doesn’t help anyone. The work was still worth doing. The conversations still mattered. The volunteers who gave evenings and weekends still showed up for something larger than themselves.

But disappointment is not the same as defeat. Elections are one day. The direction of a community, a county, and a state is shaped by what happens on the other 364 days. That is where our focus must turn now.

The places that touch families most directly are not in Washington or even Sacramento. They are the school board that sets curriculum and discipline policy. The city council that decides zoning, taxes, public safety, and how local ordinances get enforced. The county board of supervisors that controls budgets, public health, land use, and contracts that affect every resident. These bodies often operate with far less scrutiny than national races, yet their decisions shape what your children learn, how safe your neighborhood feels, what you pay in local taxes, and whether property owners and small businesses can thrive.

That is why the call after Tuesday is not simply “wait for the next big election.” It is to get involved or more deeply involved in local school, city, and county government.

Show up. School board meetings, city council sessions, and board of supervisors hearings are public. Most people never attend. When parents, property owners, and concerned citizens consistently appear, ask clear questions, and speak during public comment, it changes the atmosphere. Officials notice. Staff notice. Future candidates notice.

Consider running. Many local seats are decided by a few thousand votes or fewer. The barriers are real (time, fundraising, the learning curve), but they are lower than a congressional or statewide race. Merced County and the surrounding areas need more people who will prioritize parental rights, fiscal responsibility, public safety, and common-sense governance. If you have ever thought “someone should do something,” that someone might be you or the person you encourage to step forward.

Support those who already are. Volunteer for local campaigns. Host a small neighborhood conversation. Share accurate information about what local boards are actually voting on. Help identify and back candidates for school boards and city councils who share your values. Organizations like the Merced County Republican Assembly exist precisely to equip people for this work; plug in if you haven’t already.

Educate yourself and your neighbors. Local government moves more slowly and with less fanfare, but that is also why sustained attention works. Track agendas. Read the staff reports. Understand the contracts and the policies. When enough citizens do this, overreach becomes harder to hide.

We are not leaving California. We are staying and fighting for it school by school, city by city, county by county. The statewide and national results are sobering. They confirm that the cultural and policy challenges we face run deep. They also confirm that the most durable progress often starts closest to home, where relationships are stronger, turnout can be more targeted, and ordinary citizens still have real leverage.

Take a day or two if you need it. Then pick one concrete next step: mark the date of the next school board or city council meeting, identify a local race for 2027 or 2028, reach out to a group already doing the work, or simply commit to attending and speaking at one public meeting this month.

The election is over. The responsibility is not. Our communities still need people who will show up, speak clearly, and refuse to abandon the places they call home. That work continues now.