The Middlebury College Democrats hosted an election watch party on Nov. 4 in Hillcrest, which followed gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as the mayoral race in New York City. Students watched as victories unfolded for Democrats in all three elections.
In New Jersey, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill won with 56.6% of the votes against Former New Jersey Rep. Jack Ciatterelli. In Virginia, Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger defeated Lieutenant Governor of Virginia Winsome Earle-Sears with 57.3% of votes. Both Ciatterelli and Earle-Sears ran as Republicans.
All eyes were on New York City, however, for the mayoral election in which New York Representative Zohran Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent.
“This was a big election night with some serious implications, at least for Democrats or perceptions of Democrats,” Erik Ghalib ’28.5, co-president of College Democrats wrote to The Campus.
In recent years, many students expressed concerns regarding issues about climate change, racial equity, healthcare access, safety for undocumented workers, and support for LGBTQ+ community.
Sarah Buckley ’28.5 showed up to the event, wanting to watch the results in real time with other Democrats. As the results came in, she described how thrilling it was to “celebrate the wins of Democratic candidates with people who were just as excited [as she was].
Daniza Tazabekova ’26, president of MiddVotes and native of New York City emphasized how important the election felt to a lot of the student body, particularly those living in New York City.
“A lot of students at Middlebury are from New York City,” Tazabekova said. “I am pretty well connected with a lot of them and I think the general vibe on campus among students from New York City was that we are pretty excited about what this mayoral win means for the future of the city, and it's kind of refreshing to hear as well.”
College Democrats board member Chris Facteau ’28 felt positively about what the new wave of victories implicated for the Democratic party.
“The Democrats who won on Tuesday night represent Americans who feel alienated by an administration that promised them the world in 2024,” Facteau wrote in an email to The Campus. “However, unfortunately for America, it has delivered anything but. I believe these results reveal an essential trend in our political environment, which the Democrats captured so well: the pressing need for action and families prioritizing their desire to feed their kids, not separate other children from their own families.”
Tazabekova added that despite the energy surrounding Mamdani’s campaign, many students are also hesitant about what he will be able to accomplish.
“A lot of people are now questioning whether he can actually deliver on his agenda and about half of the students I’ve spoken to believe he will,” Tazabekova said. “Most people don’t know that he needs the City Council and the New York State Assembly to enact most of his measures, which looks very unlikely, but people still like him as a candidate and as a mayor because of his energy, enthusiasm and the fact that he brings hope to millions.”
Despite being an event thrown by the College Democrats, students in attendance varied in political views.
“We’ve got people from all across the political spectrum: Republicans, Independents, Socialists, Communists, Radicals, Moderates, and people who have no idea where they fall,” Ghalib said.
“We are most definitely trying to evolve the club and its reputation to be more inclusive and action oriented,” co-president Lucas Basham ’28 wrote. “With freedom of speech debates resurfacing on campus, we feel it especially important to make it clear that Democrats are a space for open discussion and debate. We are also in constant conversation with the leaders of the College Republicans. Disagreement feels more commonplace in the club than it was last semester.”
Joseph Jacobson, president of the Middlebury College Republicans, reiterated the same sentiments.
“[The College Democrats] do a great job running their club, and both clubs conduct their meetings similarly, like our Republican meetings, their meetings feature quality analysis and discussion of politics,” Jacobson wrote in an email to The Campus. “By collaborating and maintaining a close relationship, the two clubs can uphold an environment of open-mindedness and fruitful discussion at Middlebury in order to best study the current political atmosphere and work towards the common good in American politics.”
As the night came to an end, what stood out to some was not just the Democrats’ victories, but the atmosphere of open dialogue on campus. For many students, the watch party was more about participation than partisanship.
Editor's Note: Managing Editor Mandy Berghela ’26 contributed reporting to this article.
Correction 11/13/25: A previous version of this article attributed a quote directly to a student. This has been updated to reflect that the information was drawn from reporting in a previous article.
