To the Editorial Team: American voters have now proven, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that money alone does not guarantee an election win. What wins an election are votes made by individuals and there are probably as many reasons for voting as there are individuals. Still, the camps are already lining up to offer us easy-to-digest answers for the blue tsunami. But are the choices humans make ever as clear as the answers we demand?

Take the choice made by a woman I spoke with in Uptown Kingston the morning after the election. I began the conversation with a somewhat benign comment about it being a great day. She could have ignored me, but she jumped in immediately. “I’m a lifelong Republican,” she said. “And I didn’t even know who the Democratic candidates were on the ballot. But I chose every single one of them!” There was such defiance and giddiness in her voice. She’d made a stand and she was proud of it.

Some might toss her into the “Never Trumper” camp. A vote against someone, rather than for someone. But I would assign her to the camp of: “I was sold a bill of goods and now I’m putting my trust in the other party.” Think about it. If she only cared about saying “no,” she could have stayed home. Too many voters did. But by casting her vote for Democrats, she was also saying, “yes” to what they represent. She was also saying, “Yes, I expect you to do better than the party I belong to.”

As a lifelong Democrat, I couldn’t agree with her more. We should expect much of our newly elected officials and we should expect more of ourselves, too. While the 2026 midterm elections are over, we must all commit to being informed and engaged citizens. Only together can we do the repair work that’s needed. Only together can we build a community that truly cares for all its members. For now, at least, there’s a pathway that’s been cleared.

Charlotte Adamis

Kingston