Voters express hope for change at Solano election night watch parties

SOLANO COUNTY – Voters across Solano County were transfixed by election results pouring in on Tuesday night, which saw a massive victory for Democrats in contests for Congress and governorships across the country. 

At two organized watch parties at separate ends of the age spectrum, Solano Community College students and members of progressive organization Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible shared similar messages of hope for change as they watched the national results roll in. 

“I hope to have a brighter future and more affordability, especially as a college student,” said student Angelika Duculan, who organized the Solano Community College watch party on the Fairfield campus. The party was led by the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander Student Achievement Program, in collaboration with the school’s student government, the Black Student Union, and the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. 

“I noticed there was a need for students to be more involved in politics, and my advisor recommended that I take the lead on a watch party because I’ve been deeply involved in community college politics and part of the student government,” Duculan said.

At the peak of the event, Duculan said there were about 40 people in attendance. She said that a lot of students talked with each other about the candidates and what issues they were concerned about. Many voiced concerns about housing affordability, inflation, and artificial intelligence taking over industries and limiting their future job prospects. Others talked about their worries around environmental issues, reproductive rights, and immigration. 

“I think the reason why my generation is speaking up more is because they’ve noticed the effects of the voting that older generations have done,” Duculan said. “I think there’s room for improvement.” 

Students sat around eating pizza, listening to a live band, and cheering as results were announced on live feeds from MS Now. 

“It’s been really inspiring for me to see students involved at such a local level, and that they’re watching the national elections too,” said college governing board Vice President Jacqui Nguyen Greer, who represents the Vacaville, Dixon, and Winters areas. 

Nguyen Greer said she was especially impressed with students creating wall art that displayed notable election “firsts,” like Zohran Mamdani being elected as the first Muslim mayor of New York City, and Christopher Cabaldon becoming the first Filipino American in the California Senate. Nguyen Greer herself became the first Asian American elected to the school’s governing board in 2024. 

Student body executive secretary Anthony Mercurio created the art for the event. “We wanted to highlight politicians from all different groups, women, people of color, queer people, and people with disabilities,” Mercurio said. “So students could say, ‘Hey, that looks like me, or that’s someone I can relate to.’” 

“It’s a way to show students that it’s possible to basically do anything and be successful in different areas,” said Duculan. 

Mercurio agreed that the watch party was a good way to encourage younger generations to get more involved in government. “It’s important to get more young people involved in politics and have them actually understand what our government does, and how it affects us everyday,” Mercurio said. 

According to NBC exit polls, 11% of 2026 voters were between the ages of 18-29, and 73% of them identified as Democrat. This is on par with 2022 midterm participation, when 18-29 year-olds made up 12% of all voters – the fewest of any age demographic. 

Meanwhile, at the Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible party at The Exchange, attendees similarly cheered as historic wins were announced: Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms became Georgia’s first Black woman governor, and Texas elected Democrat Gina Hinojosa the state’s first Latina governor.

Attendee Gina Medeiros said that she was hopeful now that the Democrats have reclaimed the House of Representatives and Senate. 

“We’re hoping it’s enough to make a difference,” she said. “Just enough to hopefully take a breath.” 

Some attendees voiced disappointment that Democrat Angie Nixon did not win the Florida Senate seat.

“It was so close though, ridiculously close,” said Medeiros, who used to live in Florida. Nixon gained 48% of the vote but ultimately conceded late Tuesday night. 

Others voiced disappointment that Proposition 40, the contentious one-time billionaire tax, seemed headed for defeat, with “No” leading at 56% of voters as of last night. 

Andrea Penton, along with others, worked from July until September to create a voter’s guide for the state propositions.

“We focused on the propositions because there were 14 of them, and they can be so confusing,” said Penton, adding that it was disappointing how much money billionaires poured into the race to influence voters. 

Still, the mood was high in the room. 

At the local level, “We’ve had all kind of good candidates,” said Medeiros.

Geri Kahn, an immigration lawyer who volunteered as a poll worker during Election Day, said she was heartened by how many people showed up to vote. “There were a lot of people coming in. I was so impressed,” she said. 

The Election Day party was the first one that the group has formally held, and The Exchange owner Jennifer Laursen was happy to host them. 

“It’s a great way to gather and either commiserate and hold each other’s hands, or celebrate and just be in community,” Laursen said. 

The Vallejo Sun is tracking the local election results here. As of last night, over 93,000 ballots have been counted, representing 34% of registered voters.

Editor's note: this story has been updated to correct the spelling of Angelika Duculan's name.