AP News declared former president Donald Trump the winner of the 2024 presidential race at 4:34 a.m. Wednesday.

Harris won Dane County with 74.9% of the vote, according to the county’s website.

Having voted for the Harris-Walz ticket, College Democrats of UW-Madison Communications Director Whitman Bottari expressed disappointment in the outcome of the presidential election.

Bottari said the results were disheartening, but emphasized the College Democrats’ continued resolve to push for issues that students care about, like preserving democracy, reproductive rights and climate change policy.

“We’ll work to give young people hope at a time that for many is dispiriting,” Bottari said. “We will continue to work and continue to push for the issues that matter.”

College Republicans of UW-Madison President Thomas Pyle said the group felt accomplished after days of door-knocking, tabling and talking to candidates leading up to the election.

Pyle said he decided on Monday to cast his vote for Trump. Pyle’s main concern was electing a leader to heal political polarization and division in the U.S., which made his decision difficult, he said.

“I did not believe Trump is somebody who can unite the country,” Pyle said. “That’s kind of the biggest issue for me.”

Though he was certain he wouldn’t cast his ballot for Harris, Pyle said he struggled when deciding who to vote for, as he wasn’t sure if the U.S. would move forward in a positive direction under Trump’s leadership.

Pyle was motivated to vote for Trump by other independent voters and members of the College Republicans, he said, adding that he was also reassured by Trump’s economic experience and background.

“What led me to vote for Trump is I realized that a lot of the things he did in 2020 that I have problems with, he won’t have the opportunity to do again in 2024, just from a constitutional standpoint,” Pyle said.

Pyle was encouraged to see conservatives on campus making their voices heard and said conservative voters sent a message that they are tired of what he characterized as the moral superiority complex of Democrats.

Bottari and Pyle stressed the importance of having productive and respectful conversations with everyone across campus. Bottari highlighted the importance of regular interactions and conversations between the College Democrats and Republicans.

“We’ll continue to facilitate kind and productive conversations about the issues we care about, and it’s important for students across campus to listen to one another and to respect one another,” Bottari said.

Pyle said he was impressed by the willingness of students across campus to talk about important issues but still thinks there needs to be more progress made for a supportive environment at UW.

Pyle said he understands this election may be a lot to process, but encouraged students to look at the election holistically.

 While there was a major red wave during this election, many abortion rights amendments passed across the country, Pyle said.

“There’s a lot of anxiety about this election, and it’s going to be very difficult for people to understand what just happened and how we can move forward as a country,” Pyle said.

Bottari said the College Democrats intend to continue fighting “Trumpism”, pushing issues students care about onto the Democratic platform, like addressing student debt and college affordability, and saving the planet.

“As we move forward, it’s important to remember to continue fighting,” Bottari said. “This isn’t the end of anything, and we are going to have many opportunities over the next few years to continue to have our voices heard and move towards a more progressive future.”