Sonoma County Legal Assistance Interim CEO Sunny Noh He said that during Trump’s first term, Legal Aid had a guardianship program that helped immigrant families develop a safety plan for minor dependents if parents were detained or deported. Similar programs could be reactivated.

“I think everyone right now is still a little floundering,” Noh said. “We want to give people space to process and as soon as we can get our bearings we will start strategizing and get to work.”

Johanna O’Kelley, president of the Napa Valley Democrats, He said the result was “heartbreaking for us.”

“There’s a sense that fear and hate overcame joy and hope,” O’Kelley said. “But we’re not broken.”

“I think the Democratic Party has perhaps moved too quickly for many people and has failed to get everyone on board with this more inclusive, multicultural, equality-oriented America. Things are changing very quickly and I think it’s unsettling for a lot of people. I think that’s something the Democratic Party needs to consider and reevaluate and reflect on how best to move forward. But we will get busy, we will organize and we will mobilize again because we are going to fight for democracy. We are really fighting for a fairer democracy. Not only for us but for the world. because we have an important role to play in the world.”

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Rabbitt attributed Trump’s victory to inflation, the cost of living and the high cost of housing as key factors in the election. “There’s no doubt that economics had a lot to do with the outcome,” he said.

He hopes state and federal programs, including President Biden’s infrastructure bill, passed in 2021, will help the county and state weather any future “chaos.”

“I don’t want to fall into (thinking) the sky is falling,” said Rabbitt, who expressed his distaste for Trump’s divisive rhetoric and his treatment of other people.

“It’s a national reset and it’s a big country with a lot of people who see things in different ways and very divided in terms of what people think,” he added. “We’re still fortunate in California to have our own values ​​on the state side and on the county side.”

Rabbitt added that this doesn’t mean he expects California and the nation to be unaffected by a Trump presidency.

“It is what it is and we will have to persevere and move forward,” he said.

Davida Sotelo Escobedo of North Bay Jobs With Justice said: “While the powerful want us to spiral into hopelessness, the most important question now is: what do we have the power to do together right now? he said via email. “There will always be things we have no control over, but what we do have control over is our collective ability to act: coming together in solidarity, organizing, building power rooted in our neighborhoods and workplaces, fighting for the transformative vision that speaks to the needs of our communities.”

Chris Rogers, long-time Santa Rosa City Council member, who on Tuesday night declared victory in his bid for a California Assembly seat, said state leaders would continue to fight for reproductive rights, climate action and protections for immigrant and LGBTQ communities, which he described as “ non-negotiable values” for Californians and Democrats. .

“None of that changed because the presidential elections did not go the right way,” he said. “It just means we have to keep working hard.”

Trump’s election wasn’t entirely surprising, he said, adding that it gives him a sense of purpose to “be in the fight” rather than staying on the sidelines.

“Over the next four years we will have to continue to be the spearhead to ensure that our country does not fall into a fascist regime,” he added.

Ellie Cohen, executive director of the Climate Center, based in Santa Rosa, called Trump’s election “a blow to our community’s hopes for accelerated and equitable climate action.”

Trump is expected to reverse policy measures designed to wean Americans off fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gases, even as the world warms year after year and extreme weather causes increasingly catastrophic climate impacts and natural disasters.

During the election campaign, Trump promised to increase the pace of oil extraction (it is already at peak levels under the Biden administration), cut support for electrification, and sideline the United States when it comes to international climate efforts.

Cohen said California still has the capacity and momentum to lead the nation and the world in “equitable climate action that fits the scale of the crisis we face.” He highlighted, in part, the approval of a $10 billion climate bond approved by state voters on Tuesday.

“Our fundamental belief at The Climate Center remains valid,” Cohen wrote. “As California goes, so goes the world. “What we do here in California significantly influences other states, the nation and the world.”

Sonoma County Supervisor Chris Coursey acknowledged that many people, including women, people of color, and undocumented individuals, may be afraid of what lies ahead. He said he feels his job now is to implement safeguards.

“We need to focus on the things we can control locally, be more inclusive and care for the most vulnerable people. “More than ever we need to protect and support these people in their daily lives.”

He said it’s time to “redouble efforts” to “uplift people from disadvantaged communities.”

Chase Overholt, Director of Development at Positive Imagessaid she woke up to an avalanche of messages of support from community allies, as well as questions from queer community members about what Trump’s victory means locally.

The Santa Rosa nonprofit, which supports and advocates for North Bay’s LGBTQ community, expanded hours at its community center Wednesday to provide a safe place for people to gather, Overholt said.

He said the organization’s leaders have since been discussing how to combat a possible increase in anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and discrimination. The group is exploring partnerships with other local groups to expand legal and other services to meet new demands under a new reality, he said.

“I want to be very clear that while we are discouraged about this, that doesn’t mean the work stops,” Overholt said. “We were already rolling up our sleeves and we are rolling up our sleeves even more. “We are ready to do the work to make sure our county remains a place where queer people belong.”