Locals talk about the presidential election results and issues important to them
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Freddy Velez, a retired corrections officer, spends every day at the handball courts in Van Cortlandt Park playing paddleball, where he hangs out with his long-time friend, George Garcia, despite the two holding differing political views. “I’m accepting it because the nation spoke, the people spoke,” Velez said. As far as George Garcia was concerned, the election went according to plan. “Trump was a good choice for the people,” Garcia said. He added, young people need a candidate like Trump, because in the current economy, people can’t afford rent or food, and he believes Trump will change that. He said that a change in the economy creates a better foundation for the future of the nation’s young people. “Things got too expensive, we need a change,” Garcia said. “I’m a die-hard democrat and he’s a die-hard republican,” Velez said of Garcia while pulling him in for a hug, “And we’ve gotten along like brothers for the past 40 years.”
Gary Jean-Juste
Waiting for the Bx9 bus off Van Cortlandt Park, Michelle Sanchez, a 17-yearold who attends Riverdale Country School, was unable to vote, but said the election had made her concerned for her parents’ safety, as Mexican immigrants. Sanchez said she feels Trump’s stance on immigration has little to do with protecting the rights and safety of immigrants, especially immigrant children: “It’s obvious that he wants to deport a lot of people.”
Most of Sanchez’ friends’ parents are also immigrants — “so we all know what our parents have to go through” she said. She also noted that it took her by surprise to learn that many of immigrant citizens voted for Trump. “They just take it as a joke,” she said.
Alaska St.Clair
As a former unionized construction worker, John DellaRocca said, he’s a Democrat by trade. “I believe in a union. I’m a democrat. We vote blue,” he told The Press.
DellaRocca spends his downtime at the handball courts in Van Cortlandt Park playing paddleball, he said none of the politics matter on the court. He said that many of the Trump voters he knows are happy, because they believe he will enhance the economy, but DellaRocca said, one day they’ll learn that the money doesn’t go with them when they die. “We lost this time, we’ll get them next time,” DellaRocca said.
Gary Jean-Juste
On Fieldston Road, Zal Sarkari, a consulting firm manager, was walking his dog Bow. Sarkari was less than pleased with the election results."Disappointed" was the first word that came to mind. "Under Trump, a million people in this country dies due to his COVID response," he said. "Now we risk another catastrophe under his management. Income inequality in this country has been getting worse for the past 50 years. I think a lot of our issues come from that growing inequality."
ET Rodriguez
Couple, Jeff and Tamara Hirsch of North Riverdale, took a walk along Riverdale Avenue with one of their children on Wednesday, Nov. 6. “I feel like everything went pretty nicely,” Jeff Hirsch said. “It was a nice, smooth election, no controversies or people clashing over irregularities.” While he supports immigration — and mentions that his wife, mother and grandparents are immigrants — he worries that “letting a lot of people into the country without any checks or balances is a bad idea.” Government spending was another major concern which he feels is currently “a little out of control.” The Hirsch family is also concerned about food safety. “With three kids, we think a lot about what goes into the food we eat, what goes into our kids’ food and school lunches,” Hirsch said, adding that he believes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and activist who endorsed Trump, might address these issues as well.
ET Rodriguez
Kingsbridge resident, Shamar Coleman, shrugged at the idea of a new president. “Overall, I didn’t like either of them,” he said of Trump and Harris. The only election he is excited to see is the 2025 mayoral race. Despite his indifference towards the candidates, Coleman said he exercised his right to vote, declining to say, who he voted for. With four years of a new president, Coleman is hopeful that the economy will take a turn for the better. He spends his days working as a film producer and said he’s interested in seeing economic growth resulting in grants and opportunities available for his projects. “I’m just waiting to see what happens,” Coleman said.
Gary Jean-Juste
Ramish Shahzad is a Kingsbridge resident and Lehman College student. He tutors young children while taking classes to complete his bachelor's degree in childhood education.
Shahzad is not concerned with who occupies the White House, but adds he would to see prices deflate. “Honestly, regardless of who’s in office, I’m just hoping inflation goes down, people are able to afford things more like their groceries, their bills,” Shahzad said.
Gary Jean-Juste
This past presidenatial election was one of the most contentious in American history, causing a stark political divide across the country. When Donald J. Trump was announced as the president-elect, people cheered and others mourned for the future. And while New York is a blue state, not everyone voted democrat. The Riverdale Press hit the streets on Wednesday, Nov. 6, to ask people how they felt about the election results and what they are looking forward to, (or not) under the 47th POTUS.
