District 4 Austin City Council Member Greg Casar District 4 Austin City Council Member Greg Casar[/caption]

Americans voted to elect Republican Donald Trump over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat, for president yesterday, and local officials from Austin and neighboring cities shared their thoughts on his win via news releases and social media Wednesday.

Newly re-elected District 4 Austin City Council Member Greg Casar said in a statement he was "calling for resistance" in regard to a Trump presidency.

In a news release, Casar said Austin and the country should "fight back" against Trump's "policies and politics of fear and hate and division" in Austin.

"We're going to take care of one another. We're not going to stand by and let Donald Trump harm any of our families—any of them," he said.

Casar's campaign platform—both during his initial election in 2014 and his re-election this November—was heavily centered around the immigrants' rights movement.

He addressed immigrants directly in his news release, saying he was going to do everything he could to keep them safe.

"In Austin, we're not just going to resist through protest," he said. "We're also going to resist by being a powerful example of effective government. Trump will not bring solutions to our community. We will. We will pass policy that truly fights economic inequality. We will create jobs, and we will help those who desperately thirst for change and fairness in our society. I was re-elected to the City Council last night to do this work alongside our communities."

Casar tweeted photos of an anti-Trump protest occurring downtown around 2:15 p.m. today:

 



Casar defeated challengers Louis C. Herrin II and Gonzalo Camacho in the race for Austin City Council District 4 with 61 percent of the vote last night.

Council Member Leslie Pool, who won her Austin City Council District 7 re-election with 72 percent of the vote, said last night on her Facebook page she had "not yet taken in fully what is happening nationally."

She posted on Facebook around noon Wednesday with one of Clinton's campaign messages:



District 2 Council Member Delia Garza, who was re-elected to her seat last night with 65 percent of the vote, said on Facebook Wednesday it was hard to celebrate her win given the results of the presidential election.

"It’s painful to feel that racism won, bigotry won, sexism won, and hate won," she wrote.

Garza said she was "deeply concerned" with the direction the country could go under the new administration and was planning to "stand ready" to promote the values of inclusion and equity.

"While I feel our country is facing a setback, I am confident that love and goodness will eventually prevail no matter what, because it has to, and our work must continue to ensure a bright and positive future for all," she said.

James "Jimmy" Flannigan James "Jimmy" Flannigan[/caption]

Jimmy Flannigan, who defeated incumbent Don Zimmerman in the race for Austin City Council District 6, urged supporters on his website Wednesday to "take time to grieve, to heal, to rest" from a long campaign and look to the future.

"Any temptation toward cynicism or despair must be rejected in favor of what needs to happen next," he said.

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, issued a statement late Wednesday morning celebrating Trump's election.

"Hard-working men and women whose incomes have been flat and those looking for work have found their voice and delivered the election to someone who heard them," he said. "Americans are tired of being told what to do and think by liberal politicians and the media."

Smith won his re-election to the 21st Texas District with 57 percent of the vote yesterday.

State. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat representing parts of San Antonio and Austin, commented on Clinton's concession speech Wednesday via Facebook:


U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, congratulated Trump in a statement early Wednesday morning.

"The American people have delivered a resounding message that they’re ready for change and eager for Republicans to tackle the big challenges facing our nation," he said. "I look forward to working with president-elect Trump to address the critical issues Texans and the American people have entrusted us to solve.”



This story has been updated to include additional statements from Texas officials.