U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris had plenty of support in metro Atlanta (above) on Election Night, but not enough to win the state. With 94% of the state’s votes counted she was behind former U.S. President Donald Trump by just over 127,000 votes, according to the Associated Press. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceClose to midnight on Election Day the worst fears for some and the best-case scenario for others simultaneously materialized: Georgia picked former United States President Donald Trump over United States Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump lost Georgia to current United States President Joe Biden by a slim margin during the 2020 presidential election. His revenge tour to the White House and Oval Office had to pass through the Peach State in order for it to come to fruition. At 1 a.m. Georgia was called in favor of Trump. Red was the new purple. What was once a room full of Harris supporters and Harris-Walz campaign staffers turned into a half-empty ballroom at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Atlanta. With more than 90% of the Georgia votes counted at 11 p.m., they crowd began to thin. Harris had plenty of support in metro Atlanta (above) throughout the campaign with thousands of people attending her many rallies, but not enough to win the state. With 94% of the state’s votes counted she was behind Trump by just over 127,000 votes, according to the Associated Press.The two large flat screens that were showing CNN’s coverage of the election results were turned off long before the totals were in, however. The food service workers, local law enforcement officers, foreign media, and campaign staffers were also filing out of the room by that point.Two tables of Service Employee International Union (SEIU) workers, all wearing purple “SEIU for Harris-Walz” t-shirts, bobbed their heads to the music being played in the Grand Ballroom of the Hyatt Regency at the beginning of the night. That same table was empty and being moved by hotel staff near midnight.Early in the evening Florida, Indiana, and Kentucky, all Republican states for as long as they have existed, were all called for Trump. The overall electoral vote count at that point of the evening gave the former President a sizable early lead, 23-3, but the energy in the ballroom never waned. Congresswoman Nikema Williams. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceA little after 8 p.m. the most recent numbers from battleground state North Carolina, along with Ohio and Virginia showed Harris holding respectable advantages. It was way too early to tell which way this election was headed.“Together we have organized in every corner in every county,” said Georgia Congresswoman Nikema Williams. “We refused to count out any county, no matter how red or how blue.” Ga. AFL-CIO President Yvonne Brooks, Congressman Hank Johnson, and newly-elected DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson were among the guests who spoke on behalf of the Harris-Walz campaign and the state’s down-ballot candidates.The Gatlin family (left to right): Katrina, James, and Shawn. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta VoiceAt 8:30 p.m. Harris was leading Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, and Gwinnett counties, some of the most diverse counties in the state of Georgia. By 10 p.m. the races for Georgia’s largest counties looked like they were solidly in favor of Harris. But they weren’t in the end.A night earlier in Midtown, music being played by popular radio personality Frank Ski blared from speakers and dim lighting set the mood for the evening’s Get Out The Vote rally. Supporters of all ages gathered inside the Park Tavern to hear from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, local celebrities, and listen to a trio of songs from Mexican-American band Jesse and Joy. One of those supporters, Dwight Holt, Jr., wore a black “Madame Pres.” t-shirt and an Atlanta Braves cap. Holt, Jr. said he was looking forward to Election Day and its aftermath.“I expect America to truly be made great again tomorrow,” said Holt, Jr., who told The Atlanta Voice he was one of the millions of Georgians who cast ballots during the early voting period. “My expectations are to leave here with a win.”Larry Threadgill sat in the back of the room and took it all in. The large crowd of dancing supporters, campaign signs, all of it. A community organizer and early voter, Threadgill said he has high expectations for the Harris-Walz administration if they are victorious.“My expectations are more jobs, economic and educational advances, and for racism to be addressed,” Threadgill said.Alexis Bryant was less confident than Holt, Jr. and Threadgill. She has memories of the 2016 election still taking up space in her mind. “I’m hoping for the best,” Bryant said.Rev. Barbara Jones is also hoping for the best. “As Black people, we are trying our best to be hopeful,” she said. Jones has plans to spend Election Night with friends and fellow Harris-Walz supporters. “I just hope she wins and America is prepared for what is to come.”“I’m leaving my flags up and my signs up,” said Leon Williams about the outcome of the election. “I’m hoping it will be a smooth transition.” Harris-Walz supporters early on Election Night, Nov. 5, 2024. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice The post Red is the new purple: VP Kamala Harris falls to Trump in Georgia appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.