‘It doesn’t matter who you voted for – you’re still an American’

Chandler Langevin is feeling very optimistic.
Not only did he win Seat 3 of the Palm Bay City Council, but he’s delighted for President-elect Donald Trump to return to the White House in January.
“This is a brand-new Republican party,” Langevin, 32, said. “This election, quite frankly, was a referendum or revolution in a way.”
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Despite the election being more than a week ago, it’s still weighing heavily on the minds of many Americans. In addition to Trump’s victory, Republicans captured the House and Senate, too.
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Half the country seems happy at the results. The others, in dismay — and fearful of Trump’s administration.
Dr. Joel Shuy, a clinical psychologist with Atlantic Psychiatric Center, said perception doesn’t always align with reality, quoting Mark Twain’s, “I’ve suffered a great many catastrophes in my life. Most of them never happened.”
Whether you’re thrilled or upset about the election results, Shuy said, people tend to “project doom and gloom.” It’s important to limit consumption of news sources to help avoid some of that, Shuy said.
“Be a good loser and be a good winner,” Shuy advised. “Be gracious and respect that we all perceive things differently.”
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Langevin, a military veteran, said he expects to see drastic change, such as a major decentralization of power in Washington, D.C.
“You’ll see a country that is proud of its military and defense, choosing to respect our history instead of tearing statues down,” Langevin said. “I think we’re moving in a totally new direction. This is no longer the party of the old white guy.”
Langevin noted that Trump has supported many “strong, capable women” who went on to be elected for different GOP roles. He also noted how Black and Hispanic voters cast their ballots for Trump, pointing toward the job market and economy as drivers for Trump’s victory.  
Nancy Remson, 67, of Melbourne, cast her ballot for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Now, she said, the country seems to have taken a huge step back. In 2024, she’d hoped “we’d be a more enlightened people.”
“I was quite shocked that Trump won the popular vote,” Remson said. “I didn’t expect that to happen.”
Now, Remson said she worries about uncertainty and cruelty towards other Americans. She is concerned for the rights of those in the LGBTQ+ community, minorities and women.
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“My very first thoughts were we’re going back to the chaos, and that was really something that stopped me in my tracks,” Remson said.
She said she’d continue to work for others’ rights, not just her own — especially future generations. “It makes me heartsick that people are growing up with less rights than I have,” she said.
Remson described herself and her husband as the “black sheep” in their family.
“I have MAGA Trumpers in my extended family,” she said. “I can’t help but look at them and question their character and how they go and vote against their own interests.”
Remson said the election results are heavy on her mind.
“I think that I feel emotionally fragile and very vulnerable to getting upset,” Remson said. “And what keeps me going is we can’t give up hope. If we lose hope, we lose everything.”
Jade Zalewski, 32, of Palm Bay, who voted for Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, said she’s “feeling pretty good” on the heels of the former president’s historic comeback.
“I’m excited to see what happens next,” Zalewski said. “I think it’s going to be great.”
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Zalewski said she is also pleased with the appointment of Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, as well as Vivek Ramaswamy, to lead the proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The agency will work to dismantle government bureaucracy and trim back spending, according to a USA Today report.  
Zalewski believes that good things are definitely ahead for Americans’ wallets.
“Bring back the cheap gas and make groceries affordable again,” she said.  
She’s also hoping the best for Democrats.
“I hope that they can have an open mind – and things get better for them,” Zalewski said.
Paul Lyal, 33, of Rockledge thinks one of the best things people can do right now is “just go into the community and introduce yourself and meet with people, possibly meet with people who have opposing views.”
But that’s not always easy. Lyal said he’s purged, blocked and unfriended people from his social media feeds. He also said some of his family, based in Montana, stopped speaking to each other years ago. One issue is gay marriage.
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“They are very religious, the way they view it, they don’t think gay marriage should be legal,” Lyal said. “I’m trying to make peace with it.”
But Lyal worries about the future of gay marriage and LGBTQ+ rights. He has been married to his partner for three years.
“It definitely concerns my husband and I,” Lyal said. “I don’t know how much of a reality, if it could happen. I’m also hopeful the checks and balances would stop that from happening or more, it’s the voters.”
While he was hoping for a Harris-Walz win, Lyal said he respects the will of the voting public.
“Voters decide something, and you have to respect it,” Lyal said. “I know there’s a lot of people in the community who don’t have hope. Don’t give up hope.”
As for what’s next for those whose candidate did not win on election day? It’s important to remember elections are part of the process of our democracy, Shuy said.
“There are inevitabilities in life that we have to deal with loss,” said Shuy, who has been practicing 40 years. “I’m sure some people experience this (election) as a loss, and sometimes loss kicks up dust from other losses. I think it’s all the more reason we need to go seek out positive stuff that usually makes us feel better.”
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But his best advice?
“I think we need to … open our minds and focus on just we’re all Americans,” Shuy said. “It doesn’t matter who you voted for – you’re still an American.”
This reporting is supported by a Journalism Funding Partners grant. Mental Health Reporter Sara Paulson can be reached at [email protected].