US Election night 2024 in Texas
- Text by Isaac Muk
- Photography by Tom “TBow” Bowden
So it’s true. After a long, bitter campaign battle between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump that saw divisive rhetoric, questions about the future of American democracy and two alleged assassination attempts, the latter – who is yet to be sentenced after being convicted as a felon in his hush money case – has overwhelmingly won the race to be the next President of the USA for a second term.
The result caught many by surprise, including pollsters who had put the pair neck and neck going into election night. A similar shock was felt at a Democrat watch party in Houston, Texas that Huck photographer Tom “TBow” Bowden travelled to on the evening of November 5. Early on, it was a packed affair, with a live band and local media crews in attendance anticipating a Kamala victory. But as exit polls and the first states began declaring, the mood shifted. “Well, I was a little optimistic,” a person at the event told him. “Now I’m a little scared.”
It was a wildly different scene at The 59 Hangout in Porter, Texas, around 20 miles north of Houston, where a pro-Trump viewing party had been organised. Set in a dive bar in the back of a strip centre, there was never a moment where the result was doubted. “They were partying, they were happy,” TBow recalls. “It’s funny, because the party got out of hand and the guys put on dresses.”
A Coors Light beer sign read: “Welcome to the United States Gender Reveal we hope it’s a Boy”.
“The election was called early, and what a shock. We thought that they were going to argue, go to court and it would go on for 10 days, but it was overwhelming,” TBow says. “A lot of people are waking up this morning and thinking: ‘What about our values, what about healthcare?’”
“Well,” one person at the Democratic watch party told TBow. “Whoever wins is going to change the world.”
Take a look at the photographs from each watch party below.
Democrats
Republicans
Latest on Huck
In a world of noise, IC3PEAK are finding radicality in the quiet
Coming Home — Having once been held up as a symbol of Russian youth activism and rebellion, the experimental duo are now living in exile. Their latest album explores their new reality.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Are we steamrolling towards the apocalypse?
One second closer to midnight — While the rolling news cycle, intensifying climate crisis and rapidly advancing technology can make it feel as if the end days are upon us, newsletter columnist Emma Garland remembers that things have always been terrible, and that is a natural part of human life.
Written by: Emma Garland
In a city of rapid gentrification, one south London estate stands firm
A Portrait of Central Hill — Social housing is under threat across the British capital. But residents of the Central Hill estate in Crystal Palace are determined to save their homes, and their community.
Written by: Alex King
Analogue Appreciation: Maria Teriaeva’s five pieces that remind her of home
From Sayan to Savoie — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. First up, the Siberian-born, Paris-based composer and synthesist.
Written by: Maria Teriaeva
Petition to save the Prince Charles Cinema signed by over 100,000 people in a day
PCC forever — The Soho institution has claimed its landlord, Zedwell LSQ Ltd, is demanding the insertion of a break clause that would leave it “under permanent threat of closure”.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Remembering Taboo, the party that reshaped ’80s London nightlife
Glitter on the floor — Curators Martin Green and NJ Stevenson revisit Leigh Bowery’s legendary night, a space for wild expression that reimagined partying and fashion.
Written by: Cyna Mirzai