By Hannah Moulthrop

Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky’s 9th district victory went almost unnoticed at her packed party at Tommy Nevin’s Pub in Evanston. Cheers erupted for Clinton’s win of each new state as the presidential race heated up, but supporters took for granted Schakowsky’s long expected re-election in her district that straddles Chicago’s North Side and a litany of North and Northwest suburbs.

Schakowsky was watching the senate and house races as closely as anyone else.

The races “might determine whether or not Congress is able to move forward or [if] we’re going to have these kinds of tensions that were unleashed through this campaign, which is one like I’ve never seen in my entire life,” Schakowsky said. “I’m kind of on pins and needles. How many seats will we take back in the House of Representatives? Is the Senate going to go Democrat? Is Hillary Clinton going to be my president?”

North Shore residents packed into a private room, many with drinks in hand, watching the TV screens around the room.

Curtis Webley of Evanston called the wait “kind of nerve racking. I’m a Democrat and I’d really like to see a democratic president and the way things are looking right now, I’m not too optimistic.”

Regardless of the final outcome, Schakowsky said there is work to be done rebuilding a divided country.

“Going forward a lot of people have projected that what’s going to happen now is a lot of anger remaining,” she said, adding,” I think that a lot of the Trump supporters actually do have legitimate grievances. The economy has not worked for them. Many of them have lost good paying jobs.”