Around noon on Nov. 5, Kendra Brooks was ready for whatever the day brought. 

Surrounded by supporters at a polling place at the corner of 16th and Courtland streets in the Wyoming section of North Philadelphia, Brooks declared her journey a “victory” no matter the outcome at the end of the day.

“We ran a strong campaign. People are motivated to come out and vote in an election where people usually aren’t excited about [it]. We’ve done the work,” Brooks said at the time.

To date, she and fellow Working Families Party candidate Nicolas O’Rourke ran the biggest third party campaign for City Council in Philadelphia history. 

In addition to raising more than $250,000 — the most ever by a third-party campaign — Brooks also received endorsements from local and national progressive juggernauts like Helen Gym and Elizabeth Warren.

But just like every other candidate on Election Day, no matter the build up, uncertainty reigns supreme until results roll in later in the night. 

At the time, she billed the election party to be held at Barber’s Hall near Temple University later that night as a “volunteer appreciation night” for those who aided her campaign.

Victory was another hopeful cause for celebration, but out of her hands.

At the party, as the poll numbers came in, victory became more and more apparent. A little after 11 p.m. and with a comfortable 10,000-vote lead over her nearest challenger, Brooks took the stage at her party’s “volunteer appreciation night” to declare victory.

“Tonight, we made history,” she said.

Brooks will assume office in January as the city’s first third party councilmember in its modern history.

Here's some of the night's best reactions: 

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