香港支持民主的活动人士在本周末的地方选举中取得了令人震惊的胜利，囊括了18个区议会中的17个和452个席位中的388个——几乎90%。
此次投票是在中国政府侵占半自治领土引发严重骚乱的背景下举行的，是自6月份大规模反北京抗议活动开始以来，反政府运动取得的最重大胜利。
一些294万选民投票，占所有有资格投票的人的71.2%。与上次地方选举相比，这是一个巨大的增长，当时有47%有资格投票的人参加了选举。
抗议运动已经引起了世界的关注，并赢得了全球的支持，这很令北京愤怒。尽管一些人预计亲北京候选人会遭到强烈反对，但胜利的规模让亲民主党派和选民感到高兴。
上周，国会通过了一项立法，如果唐纳德·特朗普总统批准，将允许美国制裁在这个前英国殖民地限制人权的香港和中国官员。
它还将要求国务院每年审查其与香港的优惠贸易关系，如果香港的自治遭到破坏，允许美国退出。
两党的美国议员很快庆祝了周日的地方选举结果。
压倒性的结果促使香港行政长官林郑月娥(现为活动人士中备受指责的人物)做出了以下决定认真思考“关于她的政府的做法。
佛罗里达州参议员马尔科·卢比奥是上周国会通过的香港立法的主要倡导者之一。他在推特上写道“结果不言自明:香港人希望他们的未来有发言权。”他补充说，民意测验应该“激励我们所有人都参与进来。”
马萨诸塞州参议员、民主党2020年总统候选人伊丽莎白·沃伦表示，当地选举结果是香港活动人士数月街头抗议的产物。“这个周末，他们来到投票箱，发出了一个强有力的信息，他们希望保持民主——北京必须尊重这一点，”她说。
众议院少数党领袖凯文·麦卡锡说投票代表了“对北京独裁政策的强烈谴责”他指出，选民“以创纪录的数量支持亲民主候选人，几乎是上次选举的两倍。”
田纳西州共和党参议员玛莎·布莱克本公告的，“自由赢了！”《华尔街日报》在推特上写道，亲北京议员的“巨大失败”向北京发出了一个强有力的信息——让你的独裁政权留在大陆
科罗拉多州参议员科里·加德纳在一次自录音再现装置发出的高音建议“自由世界听到你”他还提到创纪录的投票率，他说这是“要求北京实行民主和自治”
与此同时，民主党众议员罗康娜(Ro Khanna)敦促其他议员将他们对香港人的支持应用于世界各地的反政府抗议者。“从伊朗到香港，再到沙特阿拉伯、智利和玻利维亚，美国需要明确表示，对言论自由的攻击和针对抗议者的暴力是不可接受的。”他发推特。
2019年11月25日早些时候，在香港屯门区的区议会选举中，亲北京候选人何宣威失去一个席位后，亲民主的支持者一边庆祝一边高呼。
U.S. POLITICIANS CELEBRATE HONG KONG PRO-DEMOCRACY LANDSLIDE: 'FREEDOM WINS!'
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists scored a shocking win in local elections this weekend, sweeping the contest to take 17 of 18 district councils and 388 of 452 seats—almost 90 percent.
The vote—held amid serious unrest over Chinese government encroachment into the semi-autonomous territory—represented the most significant victory for the anti-government movement since mass anti-Beijing protests began in June.
Some 2.94 million voters cast ballots, representing 71.2 percent of all those eligible to vote. This is a huge increase from the last local elections, when 47 percent of those eligible to vote turned out.
The protest movement has captured the world's attention and elicited support from across the globe, much to Beijing's anger. Although some expected a significant backlash against pro-Beijing candidates, the scale of the victory delighted pro-democracy parties and voters.
Last week, Congress passed legislation that will—if President Donald Trump gives his approval—allow the U.S. to sanction Hong Kong and Chinese officials restricting human rights in the former British colony.
It will also require the State Department to annually review its preferential trade relationship with the territory, allowing America to withdraw if Hong Kong's autonomy is being undermined.
U.S. lawmakers from both parties were quick to celebrate the results of the local elections on Sunday.
The landslide result has prompted Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam—now a reviled figure among activists—to "seriously reflect" on her government's approach.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been one of the leading advocates for the Hong Kong legislation that was passed by Congress last week. He wrote on Twitter that the "results speak for themselves: the people of Hong Kong want a voice in their future." He added that the poll should "inspire us all to be engaged."
Massachusetts Senator and Democratic 2020 presidential hopeful Elizabeth Warren said the local election results were the product of months of street protests by Hong Kong activists. "This weekend, they went to the ballot box and sent the powerful message that they want to keep their democracy—and Beijing must respect that," she said.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said the vote represented a "strong rebuke of the authoritarian policies of Beijing." He noted that voters "came out in record numbers, nearly double the last election, to support pro-democracy candidates."
GOP Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee declared, "Freedom wins!" The wrote on Twitter that the "monumental defeat" of pro-Beijing lawmakers "sends a powerful message to Beijing—keep your authoritarian regime on the mainland."
Colorado Senator Cory Gardner addressed pro-democracy activists in a tweet, suggesting "the free world hears you." He also noted the record-breaking turnout, which he said was "demanding democracy and autonomy from Beijing."
Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna, meanwhile, urged fellow lawmakers to apply their support for Hong Kongers to anti-government protesters across the world. "From Iran to Hong Kong to Saudi Arabia, Chile and Bolivia, the United States needs to make it clear that attacks on freedom of expression and violence against protesters is unacceptable," he tweeted.
Pro-democracy supporters chant as they celebrate after pro-Beijing candidate Junius Ho lost a seat in the district council elections in Tuen Mun district of Hong Kong, early on November 25, 2019.
