We are a democratic republic, not a pure democracy. I was reminded of that in a most unusual way at a most unusual place.

My wife Lori and I were descending the 15,355-foot-high Condor Pass in the Peruvian Andes on Wednesday, Nov. 9, when I turned to Bram — an engineer from Belgium who was part of our group and also happened to have an international phone plan — and told him I couldn’t hold out any longer.

Another layer of tint has been added to Haywood County’s changing political canvas.

Election Day results paint a picture of a red county growing redder. From Donald Trump to Brandon Rogers, Republicans were the big winners in Haywood County on Nov. 8, splashing broad strokes of red over what was once blue while also deepening rosy hues that have been so for decades.

Even though both parties appeared confident about their candidates moving into Election Day, there were a lot of white knuckles and nail biting as results started to pour in across North Carolina last Tuesday night.

Sen. Jim Davis, R-Franklin, will keep his seat in the N.C. Senate after an easy victory over Jane Hipps, D-Waynesville, who opposed him for the second election running. 

Jackson County government will flip to the Republican side once again following successful campaigns from Ron Mau and Mickey Luker, Republican candidates for county commissioner who managed to oust Democratic incumbents Vicki Greene and Mark Jones. 

Republican challenger Kenneth Parton was the top vote-getter in the Swain County Commissioners’ race and was able to unseat longtime Democratic incumbent Steve Moon. 

I feel strongly about politics. I hope — with all the hope I can muster — that Donald Trump loses this election. I have major differences with his positions regarding taxes, immigration, public schools, foreign policy and a host of other issues. I think he has stoked some of the most vile tendencies in human nature — racism, sexism, bigotry, and xenophobia, to name a few.

Thankfully, few Americans embrace those characteristics, but some who do have been emboldened by his success.

UPDATED Nov. 4 , 2016 10:11 a.m.

Third-quarter campaign finance disclosures from state candidates were due by Oct. 31, and as the state board of elections slowly posts them online, they’re also slowly revealing who’s giving, and who’s getting.

Voters in North Carolina hoping to visit the polls before the Election Day rush have just a few more days to do so, but they should be able to look forward to a short, smooth trip — especially in Haywood County. 

Haywood County Schools is at a crossroads, making this year’s crowded election for school board a pivotal one.