Millions of Americans have cast their votes, and Democrats have claimed victory in multiple closely watched races. In Virginia and New Jersey, voters went to the polls to pick their next governor, and voters in the nation’s largest city selected who they want to be the next mayor of New York City.
Virginia flips control of governorship
In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to become the next governor of Virginia, according to projections. The former congresswoman and CIA agent will become the first woman to lead the commonwealth.
Spanberger positioned herself as an adversary of the Trump administration, focusing her campaign on the impact of Trump’s downsizing on federal workers and on lowering the cost of living for Virginians. Earle-Sears also campaigned to lower the state’s cost of living while improving its education and police force. The Republican lieutenant governor also said she’d fight for “common-sense tax cuts.”
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Current Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, was not allowed to run for a second consecutive term.
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi is also projected to become the next lieutenant governor, flipping the office from red to blue. Hashmi becomes the first Muslim woman to win a statewide election.
Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral race
Democratic nominee and state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is projected to become the next New York City mayor. Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, ran on reducing the cost of living in New York while taxing corporations and the wealthy, improving public safety and “Trump-proofing” the city, according to his campaign website.
Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who previously ran as a Democrat but lost in the primary to Mamdani, ran as an independent. His campaign focused on improving the city’s public school system, increasing affordability and addressing both public and subway safety throughout the city.
Republican nominee and Guardian Angel founder Curtis Sliwa campaigned on improving transit safety, reforming the city’s infamous jail on Rikers Island, making housing affordable and bolstering economic opportunities, according to his campaign website.
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Gubernatorial, mayoral and other races on Tuesday, Nov. 4, affect more than 41 million Americans.
Current Mayor Eric Adams was elected four years ago as a Democrat. He ran for reelection as an independent and ended his campaign in September, but he remained on the ballot because he missed the deadline to have his name removed.
Democrat projected to win governor’s race in New Jersey
Former U.S. Navy pilot and current U.S. representative Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat, is projected to win the state gubernatorial race against Jack Ciattarelli, a business owner and former state assemblyman. Both campaigned on making the state more affordable and cutting energy costs.
Trump endorsed Ciattarelli, while former President Barack Obama endorsed Sherrill. Current Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, was term-limited and unable to seek reelection.
Virginia voters decide next attorney general
In a separate race, Democrat Jay Jones, a former state legislator and attorney, is projected to become Virginia’s next attorney general. He defeated current Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican seeking a second term.
Miyares, the son of a Cuban immigrant, was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates before he was elected attorney general in 2021, according to his campaign website. He focused his campaign on his public safety record and prosecutorial reform, and he also received President Donald Trump’s endorsement before Election Day.
Jones’ campaign website said he ran to protect abortion and civil rights, ensure a fair justice system, hold corporations responsible for breaking rules and shield Virginia from the Trump administration. His campaign faced a setback following comments about shooting a Republican colleague resurfaced in early October, later describing the words he used as “abhorrent,” even though he did not drop out of the race.
Californians to decide on Proposition 50
Millions of California voters will make their voices heard on whether to support a measure supported by Gov. Gavin Newsom to increase the Democratic Party’s representation in Congress. Proposition 50 would enact new House of Representatives districts that would likely add five more Democrats to California’s congressional delegation.
State lawmakers put Proposition 50 on the ballot in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas, designed to give Republicans an advantage in five congressional districts currently represented by Democrats.
If voters approve the measure, the Democrats’ map would go into effect for the 2026 midterm elections and remain in place until after the 2030 Census.
