Overview
- Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governorship by roughly 15 points over Winsome Earle-Sears, and Mikie Sherrill took New Jersey by about 13 points against Jack Ciattarelli.
- Zohran Mamdani, 34, won New York City’s mayoral race, becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor by defeating Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent.
- California voters approved Proposition 50 to redraw congressional districts in a way widely expected to improve Democrats’ odds in the 2026 U.S. House contests.
- Exit polls and post-election analyses highlighted the cost of living as the dominant issue, with independents and youth tilting toward Democrats as Republicans struggled to mobilize Trump’s 2024 coalition without him on the ballot.
- President Trump blamed GOP losses on the ongoing government shutdown and his absence from ballots, while party strategists and analysts pointed to turnout patterns and tariffs as both sides prepare for redistricting fights and the midterms.