Overview
- Zohran Mamdani was elected New York City mayor, becoming the city’s first Muslim and first Indian-American mayor after a campaign centered on affordability.
- Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey won governorships by double-digit margins, outperforming Democrats’ 2024 results in their states.
- California voters approved Proposition 50 to redraw congressional districts, a Newsom-backed measure expected to improve Democrats’ odds in the 2026 House fight.
- Exit polls showed a significant share of voters were motivated by opposition to President Donald Trump, and Republicans cautioned the party struggles to mobilize his coalition when he is not on the ballot.
- Trump and GOP leaders cited the record-length government shutdown as a drag on Republican turnout, with Trump also urging Senate Republicans to end the filibuster as the party rethinks strategy for 2026.