Overview
- Zahran Mmdani won New York City’s mayoral race, defeating Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa, and will become the city’s first Muslim mayor when he takes office on January 1, according to reported results.
- Democrats Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey won their gubernatorial contests, giving the party control of two key governorships.
- Mmdani, a 34-year-old progressive focused on cost-of-living issues, faced sharp attacks from President Trump, who had threatened to cut federal funding to New York City if he won.
- Israel’s diaspora affairs minister Amichai Chikli criticized Mmdani as “pro‑Hamas” and urged New York’s Jewish community to consider moving to Israel following the result.
- The federal government shutdown reached day 36, the longest on record, with Trump citing it as a factor in Republican losses as voters prioritized affordability concerns in exit polling.