Overview
- Abigail Spanberger won Virginia’s governorship and Mikie Sherrill won New Jersey by double-digit margins, with Democrats also flipping 13 seats in Virginia’s House of Delegates and sweeping the other statewide offices.
- Zohran Mamdani, 34, was elected New York City mayor as the first Muslim to lead the nation’s largest city, running as a democratic socialist on a cost-of-living platform.
- California voters approved a congressional redistricting measure expected to improve Democrats’ odds in key House contests ahead of 2026.
- Exit polls and campaign messaging highlighted affordability as the top issue, as Democrats tied Republican opponents to Trump’s policies and the ongoing government shutdown.
- Republicans pointed to turnout gaps without Trump on the ballot, with JD Vance acknowledging mobilization challenges, while Democrats debated centrist versus progressive strategies for scaling wins next year.