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Democrats Sweep Off-Year Races as Cost-of-Living Message Lands

Voters cited affordability as the top concern, giving Democrats a morale boost heading into 2026.

Overview

  • Democrats won New York City’s mayoralty with Zohran Mamdani and captured the Virginia and New Jersey governorships with Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, each by double-digit margins.
  • California voters approved Proposition 50 to redraw congressional districts in a way expected by analysts to improve Democrats’ prospects for winning U.S. House seats next year.
  • Exit polls and campaign messaging pointed to cost-of-living and economic pressures as the dominant issues that drove voter choices across the marquee contests.
  • President Trump attributed Republican losses to the ongoing federal shutdown and his absence from ballots, while pressing Senate Republicans to end the filibuster as party strategists assessed turnout problems.
  • Republicans moved to make Mamdani a national foil with new NRCC ads, even as analysts cautioned the Democratic sweep came largely in blue-leaning terrain and does not guarantee similar results in the 2026 midterms.