Democrats won handily in Tuesday’s elections nationwide, with Zohran Mamdani becoming mayor of New York City and Democratic candidates emerging victorious in New Jersey and Virginia. Meanwhile, California voters overwhelmingly approved a proposal intended to allow Democrats to redistrict the state in their party’s favor. In the first elections since President Donald Trump took office again, Republicans lost decisively.
Zohran Mamdani celebrates New York City’s diversity and calls out the president in his victory speech
As expected, Mamdani defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to become the first Muslim mayor of New York City. Mamdani overcame Islamophobia, as well as fearmongering over his democratic socialist political affiliation, to win, with young voters in particular voting overwhelmingly for him. In his victory speech, Mamdani called out antisemitism and Islamophobia and declared, “We believe in standing up for those we love — whether you are an immigrant, a member of the trans community, one of the many Black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall — your struggle is ours too.”
Mamdani reiterated his pledges to lower housing costs, provide free buses and expand childcare in the city. Mamdani remained defiant against Trump, who endorsed Cuomo and threatened to cut federal funding to New York if Mamdani were elected, calling him out in his victory speech. “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up,” Mamdani said in a line that drew raucous applause from his supporters.
Democratic victories in Virginia and New Jersey despite scandals
Democrats won big in Virginia, with victories in the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general. Abigail Spanberger will become the commonwealth’s first woman governor. The former congresswoman defeated MAGA Republican and incumbent Lt. Gov Winsome Earle-Sears, who failed to secure Trump’s endorsement; meanwhile, her supporters complained that former President Barack Obama and the NAACP did not support the Republican’s bid to become the state’s first Black governor. Ghazala Hashmi became the first Muslim woman elected to a statewide office in the nation and will succeed Earle-Sears as lieutenant governor. Jay Jones weathered a text message leak scandal in which he expressed violent fantasies against a Republican rival’s family, winning the race for Virginia attorney general and becoming the first Black person chosen for that role.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, won the New Jersey governor’s race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Sherrill will become the second woman ever to lead the state. The campaign featured controversy about Sherrill’s military background; her opponents accused her of covering for cheating students while she was a student at the U.S. Naval Academy, and Sherrill accused Ciattarelli of improperly releasing her private military records. Sherrill’s campaign focused on pushing back against Trump’s agenda, which has included aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in New Jersey, as well as local issues such as lowering electricity costs.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court and California redistricting effort
In Pennsylvania, three of the state’s supreme court justices won reelection. Although the votes were nonpartisan, the three justices were supported by Democrats, and their victories maintain the 5-2 advantage that Democrats have on the court, which the justices’ campaigns framed in terms of protecting abortion and voting rights in the state.
In California, voters appear to have overwhelmingly approved Proposition 50, which would allow Democrats to redraw the state’s district lines to favor their party. The move, spearheaded by Gov. Gavin Newsom, is a direct response to partisan redistricting being conducted by Republicans in states such as Texas.
“What a night for the Democratic Party,” Newsom said about Tuesday’s victories, including the win for Proposition 50. Newsom declared the wins were “not just a victory tonight for the Democratic Party; it was a victory for the United States of America, for the people of this country and the principles that our Founding Fathers lived and died for,” as well as “a powerful message” to Donald Trump.
Overall, Tuesday’s election results amount to a massive victory for Democrats. With a limited number of races and a year before 2026’s midterm elections, Tuesday’s results are not necessarily predictive of what will happen in next year’s races. But for now, Democrats are celebrating, and both parties are trying to draw lessons from these races.