Election week is here, and voters will go to the polls on Nov. 4 in a handful of states to elect governors and attorneys general and decide on ballot measures.
Election Day 2025, despite that this is a political off-year in which no major federal offices are on the ballot, could have sweeping implications for the U.S. national stage moving forward.
In Virginia, a series of high-profile statewide offices are on the ballot. In New Jersey, Republicans hope to build on President Donald Trump’s gains in the state in 2024, while Democrats find themselves facing an unexpectedly tough race in the blue state.
In New York City, voters seem primed to back a self-described democratic socialist who threatens a showdown with the Trump administration and immigration enforcement.
Other races could have wide-reaching implications for future midterm and presidential elections.
Virginia Governor and Lieutenant Governor
In Virginia, voters will cast their ballots for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
Virginia’s gubernatorial race always falls at the end of the first year of a president’s term. The race is often seen as a referendum on the president’s first year in office, thanks to the state’s demographics and proximity to Washington.
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican, and former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) are running in the gubernatorial race to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who cannot run for successive terms in accordance with the state constitution.
The state has voted for Democrats over the past 20 years. Former Vice President Kamala Harris won it in the 2024 presidential election by 6 percentage points, and former President Joe Biden won it in the 2020 election by 10 percentage points.
New Jersey
Up north in New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) is running against businessman Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican.Ciattarelli ran for governor in 2021, narrowly losing to Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat.
Although historically a blue state, New Jersey came within 6 percentage points of backing Trump over Harris in 2024.
New York City Mayor
In New York City, voters will cast their ballots in a three-way mayoral race that could have far-reaching consequences for the city and beyond.Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee who describes himself as a democratic socialist, is heavily favored to win, maintaining a double-digit lead in polling since July.
He faces former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee known for wearing a red beret.
Previously, sitting New York City Mayor Eric Adams was also running for reelection as an independent, but he dropped out on Sept. 28 and backed Cuomo.
In the most recent polls, a consistent picture has emerged: Mamdani has garnered about 45 percent of the vote, compared with about 30 percent for Cuomo and roughly 15 percent for Sliwa.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
In Pennsylvania, voters will cast ballots in a race that could significantly affect national elections down the road.In the commonwealth, three members of the highest court, including Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht, are up for reelection, although they are not facing any named opponents.
Instead, voters will simply decide whether they should remain on the bench. Should the justices be retained, they would serve another 10 years.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, has called for them to be retained.
Given Pennsylvania’s swing state status, the state supreme court could play a vital role in election-related matters in the future.
Millions of dollars have been poured into the race on both sides as Republicans seek to have the justices removed from the bench.
Virginia Attorney General
The attorney general race in the commonwealth has also attracted attention. A text messaging scandal has embroiled the Democratic nominee, former state Rep. Jay Jones.Jones, who served in the Virginia House of Delegates and is running against incumbent Jason Miyares, a Republican, sent a text to a former Republican colleague stating that if he had two bullets, he would use them on Todd Gilbert, the former speaker of the House of Delegates, instead of Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot.
Jones has apologized to Gilbert.
“Let me be very clear: I am ashamed, I am embarrassed, and I am sorry,“ he said during a debate on Oct. 16. ”I am sorry to Speaker Gilbert, I am sorry to his family, and I am sorry to every single Virginian.”
Miyares said Jones is unqualified to lead.
“Jay Jones has not had the experience or the judgment to serve as the top prosecutor,” he said. “We have seen a window to who Jay Jones is and the way he thinks of people that disagree with him.”
Miyares has prioritized prosecuting violent crime, the website states.
Proposition 50 and Other Ballot Measures
Voters across multiple states will also consider key ballot measures, including several of national interest.California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading advocate of Proposition 50, has said the measure is necessary to respond to redistricting in Texas that could allow Republicans to take up to five House seats.
If approved by voters, the new maps drawn by the California Legislature would remain in effect until 2030, at which point control would be returned to the independent commission.
Ballot measures will also be considered in other states.
In Maine, voters will consider Maine Question 1, which would require voters to present a valid photo ID to vote.
In Texas, voters will be asked to vote on Proposition 16, which would require that an individual be a citizen to vote.
Voting by illegal immigrants is already outlawed in all 50 states, including by existing Texas statutes, and in federal law.
