Democrats won a series of races in predominantly blue states on Nov. 4 during an off-year election marked by a government shutdown, a Democratic mayoral showdown, and controversial redistricting efforts.
The biggest news is the strong voter turnout that put relative newcomer and self-described democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani into the mayor’s office in New York City. He defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who ran as an independent.
Democrats Won Big in Key Races
In gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), respectively, prevailed with double-digit margins.
NEW YORK—Richard Chow, 65, isn’t worried about New York’s new mayor being of the Muslim faith.
He said he believes Zohran Mamdani will help struggling New Yorkers regardless of religion.
MINNEAPOLIS—A throng of supporters for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey jammed into a trendy hangout called Jefe Urban Cocina to await election results.
At least two dozen news reporters stood ready to hear from the candidate, as a microphone was set up on a small platform. Chatter from supporters was so loud that people had to shout to be heard.
The crowd erupted into cheers as Zohran Mamdani made his entrance at a victory party after defeating former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 mayoral election.
“The sun may have set over our city this evening, but as Eugene Debs once said, ‘I can see the dawn of a better day for humanity,’” Mamdani said, referring to the socialist writer who ran for president multiple times in the early 20th century.
NEW YORK—Hundreds of Zohran Mamdani’s supporters gathered at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater for the 34-year-old state assemblyman’s mayoral victory party.
He will not only be the first Muslim to lead the Big Apple, but also the first Democratic Socialist and the first East Indian American.
Republican Jack Ciattarelli conceded the race for New Jersey’s governorship, expressing pride in his team’s effort, message, and empathetic roots to the middle and working classes.
“I will analyze over the next 24, 48, 72 hours—over the next week, over the next month—what we could have done differently,” he said. “But having said that, I stand before you right now, proud of all of you for what you did for this campaign, proud of what my team did on behalf of this campaign, and I'm proud of my effort going out there each and every day.”
Texas voters approved key constitutional amendments that ban noncitizens from voting and codify parental rights.
The two propositions—16, 15—were part of 17 ballot measures to change the Texas Constitution that voters considered on Nov. 4.
PITTSBURGH—Pennsylvania voters have decided to retain three of their state Supreme Court justices for another decade, after an unusually contentious judicial election season.
Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht—three of the five Democrats on Pennsylvania’s seven-member Supreme Court—faced regular judicial retention elections on Nov. 4.
MINNEAPOLIS—A throng of supporters for Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey jammed into a trendy hangout called Jefe Urban Cocina to await election results.
At least two dozen news reporters stood ready to hear from the candidate, as a microphone was set up on a small platform. Chatter from supporters was so loud that people had to shout to be heard.
LEESBURG, Va.—Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears has conceded the Virginia gubernatorial election to former Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
“I wanted to wait until every single ballot was cast,” said Earle-Seard. “We understand that victory to the Lord looks a lot different than what we think of as victory.
CINCINNATI, Ohio—Aftab Pureval, Cincinnati’s incumbent Democratic mayor who has faced criticism as violent crime has mounted in the city, was elected to a second term on Nov. 4.
The Associated Press called the race at 8:13 p.m. ET. Pureval secured 82 percent of the vote compared to 18 percent for Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman, Vice President JD Vance’s younger half-brother.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) has been elected the next governor of Virginia, The Associated Press projected at 7:59 p.m. ET.
She defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, aligning with pollsters’ predictions for the race.
CINCINNATI—Polls have closed in Ohio, and Cincinnati Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman awaits the results at a watch party in a historic event venue across from his coffee shop on the city’s west side.
Democratic incumbent Mayor Aftab Pureval is hosting a watch party across town.
President Donald Trump's approval rating among voters casting ballots in the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races is underwater, NBC News exit polling data show.
In New Jersey, 55 percent disapprove of Trump's performance as president. Likewise, in Virginia, 56 percent disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job in the Oval Office.
In Southern Virginia, in areas that traditionally lean more Republican, Democratic Party volunteers and poll workers told The Epoch Times that turnout among their voters was high, and they were confident in good results for their party.
“It's [been] significant,” volunteer Nancy Brown told The Epoch Times. Brown was handing out sample ballots—which instructed Democrats how to vote in all races on a ballot—at Galilee Episcopal Church, a voting precinct in Virginia Beach.
MANASSAS, Va.—Virginia could end up with a split ticket where former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, wins the gubernatorial race and Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares wins re-election.
Some voters split their ballot by voting for Spanberger and Miyares.
NEW YORK CITY—A 91-year-old voter shared the issues she cares about the most in making her decision on the ballot Tuesday. Manhattan resident Sheila Byrne declined to reveal who she voted for but said money is a key issue.
“The mayor is the ruler of our city, and what goes with the mayor goes for the whole city,” Byrne told The Epoch Times. “There were a few good talkers.”
SACRAMENTO, Calif.—Hundreds of voters streamed into the California Museum near the state's Capitol building in the early morning hours of Nov. 4 to cast their ballots and decide on a redistricting plan known as Proposition 50.
“It's a good plan,” Michael Downs of San Diego told The Epoch Times after voting. “I'm here to support it.”
Proposition 50 redistricting plan at the California Museum in Sacramento. Travis Gillmore/The Epoch Times
LEESBURG, Va.—Marcelo Lorenzo, who works in the power generating industry, said he split his ballot. While he did not say who he voted for, he said data centers were a big issue for him.
“What I see is a world that's growing very rapidly, a world that we want to be part of for national security, but a world that, if we don't control and manage the growth of it and how it's done and what impact it has on the rate payers like us, it could grossly come out of proportion, and it could be hurting us, right?” Lorenzo said.
MINNEAPOLIS—Zamar Moore, 29, is struggling to find work, but he supports Mayor Jacob Frey and 4th Ward council candidate LaTrisha Vetaw because he is confident their policies will improve economic conditions for people like him.
“Right now, it’s really, really hard,” Moore, who said he is living in an addiction-recovery sober house, told The Epoch Times.
EDISON, N.J.— Dennis and Maggie Chekenian were alone when they cast their ballots at Edison High School before 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Across much of New Jersey, while turnout for the election may be robust, few are waiting in long lines to get into a polling booth.
“I always vote, every election, without fail, no matter what,” Dennis Chekenian said.
HOUSTON—People arrived by car, foot, and shuttle to cast their vote at one of the busiest polling sites in Houston's trendy Montrose district.
Campaign workers passed out literature as an Election Day “cheerleader” dressed in red, white, and blue encouraged voters. Some wore clothing with slogans such as “Abolish ICE,” referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
NEW YORK—Nuah Bhukari, 40, said he wasn’t surprised when President Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo for mayor of New York City on the eve of Election Day. She expected it.
“We always knew Trump would endorse him,” Bhukari told The Epoch Times.
NEW YORK—In the 56 years Cathleen Studva, 79, has lived in New York, she said this mayoral campaign is the most aggressive she’s seen. She has been overwhelmed with campaign TV commercials.
“One TV commercial after another after another,” Studva told the Epoch Times.
MINNEAPOLIS—While other parts of the city were low key on Election Day, supporters of Mayor Jacob Frey clustered on a street corner near a polling venue in Ward 13, in the city’s southwest quadrant.
The group smiled and waved placards at passersby, many of whom tooted their vehicles’ horns and gave a thumbs up in response.
NEW YORK CITY—Originally from Taiwan, Huihsuan Tsai thinks that if voters elect a socialist mayor in New York City, it will provide inspiration for future elections nationwide.
The 40-year-old cast her vote for Zohran Mamdani at PS 163 on West 97 Street in Manhattan.
ASHBURN, Va.—Two voters told The Epoch Times why they voted for the Democratic ticket.
Abdullah Jan said treatment of minorities and immigration were key issues for him.
“The Democrats, they have democratic values. They treat everyone equally, and there is no discrimination on race, religion, any basis,” he said.
ASHBURN, Va.—A couple who cast a ballot at George Washington University’s Virginia campus in Loudon County, in the northern part of the state, explained why they voted Republican.
Ross and Ruth Rockenbaugh said that the GOP ticket would protect women from men being in their spaces.
NEW YORK—Part of the job of the next New York City mayor will be to handle President Donald Trump, according to New York City resident Steve Fajen, who believes the mayoral election is a matter of youth versus experience.
“Just look at Chicago,” Fajen told The Epoch Times after he voted at PS 163 on West 97 Street in Manhattan.
NORFOLK, Va.—Voters in Virginia have reported affordability as their top issue heading into the polls.
“We have got to get prices for basic living back down to a reasonable rate. It shouldn't just be the 1 percent being able to reap the benefits of all of those great things this country has to offer. State and local government has to work to make sure people are comfortable,” Charles Rigney, a restaurant manager in Norfolk who voted for Democrats, told The Epoch Times.
CINCINNATI—An iconic Cincinnati diner that serves up a staple food in Ohio’s third-largest city has been a staging point throughout Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman’s campaign.
Price Hill Chili was founded in 1962 by Sam Beltsos and his father-in-law. Like many Greek immigrants across Cincinnati, Beltsos shared his favorite dishes with the community. Beltsos died on June 1 at the age of 88. His son, Steve Beltsos, carries on the restaurant’s tradition.
TOMS RIVER, N.J.—Virginia and New Jersey are in the spotlight with what the national media calls “off-year” state assembly and gubernatorial elections, but that’s not how Dave Parker sees it.
There’s no such thing as an “off-year” election, he said after casting his ballot at Toms River Elks Lodge 175.
NEW YORK CITY—As a property owner in Manhattan, one of Mary Wagman’s key issues in the mayoral election is real estate.
“I’m unclear as to real estate’s future,” Wagman, 50, said after voting at The New School on 12th Street in Manhattan.
Multiple threats were made against polling sites across New Jersey on Election Day on Tuesday, state officials said, prompting multiple polling areas to be temporarily closed.
NEW YORK CITY—Emily Rhodes, 25, said she was drawn to vote because of key issues such as housing for all, and the tight mayoral race between Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo. She was unaffected by Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Cuomo.
“I think Mamdani is better for the city,” Rhodes said after voting at The New School on 12th St. in Manhattan.
NEW YORK—Michael San Giovani, 60, hopes his vote for Zohran Mamdani and whatever happens with the election today will inspire others across the United States.
“I hope he cleans up the city and the issues we have had over the last four years and even prior to Mayor Adams and hopefully Zohran will just unify us again and make us feel good about living in the U.S. and give us hope for the future,” San Giovani said after voting at The New School on 5th Avenue and 12th Street in Manhattan.
HOUSTON—People walked briskly into polling venues to cast a vote before work on 17 propositions to amend the Texas Constitution and determine who will win the Congressional District 18 seat left vacant since U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner died in office this year.
Many in this Democratic stronghold were hesitant to talk about their vote.
But at MacGregor Elementary School, Phil Yeh stopped long enough to chat.
NEW YORK—Grant Everett, 30, is new to the city and thought it was funny that President Donald Trump endorsed Andrew Cuomo, the independent candidate for New York mayor, at the last minute.
“It’s become a national stage election,” Everett told The Epoch Times after he cast his vote at The New School on 5th Avenue and 12th Street in Manhattan.
MINNEAPOLIS—At around 8 a.m. Central Time on Election Day, Somali immigrants go in and out of Heltzer Manor Highrise, an apartment building in Ward 6, but few voters appeared to be among them. Some people whom The Epoch Times approached for comment indicated they didn’t speak English.
But one young woman, who identified herself as Hannah, spoke to The Epoch Times about her vote in the mayoral election, which pits incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey against state Sen. Omar Fateh and 13 other candidates.
SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J.—Rich Sasso’s priority is the municipal elections as he heads into the Seaside Heights Community Center to vote.
“I’d like to see change in upholding the law,” he said. “There’s no accountability. We got crushed, all along the shore, on Memorial Day, with rampant chaos.”
FAIRFAX, Va.—Mary Gallagher said that she voted for the Democratic ticket.
“I can't stand what's going on with the Republican Party,” she said, citing that she disagrees with all of the GOP’s policies, such as those concerning women.
Speaking about the texting scandal surrounding Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for attorney general, Gallagher said that “compared to everything else that's going on, it’s nothing.”
FAIRFAX, Va.—Brin Pevarnik said at Fairfax High School that he voted for incumbent Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, given the texting scandal surrounding Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee.
Jones sent a text to a former GOP colleague from the House of Delegates in 2022 saying, “Three people two bullets ... Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot ... Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” referring to former Virginia House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert.
CINCINNATI—The subject of violent crime is front and center in the Cincinnati mayoral election. Cory Bowman, Vice President JD Vance’s younger half-brother, is trying to unseat incumbent Democratic mayor Aftab Pureval and become the first Republican mayor in Ohio’s third-largest city since the late 1970s.
As he joined former NAACP president and former vice mayor Christopher Smitherman outside the Sayler Park Community Center poll on Election Day morning, Bowman told The Epoch Times about an incident on Nov. 3 outside his coffee shop.
MINNEAPOLIS—As polls opened at 7 a.m. Central Time in Minneapolis, workers put out a large American flag and signage to direct voters to Augsburg University's Christensen Center to cast their ballots. But there was no line of people waiting to get inside—a possible harbinger of a low-turnout election.
The lone voter whom The Epoch Times encountered as the polling site was opening, a man named Dan, said he was coming out to support “the progressive agenda.”
CINCINNATI—Kristin Szotkowski is an executive assistant for an insurance company in downtown Cincinnati. She is so afraid of the crime downtown that when she leaves work, she heads straight home to Sayler Park, a neighborhood a few miles away near the Ohio River.
On Election Day morning, Szotkowski talked to The Epoch Times moments after casting her vote for Republican mayoral candidate Cory Bowman at the Sayler Park Community Center.
Americans in states and localities across the country will head to the polls today to cast their vote for a variety of candidates, positions, and ballot measures.
Though Election Day 2025 is an off-year for federal politics, some of the races today could have wide-reaching effects on both future midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election.
Crucially, these are the first major elections since President Donald Trump took office—and results could be influenced by and reflect voters’ sentiments as Trump nears one year back in office.
On Nov. 4, elections will be held in New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and California for a variety of public offices and referenda. Political observers have closely watched the races, which may be indicative of the country’s mood nearly 11 months into President Donald Trump’s second term.
New York
In New York City, voters will be voting on a variety of local offices, though one among them—the mayoral election—has attracted outsized international attention. Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, since his upset victory in the Democratic Primary on June 24, has been leading the polls.
Nov. 4 is election day in Virginia, and citizens of that state will vote to elect their governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and the lower house of the General Assembly.
The gubernatorial election will see Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, a former U.S. representative for the state, going up against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee.
Polls have shown Spanberger with wide leads over Earle-Sears, and she is generally expected to win the election.
NEPTUNE CITY, New Jersey—It’s Deja vu all over again, but this time, “everything is different,” Alene Stewart said as she hoisted a red “It’s Time” sign heralding Jack Ciattarelli’s succinct campaign slogan.
This time, she said, Ciattarelli “started early” with his gubernatorial campaign and has a united Republican Party behind him, unlike 2021 when he lost to incumbent Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy by 3 percentage points after surviving a GOP primary rock fight.
This time, she said, he’s “answered every question” a New Jersey voter could ask of someone running for governor.
As final undecided voters make up their minds to cast their ballot for New York City’s next mayor, margins seem to be tightening on the eve of Election Day, with Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani maintaining a lead and his opponents making a last-ditch effort to consolidate support behind former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The race is among the nation’s most-watched on Election Day 2025, as a victory for democratic socialist Mamdani would represent a significant political win for the Democratic Party’s left flank.
For months, Mamdani has been projected in polling to be on track for a double-digit win, and these polling numbers have held in the final stretch of the race.
Opinions are split across the state, prospective voters told The Epoch Times in the days before the Nov. 5 election.
“I’m opposed to gerrymandering, in general,” William Brown, a retiree living in Marin County, said. “This is not good for Californians.”
President Donald Trump on Monday urged voters to vote for Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race to prevent Zohran Mamdani—a self-described democratic socialist—from becoming the next mayor of the nation’s largest city.
Mamdani, the Democratic Party nominee, was leading in polls on the eve of election day. He was heavily favored to become the next mayor.
Mayoral races in two major cities—Minneapolis and New York City—are spotlighting the growing influence of democratic socialists in America.
Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh is among more than a dozen candidates challenging Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, a two-term Democrat who has been in office since 2018.