Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has become the city’s first Muslim mayor and its youngest in generations. The 34-year-old state lawmaker harnessed enthusiasm and social media savvy to become a rising star in the party, but his candidacy sparked an ideological divide.
He defeated independent candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who attempted a political comeback four years after resigning in scandal.
President Donald Trump, who has long inserted himself in the politics of his hometown, followed the race closely. The president frequently dismissed Mamdani by falsely labeling him as a communist and said he would withhold funds from the city if he wins. He endorsed Cuomo on the eve of the election, bypassing Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
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The scene at Cuomo’s watch party
The crowd at Cuomo’s party has thinned somewhat as some guests head out. For everyone else, the red wine is flowing, and Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl†is playing.
At Mamdani’s watch party: ‘Not Like Us’
In the middle of the ballroom, Joanne Grill, a 62-year-old co-chair of the New York State Tenant Block, joined a group dancing in a circle to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.â€
“We beat the millionaires and billionaires — little old us, people, tenants, real working-class New Yorkers are taking this city back,†Grill said.
Manhattan prosecutor who took on Trump wins reelection
Democrat has defeated Republican Maud Maron and independent Diana Florence in the Manhattan district attorney’s race.
The Manhattan DA’s office is one of the United States’ biggest and best known local prosecutors’ agencies, featured in TV’s “Law & Order†and other entertainment.
The spotlight grew stronger when Bragg oversaw the hush-money prosecution that led to Trump’s historic .
The Republican president denied wrongdoing, called the case a “scam†and a “hoax†and slammed Bragg for bringing it. Trump is .
Bragg’s reelection run emphasized his efforts to fight gun violence, prosecute hate crimes and improve mental health services, among other priorities.
His campaign website makes little mention of Trump, and Bragg said nothing about him during an October that focused on violent crime and other local and statewide issues.
Bragg argued that his office helped drive down murders and shootings. His opponents contended that he hasn’t been tough enough on crime.
Sliwa concedes New York mayoral race, issues warning in fiery speech
The Republican candidate wished Mamdani well as New York’s new mayor but warned he will mobilize his supporters if the democratic socialist attempts to “implement socialism†and “render our police weak and impotent.’
“We’re not only organizing, but we are mobilizing and we will become the mayor-elect and his supporters’ worst enemies,†said Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, the citizen safety patrol group he started 1979.
Sliwa also told a cheering crowd that “some of the most powerful people in the world†mobilized against his candidacy. Trump urged Sliwa voters to support Cuomo to help prevent a Mamdani victory.
The scene from Mamdani’s watch party
Mamdani supporters cheered and embraced, some tearfully, in response to the race call as Bad Bunny played from the speakers. Campaign posters flew through the air as one person hoisted the official flag of New York City.
Next stop: City Hall
Shortly after the race was called for Mamdani, the social media-savvy politician’s X account of a subway train pulling up to City Hall station, with an announcement saying: “The next and last stop is: City Hall.â€
Democrat Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayor’s race
Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. He will replace Mayor Eric Adams, who dropped his reelection bid in September but remained on the ballot.
Mamdani is a self-described democratic socialist and 34-year-old state assemblymember who will be the city’s youngest mayor in over a century. He entered the general election as the favorite following a 12-point victory in the ranked choice Democratic primary earlier this year.
Mamdani’s digitally savvy campaign, which was laser-focused on cost-of-living issues, electrified New Yorkers. He drew scorn from critics including Trump.
The Associated Press declared Mamdani the winner at 9:34 p.m. EST.
Schumer calls it ‘a good night for Democrats’
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer called Tuesday’s election results “a repudiation of the Trump agenda.â€
“This was a good night for Democrats and for our fight to lower costs, improve health care and build a better future for American families,†Schumer said in a statement as Democrats won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia.
Attention will now turn to how Democrats will move forward on the ongoing government shutdown after Tuesday’s wins.
“If Republicans want to keep blindly following Donald Trump into the abyss of chaos, let them,†Schumer said. “The rest of America is moving forward.â€
Sherill thanks voters for choosing her to become NJ’s next governor
She posted a short message on X thanking voters for choosing her to become New Jersey’s next governor.
“It is the honor of my life to earn your trust to become this great state’s 57th Governor,†the Democratic candidate said. “I promise to listen, lead with courage, and never forget who I serve.â€
Democrat Mikie Sherrill is elected governor of New Jersey
Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by Trump. The race was closely watched as a potential bellwether for the 2026 midterms
She will succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, marking the first time since 1961 that one party has won three consecutive terms in the New Jersey governor’s mansion.
Sherrill, a Navy veteran who represented a northern New Jersey district in the U.S. House for four terms, will be the state’s second female governor.
The Associated Press declared Sherrill the winner at 9:22 p.m. EST.
Gov.-elect Spanberger says many more women will lead the state after her victory
Virginia’s governor-elect is embracing her place in history as she is set to be sworn in as the commonwealth’s first woman chief executive.
With her husband and three daughters standing behind her onstage, Spanberger told supporters at her victory speech, “It’s a big deal that the girls and young women I have met along the campaign trail now know this certainty that they can achieve anything.â€
She also talked about women who came before her forging a path and the belief that change and progress were possible.
“The history Virginia is making tonight is yours,†she said.
Spanberger mentioned specifically former state Attorney General Mary Sue Terry, who was the first women elected to statewide office in Virginia in the 1980s. Terry also ran unsuccessfully for governor.
Mary Sheffield wins race for Detroit mayor
The Detroit City Council president defeated Solomon Kinloch Jr. to become the first woman elected to lead the city.
Sheffield received more than 50% of the vote in August’s all-party municipal primary. The office is officially nonpartisan. Sheffield will succeed three-term incumbent Mike Duggan, who did not seek reelection.
The Associated Press declared Sheffield the winner at 9:12 p.m. EST.
New York City voters were worried about the cost of living and housing
Most voters in New York City were stressed about the cost of living — and in particular, the cost of housing, according to the .
About 6 in 10 New York City voters said the cost of living was the most important issue facing their city. About one-quarter said crime was the main problem, and about 1 in 10 said this about immigration. Less than 1 in 10 pointed to health care or transportation.
About 7 in 10 voters said the cost of housing where they live was “a major problem,†with renters being especially likely to point to this as an issue. Fewer voters called crime “a major problem†in the city.
Polls close in New Jersey
Polls have closed in New Jersey, where voters are choosing a governor to either end the Democratic control of the state or reject the Trump agenda 10 months into this Republican administration.
A judge granted a one-hour extension at some polling places after Democrats made a request for three schools that received emailed bomb threats earlier Tuesday that were later determined to be unfounded.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat in her fourth term in Congress, would become the state’s second female governor if elected. Republican opponent Jack Ciattarelli is a former state legislator backed by Trump.
Polls close in New York
Polls closed at 9 p.m. across New York City, where the high-profile contest for mayor has driven the biggest election turnout in a mayoral election in decades.
According to the city’s Board of Elections, more than 2 million people voted in the contentious race between democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. That’s the biggest turnout in a mayoral election since 1969.
Anyone in line when the polls closed will still be able to cast their ballot.
Either gubernatorial result in New Jersey would break a trend
New Jersey will break one of two trends with this election.
Voters have elected a governor from the opposite party of the sitting president in every election from 1989 to 2017 — good news for Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill. But no party has held the New Jersey governorship for more than three consecutive terms since the 1960s, which bodes well for Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli.
Supporters to gather at watch parties to await the results of New York City’s closely watched race for mayor
Both Mamdani and Cuomo are holding their election night parties at venues steeped in entertainment history.
In Brooklyn, Mamdani’s event is being held at the Brooklyn Paramount, a historic concert venue in downtown Brooklyn that first opened in 1928 as a movie palace designed for great sound. It is also known for hosting famous jazz musicians, from Duke Ellington to Ella Fitzgerald.
Cuomo is holding his event at the Ziegfeld Theater in Midtown Manhattan, steps from Radio City Music Hall. The venue is built on the site of the original Ziegfeld Theatre, home of the Ziegfeld Follies musical and dance revues.
A grand ballroom space with a long bar in the back, potato chips, pretzels and popcorn were set out for supporters.
Sliwa is holding his election watch party at a restaurant on the the heavily Democratic Upper West Side of Manhattan. Several supporters could be seen sporting red berets, a symbol of the Guardian Angels, the citizen-safety patrol group Sliwa founded in 1979.
Spanberger takes the stage at watch party
The next governor of Virginia took the stage at a watch party in Richmond as “Dog Days Are Over†by Florence and the Machine played and the crowd chanted her name.
“Tonight we sent a message,†Spanberger told the crowd.
Hashmi is the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the US
State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, of Richmond, defeated Republican talk-radio host John Reid. She will succeed Earle-Sears.
Hashmi is a former college professor who won the nomination after prevailing in a crowded June Democratic primary.
As lieutenant governor, Hashmi will preside over a closely-divided Virginia state Senate, where Democrats currently hold a slim 21-19 seat advantage. The lieutenant governor votes when there’s a tie in the Senate. Hashmi’s victory also means her Senate seat will have to be filled in a special election.
Reid was the first openly gay man to receive a major party’s endorsement for statewide office in Virginia.
Democrat Corey O’Connor wins election for mayor of Pittsburgh
The Allegheny County controller defeated Republican nominee Tony Moreno.
O’Connor defeated incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey in the Democratic primary earlier this year. He is the son of former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor.
The Associated Press declared O’Connor the winner at 8:26 p.m. EST.
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi wins lieutenant governor’s race in Virginia
Hashmi defeated Republican John Reid.
Hashmi is currently a state senator representing a district south of Richmond. Prior to that, she worked as a college professor in Virginia. She entered politics in 2019 by flipping a Republican-held state Senate seat and went to on to win a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in June.
She is the first Indian American and first Muslim to win statewide office in Virginia.
The Associated Press declared Hashmi the winner at 8:27 p.m. EST.
Most New Jersey voters called property taxes and electric costs a major problem
Most New Jersey voters said either “taxes†or “the economy†were the top issues facing the state, according to the .
Property taxes and electricity costs were among the issues that stood out. About 7 in 10 New Jersey voters called property tax rates where they live a “major problem,†and about 6 in 10 said that about electricity costs.
Only about 2 in 10 voters in New Jersey said health care was the top issue facing the state, while roughly 1 in 10 pointed to immigration and fewer named crime.
Polls close in most of New Jersey, where voters are electing their next governor
Polls have closed in most of New Jersey, except for Passaic County, where Democrats filed a lawsuit to keep them open one hour longer because of unfounded bomb threats earlier in the day.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat in her fourth term in Congress, would become the state’s second female governor if elected. Meanwhile, Jack Ciattarelli, a former state legislator backed by Trump, is trying to oust Democrats from the governor’s office.
A win for the Democrats would make this the first time in more than six decades that either major party has achieved a three-peat. Passaic County was one of several New Jersey counties subject to a bomb threat earlier Tuesday and is the lone county in the state where the Department of Justice deployed election monitors. It’s also a pivotal swing county that has favored Democrats for years but has been trending toward Republicans.
Andre Dickens wins reelection as mayor of Atlanta, earning a second term
The Atlanta mayor’s office is officially nonpartisan but has been held by Democrats for decades. Dickens won the office outright with more than 50% of the vote, defeating three challengers. Prior to taking office in 2022, Dickens served on the Atlanta City Council and as the chief development officer for a tech-based nonprofit.
The Associated Press declared Dickens the winner at 8:13 p.m.
Democrat Aftab Pureval wins reelection as Cincinnati mayor
Pureval won reelection as mayor of Cincinnati on Tuesday, defeating Cory Bowman, a Republican who is Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother.
Pureval was first elected mayor in 2021. The office is officially nonpartisan, but his party preference is Democratic.
He won the all-party municipal primary in May with more than 80% of the vote. Prior to running for mayor, he worked as a lawyer.
The Associated Press declared Pureval the winner at 8:13 p.m.
Polls have closed in Maine and Texas
Voters in the two states are deciding on new voting proposals that proponents say would strengthen election security and opponents decry as unnecessary.
The proposal in Texas is fairly simple: It would amend the Texas Constitution to add “persons who are not citizens of the United States†to the list of those excluded from participating in elections.
Maine’s proposal centers on requiring a photo ID to vote, but it is far more sweeping. The Republican-backed initiative also would limit the use of drop boxes for returning completed ballots and make several changes to the state’s absentee voting system, including eliminating two days of absentee voting and ending ongoing absentee voter status for seniors and people with disabilities.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger is elected Virginia governor
won the governor’s race in Virginia on Tuesday, defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. Spanberger will succeed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is not allowed to run for a second consecutive term.
Her victory aligns with recent voting patterns in Virginia, which picks its governors the year after a presidential election and tends to elect someone of the opposite party of the president. Spanberger, a former case officer with the CIA, flipped a U.S. House seat in Northern Virginia in 2018 and retired from Congress in 2024 to run for governor. She will be the state’s first female governor.
Democrats sue to keep polls open in a New Jersey county after unfounded bomb threats
The Passaic County Democratic Party filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court on Tuesday seeking to keep the polls open for an extra hour because of unfounded bomb threats earlier in the day.
The party is asking to extend poll closings in Passaic County until 9 p.m. There are about 340,000 registered voters in the key swing county. A court hearing is expected imminently.
Passaic County received three threats and redirected some affected voters to other locations early Tuesday, county spokesperson Lindsay Reed said in an email. One location, a school building, was cleared and voting resumed.
Passaic is the only county outside California where the Department of Justice .
Many Virginia voters were hit by federal cuts and are worried about the economy
About half of Virginia voters said “the economy†was the most important issue facing their state in the , an survey of more than 4,000 voters in the state.
Federal government cuts seemed to be taking a toll: Roughly 6 in 10 voters said federal government cuts this year affected their family’s finances “a lot†or “a little.†Only about 2 in 10 Virginia voters pointed to health care as the state’s top issue. About 1 in 10 named immigration or education, and fewer said crime was the top issue facing Virginia.
Voters in Virginia also expressed broad dissatisfaction with the country’s direction generally, with about 6 in 10 saying they were “angry†or “dissatisfied†with the way things are going in the country.
Economy dominated other issues in 2025 elections, AP poll finds
Economic worries were the dominant concern as voters cast ballots for Tuesday’s elections, according to preliminary findings from the AP Voter Poll.
The results of the expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggest they are troubled by an economy that seems trapped by higher prices and fewer job opportunities.
The economic challenges have played out in different ways at the local level. Most New Jersey voters said property taxes were a “major problem,†while most New York City voters said this about the cost of housing. Most Virginia voters said they’ve felt at least some impact from the recent federal government cuts.
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Judge in New Jersey orders elections officials to notify voters of deficient mail-ballots
A judge in Bergen County, New Jersey, has ordered local election officials to notify voters whose mail-in ballots were deficient that their ballot won’t be counted so they could cast a provisional ballot.
The court order says nearly 500 mail-in ballots were set aside by the Bergen County Board of Elections, and that elections commissioners should consider whether any or all of them will be subject to a process to cure any deficiency.
New Jersey Democrats on Monday filed a lawsuit against election officials over the ballots that were returned without an inner security envelope. New Jersey State Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones said, “We should always strive to ensure that every vote is counted.â€
New Jersey Republicans intervened in the case. The Republican ºÃÉ«tv Committee said it supports the state party. ºÃÉ«tv Committee Chairman Joe Gruters said New Jersey law is clear that unsealed or tampered ballots can’t be counted.
NYC’s outgoing mayor warns voters not to mess things up
New York City Mayor Eric Adams told reporters he cast his ballot for Cuomo, telling voters not to screw up the city by electing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
“The only message I can give to New Yorkers as I go to the next leg of my journey: I’m leaving you a good city,†don’t mess it up, he said, using an expletive.
Adams abandoned his own reelection campaign earlier this year after failing to politically recover from his now-dismissed federal corruption case. He endorsed Cuomo last month.
A Trump supporter says he still cast his ballot for Sliwa despite president’s call to vote for Cuomo
Damian Koszalka, a carpenter from Queens, says he knew Trump wanted supporters of Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa to back Cuomo. But Koszalka wasn’t swayed, saying, “You have to go with your own guts.â€
“I don’t give a damn, you know, if Trump or whoever, is telling me I have to vote for this guy because that’s the less evil, or this and that,†he said after casting his ballot. “It doesn’t work that way.â€
Trump reluctantly endorsed Cuomo on the eve of the election, saying Mamdani would bring “disaster†to the city.
Koszalka voted for Sliwa in 2021 when he ran for mayor that year. Koszalka says Sliwa, the creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group, is the only candidate on the ballot this year who “actually did something for the city,†referring to Cuomo and Mamdani as “parasites.â€
FACT CHECK: Why some candidates appear multiple times on NYC’s ballot
For many years, New York voters have found candidates listed twice, three times or even more on their ballots when they go to the polling booth.
It isn’t an error — it’s a practice known as fusion voting that allows candidates to appear under multiple political parties if they are nominated by multiple parties.
But such intentional duplications on the New York City ballot this year, along with other layout choices, have some outside observers around the country wondering whether they are seeing evidence of rigged voting, including billionaire X owner Elon Musk.
“The New York City ballot form is a scam!†he wrote in an X post. “No ID is required. Other mayoral candidates appear twice. Cuomo’s name is last in bottom right.â€
But there is nothing amiss about the ballots, which are in keeping with New York’s voting laws.
Fusion voting “occurs pretty frequently and it enables the Democratic candidate to get the votes of people who don’t normally vote for Democrats and Republicans to get the vote of people who don’t vote Republican etc.,†said Richard Briffault, an expert on election administration and a professor at Columbia Law School.
Cuomo is in the eighth spot because he filed to run as an independent later in the process.
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Houston voters say they are frustrated they’ve been without a voice in the US House for 8 months
Voters are only deciding on Tuesday who will be Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner’s successor after the former Houston mayor died in March, just weeks into his first term.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he set the election for November out of concern for what he described as Harris County’s history of election problems. Democrats accused Abbott, a Republican, of keeping the seat empty to help the GOP maintain their thin House majority.
District resident Jose Saucedo said not having representation has worried him.
“The lack of leadership is concerning,†the 54-year-old design professor said. “I hope that we can get a very strong leader for us, to represent us all.â€
Sixteen candidates are running in the district. If no candidate reaches 50% of the vote, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff.
Schumer stays out of the NYC mayor’s race
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday declined to say who he voted for in New York City’s mayoral election, telling reporters only, “I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City.â€
The powerful New York Democrat has largely stayed out of the contentious race to lead America’s biggest city, choosing not to endorse Mamdani or Cuomo.
Mamdani has slowly picked up a slew of endorsements from many of the state’s Democratic leaders, including House Minority Leader and Gov.
Jack Ciattarelli says New Jersey needs to be more affordable and bring back plastic bags
The Republican candidate for New Jersey governor touted his plans to make living in the state more affordable during talks with voters and Fox News at a diner in Succasunna on Tuesday morning. Those plans include tax cuts made possible by government spending cuts, a new school funding formula that he said would lower property taxes and lowering electric rates by pulling out of a multistate environmental compact.
“We have an affordability crisis in New Jersey, and I can address that on Day One,†he said.
He also pledged to bring back single-use plastic bags that were banned in the state in 2022. “I say plastic, you say bag,†he told the diner crowd.
Mikie Sherrill, his Democratic opponent, agreed that affordability is a top issue in the state. After voting in the morning in Montclair, she told reporters that the Trump administration was to blame for many of the cost increases hurting consumers because of tariffs and other policies.
California officials encourage voters to cast ballots after Trump claims fraud
California’s Democratic officials were reassuring voters Tuesday after Trump said the state’s elections process is rigged.
The sole item on the state’s special election ballot is a championed by Gov. Gavin Newsom after Trump pushed GOP-controlled states to redraw congressional lines before next year’s midterm elections.
In a post Tuesday on his social media platform, the president called the initiative a “GIANT SCAM.†He said the election was “RIGGED†and warned it was “under very serious legal and criminal review.â€
The Trump administration sent election monitors to five counties in California, a state Trump lost three times. He’s often criticized the state’s practice of sending all registered voters a mail ballot, despite no evidence of any widespread fraud or other voting-related problems.
Newsom’s office quickly responded with their own social media post, criticizing the president for “spreading false information.†They later posted a cartoon image of Trump crying and said he was “whining about California.â€
California’s top election official, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, called it “another baseless claim†and said California voters should not be deterred from exercising their right to vote.
New York City residents share their views after voting
After casting her ballot in the South Bronx, Leyla Ba, a 52-year-old assistant day care teacher, said she opted for Mamdani because housing and the cost of living were most important to her. She said those issues are more pressing than they were five or so years ago.
“It seemed easier back then — things were a little cheaper, a little more accessible,†Ba said.
On the swanky Upper East Side of Manhattan, Dr. Sam Schwarz, a 57-year-old physician who described himself as a “mostly conservative†independent, said he voted for Cuomo. Although he sees Sliwa as “a very good man,†he didn’t think the Republican had any chance of winning. And he faulted Mamdani for having “zero experience.â€
Schwarz said safety is the city’s No. 1 issue and he believed Cuomo would be the better mayor.
Some voters in a Sacramento suburb say California’s redistricting effort is unfair
Republicans in Roseville said they were concerned the city represented in the House by GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley could flip under Democrats’ plan to redraw congressional districts in California.
Lee Sander, a veteran, said he was voting against Proposition 50 because voters already approved an independent redistricting commission to draw the state’s congressional lines every 10 years. California shouldn’t redraw its lines just because Texas has, he said.
“That’s what this is all about is, ‘Oh let’s get Trump, let’s get Texas for being bad,’†he said outside the Roseville Veterans Memorial Hall, a polling station. “Each state should do their own thing. That’s what we’re supposed to do.â€
But Martin Ellison, who isn’t registered with a political party, voted for the measure.
“I hate Trump, and he’s trying to fix the election coming up,†he said.
Maine voting on proposed red flag gun law inspired by mass shooting that killed 18
Two years after the deadliest mass shooting in state history, Maine residents are voting on whether to make it easier for family members to petition a court to restrict a potentially dangerous person’s access to guns.
A statewide ballot question Tuesday asks residents if they want to build on the state’s yellow flag law, which allows police officers to initiate a process to keep someone away from firearms. Approval would add Maine to more than 20 states that have a red flag law empowering family members to take the same step.
Gun safety advocates began pushing for a stricter red flag law after 18 people were killed when an Army reservist opened fire at a bowling alley and a bar and grill in Lewiston in October 2023. An independent commission appointed by Maine’s governor later concluded that there were numerous by both Army officials and civilian law enforcement.
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A test for the Trump realignment
While Trump lost Virginia and New Jersey last fall, there were significant shifts to the right in both states. In New Jersey, Trump’s 16-percentage-point loss in 2020 shrank to less than 6 percentage points in 2024.
Those shifts were fueled by Trump’s increasing popularity among traditional Democratic loyalists: labor union members, Black men, Hispanic voters and younger people. Democrats are particularly vulnerable in New Jersey, which has among the largest percentage of labor union households in the nation.
If those pro-Trump trends continue this week, Democrats could be in trouble.
But Trump isn’t on the ballot, of course. And the Trump coalition — especially lower-propensity voters — hasn’t typically shown up in the same numbers in nonpresidential years.
A referendum on Trump
The president didn’t set foot in Virginia or New Jersey to campaign with Republican gubernatorial candidates Winsome Earle-Sears or Jack Ciattarelli, but both contests will likely be viewed as a referendum on Trump’s job so far.
The president endorsed Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s governor’s race but held only a pair of tele-town halls on his behalf, including . Trump also did a Monday night tele-town hall for Virginia Republican candidates, but he didn’t mention Earle-Sears, speaking mostly in favor of the GOP candidate for attorney general.
Earlier in the campaign, Trump gave Earle-Sears only a half-hearted endorsement, saying he supported the GOP candidate for governor though he didn’t use her name. Earle-Sears was nonetheless a fierce defender of Trump and his policies, just as Ciattarelli was in New Jersey.
A special election for a Texas congressional district
The seat in the 18th Congressional District has been vacant since the death of Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner in March. Turner was only months into his first term after serving as Houston’s mayor.
Sixteen candidates are on the ballot in the heavily Democratic district. The biggest names include Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards, a former Houston City Council member. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the vote Tuesday, there will be a runoff.
Democrats accused Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of delaying the special election after Turner’s death to protect the GOP’s slim majority. Abbott has said Harris County officials needed more time to prepare for the election.
Confusion has lingered because many of the district’s residents will vote in a different district next year under a redrawn map demanded by Trump in an effort to increase the number of GOP seats.
