The elections, which in practice have lasted for over a week thanks to the possibility of early voting, are the first electoral test of Donald Trump's second term. The campaign was full of controversy and intrigue, and was also influenced by the US president, who repeatedly called Mamdani a communist and threatened to cut off some federal funds for the metropolis if he won.
Zohran Mamdani wins the New York mayoral election
34-year-old Zohran Mamdani, a politician who describes himself as a democratic socialist, will be the first Muslim to head the authorities of America's largest city. He was the clear favorite in the polls and defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican social activist with Polish roots, Curtis Sliwa.
Zohran MamdaniPAP/EPA/SARAH YENESEL
The result marks a return to Democratic rule after the four-year term of Republican Glenn Youngkin, who was unable to run again due to constitutional restrictions. In 2021, the Republican's victory was a surprise, which was interpreted as the first harbinger of Joe Biden's electoral problems.
The article continues below the video
Who won the New York mayoral election?
What were the election results in Virginia?
Has Mikie Sherrill been ahead in the polls?
What were Donald Trump's reactions after the election results were announced?
Abigail Spanberger won the election for Governor of Virginia
The AP declared Spanberger the winner of the race less than 20 minutes after the polls closed, indicating that the Democrat won by a significant margin over the incumbent lieutenant governor, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. The result is consistent with pre-election polls, which gave Spanberger an almost 10-point advantage. The former congresswoman and CIA officer will be the first woman in this role in the state's history.
Abigail SpanbergerYuliia Ovsyannikova / PAP
The result marks a return to Democratic rule after the four-year term of Republican Glenn Youngkin, who was unable to run again due to constitutional restrictions. In 2021, the Republican's victory was a surprise, which was interpreted as the first harbinger of Joe Biden's electoral problems.
Mikie Sherrill won the election for Governor of New Jersey
Decision Desk HQ announced Sherrill's victory based on partial results less than 15 minutes after voting ended. This is a surprise, because polls predicted only a small, approximately 3-point advantage for the Democrat over her rival Jack Ciattarelli, supported by President Donald Trump.
Mike SherrillAA/ABACA / PAP
New Jersey is a state that has voted for Democrats in presidential elections for years, although it has also had Republican governors in the past. In 2024, Donald Trump lost there to Kamala Harris, but with a much smaller loss than in the two previous elections.
Disturbing signals for Donald Trump
The mobilization of Democratic voters was visible, among others: outside the polls in Prince William County. In one of them, at an elementary school in Lake Ridge on the outskirts of Washington, only Democratic voting signs were visible. Republican volunteers who usually encourage people to vote outside the polls were also absent.
— We had a constant influx of voters here throughout the day, a really good turnout — a Democratic volunteer told PAP. She added that long lines to vote were also observed last weekend, when voters could cast their ballots as part of early voting.
In other local elections held on Tuesday, Democratic mayors were re-elected, as expected, including: Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. In the latter, Mayor Aftab Pureval defeated Vice President J.D. Vance's half-brother, 34-year-old Corey Bowman of the Republican Party. The controversial candidate for attorney general, Jay Jones, also won his duel, as he wished death to his Republican opponents and their children in leaked text messages.
Trump's perfunctory reaction
“Today's election results are the antithesis of the Trump agenda. The cruelty, chaos and greed that define MAGA radicalism and lead to skyrocketing costs are firmly rejected by the American people,” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement.
After the results were announced, Trump posted an entry suggesting that the defeat of the candidates he supported was due to the fact that his name was not on the ballots and because of the ongoing shutdown. However, the White House account on the X platform posted a graphic resembling the logo of the NBA team New York Knicks, with the inscription “Trump is your president.”
