Voters on Tuesday will be casting ballots in U.S. state and local elections with an injection of presidential-level politics, including a pair of competitive races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia, the mayoral race in the nation’s largest city and a ballot measure in California that Democrats are counting on for next year’s elections to determine control of Congress.
The off-year elections have drawn President Donald Trump ’s attention, and no race has attracted as much lip service or social media opinions from Trump as the mayor’s race in his hometown of New York City.
Though local issues are a major factor in Tuesday’s contests, the winners take on an outsize role in a year when Trump has battled with governors and mayors as he’s deployed National Guard troops and immigration agents across cities and states. For Democrats, the offices offer a chance to push back on the president’s agenda, while Republicans see it as an opportunity to support his aims.
Here’s the latest:
NY mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani casts ballot in Queens, calls for ‘new day’ in city politics
The Democrat kicked off his busy Election Day morning schedule by voting with his wife, Rama Duwaji, at a local school.
He held a brief news conference outside afterward, wearing an “I Voted” sticker on the left lapel of his dark gray suit jacket.
“We are on the brink of making history in our city. On the brink of saying goodbye to a politics of the past,” he said.
He then embarked for several TV and radio appearances.
New Jersey responds quickly after Election Day threats against some polling places
New Jersey law enforcement and election officials responded swiftly after threats were made against several polling locations as voting began in one of two states that will be electing new governors.
Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way, who serves as the state’s top elections official, described them as emailed bomb threats targeting polling places in seven counties but said law enforcement determined there are no credible threats at this time.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin said some polling locations had already reopened to the public, while voters at others were being directed to nearby polling locations to cast their ballot. Law enforcement officers “have worked swiftly to secure these polling locations and ensure the safety of every voter,” he said.
Bomb threats also disrupted voting across several battleground states during last year’s presidential election.
The race for Virginia governor’s mansion
Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger are looking to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
The winner is set to become the first female governor in the state. An Earle-Sears’ victory would turn her into the first Black female governor of any U.S. state.
Spanberger is a former CIA case officer turned Congresswoman, and Earle-Sears is a Marine veteran.
▶ Read more about Virginia’s gubernatorial race
What races are we watching on Election Day?
In the first off-year general election of Trump’s second term, we are watching high-profile races for Virginia and New Jersey governor, New York City mayor and a proposition in California to redraw the state’s congressional map.
The results of these contests and others on Tuesday’s ballot will signal how voters are feeling about Trump’s agenda and about how Democrats are responding to it.
More than half of the states will hold contests on Tuesday.
▶ Read more about the races with national implications to be decided on Election Day
The Associated Press
