US Elections 2025: A Glimpse
Today, the US states of New Jersey and Virginia elected their new governors. New York City also elected a new mayor. That's it? No, there were several state-level and city-level races as well. We will be covering all of this here like no one else. This was the biggest election in the country since the 2024 Presidential Elections. Trump's victory and the year that followed shook the entire world by surprise. It was extremely overwhelming for many. Trump today has become extremely unpopular, with a low 37% approval rating. This is a record low rating for any President in US history. Thus, this election was considered a referendum on Trump 2.0's first year. Let us examine each of the races, what the outcome was, and what the implications will be.
Commonwealth of Virginia
Virginia is a swing state when it comes to the gubernatorial races. It has always voted for the party opposite to that of White House in recent years. In 2021, Virginia elected a Republican Governor, Youngkin, by 3%. Just a year ago, in 2021, Biden won it by 10 points. He was the first President since Franklin D Roosevelt to win by double digits. Veteran leader of Virginia, Tim Kaine, won the Senate race by 16%. Kamala Harris carried the state by a low, narrow 5%. Hence, this state, even though it is considered a safe democratic state. Now, through this election, Democrats have won by a whopping 15% margin.
This victory can be credited to the wrong actions pursued by the Trump Administration, which led to record turnout in the Washington, DC suburbs such as Fairfax, Alexandria, Arlington, and Prince William counties. Virginia has the largest share of Federal workers in the country, the most affected group by mass firings by DOGE. The last Republican President to win it was Bush in 2004. Federal workers, en masse, form the backbone of democrats in the state. This election has led to strong down-ballot races such as the Lieutenant Governor's race and the Attorney General's race. Additionally, in the Virginia State race, Democrats retained the majority in the House of Delegates 51-48. Altogether, this is the best scenario for democrats in the state ever.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a democratic stronghold. On the other hand, the state has had Republican governors. Also, last year Kamala had struggled to win the state, which Democrats used to win by double digits. She won by a slim margin of 5.9%. In 2021, Democratic Governor Phil Murphy won by a thin margin of 3.1%, a state Biden carried by 14% a year ago. Thus, for both parties, this race was extremely crucial. This is where Mikie Sherrill won by 13% by increasing the turnout mainly in urban areas such as Newark, Jersey City, and Trenton. The main issue in the state was the increased cost of living, affordability, and the role of Trump's policies.
New York City
With over 90% votes counted, Zohran Mamdani is the Mayoral Elect of New York City, the heart of US Capitalism, Wall Street, and its Financial Capital. He will be the first Muslim, Indian-origin, South Asian, and the second-youngest mayor of the city. The victory of Zohran Mamdani in the NYC Mayoral Democratic Party Primary has taken the world by surprise. It's an important case study for all the political enthusiasts out there. Here's an article on how he was able to pull off a big victory against veteran politicians and why his candidature was a success story.
We had record numbers turning out to vote in a globally watched contest. Around 2 million people came out to vote in the race, which was a new record. The last time the turnout was so high was in 1969. Mamdani has been able to bring those who have never voted in their lives to the polling booth. He won the votes of youth by a very high margin. Similarly, his haters are also arriving in large numbers. Polls predicted a wider victory margin, but the current results give a comfortable 10%. His nearest rival, Cuomo, A democrat running as an independent, closed the gap. Trump endorsed Cuomo amidst Sliwa being from his party. He said he will freeze funds and even send ICE troops to the city.
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| In terms of Boroughs, in the Republican Stronghold of Staten Island, Cuomo won. Mamdani narrowly carried the most diverse region in the USA- Queens. |
NYC remains a strong Democratic region. The last Republican Mayor of NYC was Rudy Giuliani, Trump's ally. He was the mayor during 9/11.
Pennsylvania
The three justices aligned with the Democrats were up for extending their term. As the results arrived, all three judges got their terms extended with minimal opposition. The results are 61-39%. All the Democratic Party strongholds- Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Allentown, Central, Harrisburg, etc., voted Yes. Even though at the Presidential level, Pennsylvania is a classic swing state, at the state level, it has stood with Democrats.
California
Georgia
A state that has always stood with Republicans in the 21st century, except for 2020. The race for the Public Service Commissioners' Post saw a surprising Democratic victory with a landslide. They ousted two Republican incumbents. The victory came in from a massive turnout in high population centres of the Atlanta Metro Area- A Democratic Stronghold.
In the Atlanta Mayoral election, Andre Dickens won a second term in a landslide vote.
Seattle
Bruce Harrell leads Katie Wilson in the race for Seattle mayor in an election where counting is still ongoing.
Cincinati
Indian-origin Cincinnati mayor wins second term, defeats VP JD Vance’s half-brother Cory Brown.
Key Takeaways from the Elections
This election night was the best one for Democrats in a year, but it has been a nightmare for the Republicans. But the main question remains- Why are Democrats winning in the elections just one year after Republicans won big? Every election is about two factors: The Turnout and Who Voted. These elections also have the same story to tell.
In the 2024 elections, Trump and Republicans won in a high turnout race (relative to 2016). He won among the low-propensity voters. They are a bunch of apolitical voters who support one side extensively and disappear. In 2024, they were key to Trump's victory and even Republicans getting a majority in Congress. They have now fully disappeared, and the turnout is now fading. Special elections and off-election years now tend to favour democrats as they have become the high propensity voters compared to others. Only highly enthusiastic voters are now turning out to vote. Also, given how unpopular Trump is amongst independent and some moderate GOP voters, the turnout among them has plummeted. This has led to election outcomes in favour of democrats. Given that these are also off-year races, Democrats have become more enthusiastic in coming out to the vote.
This election has been a referendum on Trump's second term. This is the time for him to change the course of his presidency, or else he and the party will suffer extremely in the midterms. This election will also strengthen the debate within the Democratic party, whether they will swing far left or move further towards the centre.
Credits
Maps- New York Times and AP
Content- AP
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