New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.; New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani; Abigail Spanberger, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for Virginia. (AFP; Bloomberg; Getty Images)

By NBC News and others

Democratic wins in Tuesday’s elections gave the party a sorely needed burst of momentum ahead of next year’s midterm elections.
The party came in favored in races for Virginia and New Jersey governor, New York City mayor and a California ballot measure to green-light a Democratic gerrymander of the state’s congressional map.
But the huge margins in those governor’s races and other contests left many Democrats feeling a new emotion — excitement — for the first time in some time. The results affirmed the candidates’ decisions to run economic-centered campaigns, highlighted Republicans’ trouble replicating President Donald Trump’s coalition and included other signs of repudiation and warning for Trump.
Even as they caution there are limits to how much these Democratic victories in several blue-leaning areas can translate into 2026 midterm elections on far more competitive turf, some Republicans are sounding the alarm.
“It was a bloodbath. It’s a disastrous night for Republicans in the state, and I think nationally folks should probably heed some warnings as well,” said Mike DuHaime, a longtime New Jersey GOP strategist and former Republican National Committee political director. “It shows there’s some discontent certainly with the current administration and it shows that candidates and campaigns matter as well”
Three Democratic Pennsylvania Supreme Court judges were affirmed to continue serving, after ten years on the court. Pennsylvania law allows a vote on judges after ten years of service. These judges who ruled against Trump in several 2020 election cases will continue to serve on the bench in a swing state that Trump narrowly carried in 2024.
Zohron Mandani, a Muslim immigrant and self-described ‘Democratic Socialist was elected Mayor of New York by over 50% in a three-way race against former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent and Anton Sliwa, the Republican candidate. Trump on election eve endorsed Cuomo and asked Republicans in New York City to vote for him. Mondani brought out thousands of young and discouraged working class voters to the polls with his message and proposed program of economic affordability.
In California, thousands of people were lined up at polling places when the polls were scheduled to close at 8:00 PM to vote for proposition 50, to allow the California Legislature to re-district Congressional seats in response to Trump’s efforts to create five more Republican favored seats in Texas. Voters in California waiting in line said they were voting for “freedom”, “democracy” and “to turn back Trump” as their reason for supporting Proposition 50.
Political observers said that Tuesday’s election was the beginning of the 2026 mid-term elections for Congress.