Virginia’s race for attorney general was thrown into the spotlight after revelations that Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jonessent texts in which he fantasized about murdering a fellow lawmaker and their children. Jones is facing off against Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is seeking reelection.
New Jerseyans will also select their next governor between former Republican Rep. Jack Ciatterelli and Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
New York City will decide its next mayor with three candidates left in the race: Democrat Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — who is running as an independent — and Republican Curtis Silwa.
Polls close in Virginia at 7 p.m., in New Jersey at 8 p.m., in New York at 9 p.m., and in California at 11 p.m.
4 hours ago
Ciattarelli bid tests Republican momentum in once-blue Passaic County
PASSAIC COUNTY, N.J. — In the Garden State’s governor’s race, nowhere is voter turnout more important than in Passaic County, a population of over 526,000 that a decade ago didn’t receive a second thought, but has since turned heads for its rightward shift in 2024.
Tuesday marks Election Day for New Jersey residents, as they head to the polls to vote in the gubernatorial race between Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Polling shows that this is truly anybody’s race, and both candidates stressed the need for maximum voter participation at their closing rallies on Monday night.
The diverse, suburban Passaic County shocked the country when, after going for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by 52 points in 2016 and 16 points for former President Joe Biden in 2020, it flipped and voted for President Donald Trump in 2024. He defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris in the county with 95,000 votes to her 89,000.
Democrat Jay Jones narrowly defeated Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) Tuesday night, becoming the Old Dominion’s first African American attorney general.
The Associated Press called the race at 10:05 p.m. with 87% of votes counted, three hours after polls closed at 7:00 p.m. Jones won even after it was revealed he sent violent text messages in 2022, suggesting former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert receive two bullets in the head.
Jones appeared at the Spanberger watch party on Tuesday night, where he thanked Virginians for electing him the commonwealth’s first black attorney general. He did not reference the text messaging scandal in his speech.
Winsome Earle-Sears concedes. (Graeme Jennings, Washington Examiner)
LEESBURG, VIRGINIA — Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears conceded the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday night in Leesburg, urging Democrat Abigail Spanberger to “represent all Virginians” after a hard-fought campaign.
“I have just called Abigail, and she did not answer, and she doesn’t have to answer,” Earle-Sears said. “I left her a voicemail and asked her to please consider all of us Virginians, that she will represent all of us, and not just some of us. If she is successful, Virginia will be successful.”
The 61-year-old Republican had pledged to extend Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s economic agenda while leaning into the same cultural flashpoints that helped define his 2021 rise, from opposition to transgender student policies to attacks on diversity programs and calls for school choice.
“I think I learn more in a loss than I ever do in a victory,” she said. “It’s either going to tear you apart or it’s going to build you. Well, I don’t tear apart.”
Winsome Earle-Sears conceded the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday night in Leesburg. (Graeme Jennings, Washington Examiner)
Earle-Sears reflected on her journey as an immigrant, Marine, and the first Black woman elected statewide in Virginia, saying she was grateful for the opportunity to serve. “I’m really not even supposed to be here,” she said. “I’m an immigrant from another country, and yet you all have given me the opportunity to do this. This is such an amazing thing for me.”
She closed by urging supporters to stay united in prayer and purpose. “We must pray for Abigail. We must pray for our state. And we must pray for our country,” she said. “Don’t give up. We must never give up.”
6 minutes ago
Jack Ciattarelli concedes New Jersey governor’s race
Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli concedes the New Jersey governor's race in Bridgewater, New Jersey on Nov. 4th, 2025. (Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner)
“Moments ago, I called and congratulated Mikie Sherrill and offered her my best wishes,” said Ciattarelli in his concession speech. The mention of Sherrill led to boos and jeers in the crowd.
“Yes, Republicans are the minority party, but that means also being the loyal opposition and continuing to ensure that our voice is heard,” the Republican candidate told his supporters, “The voice of the middle class, the voice of every minority across the state, the voice of those who want to protect their children from public school curriculum that doesn’t really serve our purposes well anymore.
14 minutes ago
Pennsylvania retains Democratic majority in state Supreme Court
Pennsylvania voters approved the reelection of three state Supreme Court justices.
Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht will stay in office, meaning Democrats will maintain a 5-2 majority in the court.
Dougherty and Wecht justices will each serve a 10-year term, while Donohue will be forced to retire in 2027 at 75, according to state law. Their reelection victory ensures Democrats will control the court during the 2028 presidential election.
23 minutes ago
Republicans use Mamdani’s victory to attack Democrats
“The Democrat Party has surrendered to radical socialist Zohran Mamdani and the far-left mob who are now running the show,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Mike Marinella said, “They’ve proudly embraced defunding the police, abolishing ICE, taxing hard-working Americans to death, and replacing common sense with chaos.”
“Mayor-elect Mamdani ran an impressive campaign, laser-focused on what matters most to working families in New York: lowering costs, expanding access to affordable child care, and making it easier for families to make ends meet,” Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said, “Mayor-elect Mamdani’s campaign illustrated the power of a big-tent party that focuses relentlessly on lifting up all working people.”
Mamdani has expressed support for defunding the police in the past and ran on opening government-run grocery stores and free childcare. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries endorsed Mamdani in late October.
“Every House Democrat is foolishly complicit in their party’s collapse, and voters will make them pay in 2026,” said Marinella.
35 minutes ago
Socialist Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral race against Cuomo and Sliwa
New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani listens to a question during a press conference at Dutch Kills Playground on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
NEW YORK CITY — Socialist Zohran Mamdani will be New York City’s next mayor, defeating former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday night.
Mamdani will be New York’s next mayor after receiving 50.4% of the vote with 75% of ballots counted so far. The Associated Press called the race at 9:34 p.m. Close to 9 p.m., New York City voters came out in such force to vote that the city saw the highest turnout since 1969, with more than 2 million ballots cast by that time.
With the win, Mamdani becomes the city’s first Muslim mayor and one of its youngest mayors ever.
Jeremy Gottfried, a 31-year-old man from Brooklyn, says he’s feeling optimistic but doesn’t want to be complacent, as Mamdani said.
He canvassed twice today for Mamdani. “So I’ve been doing the work out there, trying to get out the vote. I’m feeling optimistic about it, but you never know. So just hoping for the best.”
Gottfried supported Mamdani because he felt he spoke to how he “can make our lives better, rather than like what he’s fighting against.”
Lindsey Boylan, a Mamdani surrogate and Cuomo’s first accuser, said she’s “excited” with the results so far. She’s also excited to send Cuomo back into political retirement.
“It’s important for society to send an abuser like that packing, and so I feel a great deal of relief, because a lot I feel was riding on him being sent away, and so I feel really good about that for so many people, not just myself.”
43 minutes ago
Mikie Sherrill sails to victory in New Jersey governor’s race against Ciattarelli in blow to Republicans
Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) face each other in the 2025 gubernatorial race on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025. (Photos: Associated Press)
Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) won the New Jersey gubernatorial race on Tuesday after defeating Republican Jack Ciattarelli, the third time he’s lost a bid for governor of the blue state.
The Associated Press called the race for Sherrill at 9:23 p.m., over an hour after the polls closed. Sherrill won with 56.9% of the vote to Ciattarelli’s 42.5% at the time the race was called.
Sherrill’s win caps off a competitive battle between the two candidates, with the congresswoman successfully able to hold onto her narrow lead. Though Ciattarelli trailed Sherrill in the polls for much of the general election season, as of last week, an Emerson College poll found the candidates locked in a dead heat.
Republican operatives and conservatives are already beginning their post-mortem analysis of the party’s defeat in the Virginia gubernatorial race.
Chris LaCivita, a co-campaign manager of President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, wrote on X, “A Bad candidate and Bad campaign have consequences – the Virginia Governors race is example number 1.”
Washington Examiner columnist Salena Zito also posted her own thoughts on the race: “Reminds me of the special election in Lancaster Pennsylvania for state Senate last spring. Bad candidate. Bad campaign. Consequences.”
RICHMOND, Virginia — Former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican candidate Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears Tuesday night to become Virginia’s first female governor in the commonwealth’s history.
“We sent a message to every corner of the Commonwealth, a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our Commonwealth over chaos,” Spanberger said.
The former Democratic representative headed into Election Day with momentum on her side. Spanberger led Earle-Sears in both polling and fundraising throughout the entire 2025 cycle.
“I would like to thank my opponent for a hard-fought race,” Spanberger said, drawing some applause from the crowd, “It is the honor of my lifetime to be elected the 75th governor.”
Polling stations in New York City are now closed, as of 9 p.m.
Over two million voters turned out, a number unmatched since 1969. Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani is estimated to have a 98% chance of winning at the time polls closed, according to Polymarket.
The California redistricting referendum, where ballot stations are remaining open until 11 p.m. ET, has a 99% chance of passing according to betting markets.
1 hour ago
New York City sees highest voter turnout in over 50 years
Over 2 million voters cast their ballots at polling stations across New York City on Tuesday, according to an update from the New York City Board of Elections at 8:45 pm.
The last time more than 2 million votes were counted in a New York City mayoral election was in 1969.
The race is a contest between Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani has a 98% chance of victory according to Polymarket as polls closed.
The 1969 race was also a three-way split, and took place after the Blizzard of 1969 and the nationwide rioting following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.
1 hour ago
At Earle-Sears election night party, disappointment as Spanberger claims victory
Inside Winesome Earle-Sears watch party in Leesburg. (Samantha-Jo Roth, Washington Examiner)
LEESBURG, Virginia — Inside a half-empty ballroom at Winsome Earle-Sears’s election night party, supporters watched in uneasy silence as Fox News projected Democrat Abigail Spanberger the winner of Virginia’s governor’s race.
Moments earlier, campaign staff had cut the audio from the live election results and turned on music when it became clear the night wasn’t going their way. When Spanberger’s name appeared on the screen, the crowd erupted in boos, some shaking their heads, others staring down at their phones. Clusters of attendees stayed at their tables, scrolling through their phones or talking in hushed tones, waiting to see Earle-Sears make an appearance.
At one table, Caroline Chopek, 72, a retired Republican activist from Fauquier County, said she couldn’t understand the outcome. “I thought I was moving to a red state 23 years ago,” she said. “[Republican Gov. Glenn] Youngkin’s done a good job, the state’s in good shape, people are getting refunds. I don’t know why people want to change that.”
Across the room, Richard Eagan, 78, a retired Army Command Sergeant Major from Mineral, took the loss with military calm. “You figure out what went wrong, start over at the grassroots, and rebuild,” he said. “That’s how you recover from any mission that doesn’t go your way.”
Boo’s coming from the crowd as Fox News projects the winner of the VA Gov race is Spanberger. pic.twitter.com/sE6Wnqe1qJ
Others spoke less about tactics and more about what they feared would be lost. Leila Longcor, 50, vice chairwoman of the Rockingham County Board of Supervisors, said the result could have real economic consequences for her community. “Without Gov. Youngkin, we wouldn’t have gotten $3 billion from [pharmaceutical company] Merck in our county,” she said. “I’m anxious all that kind of economic development will stop.”
The mood remained subdued as Spanberger took the stage on the screens, her victory speech flickering across the muted televisions while attendees absorbed the reality of a Democratic return to the governor’s mansion.
2 hours ago
California voters weigh-in on Prop 50: ‘I am glad that California is fighting back’
A line of voters waits at a polling station in Orange County, California on Nov. 4th, 2025. (Barnini Chakraborty, Washington Examiner)
SANTA ANA, California — Lines of voters are present in Orange County around midday Tuesday to weigh in on Proposition 50. The redistricting measure would draw new congressional districts for the 2026, 2028, and 2030 elections that favor Democrats.
One voter told the Washington Examiner, “To be transparent, I am still confused a little bit on it, but I am glad that California is fighting back against [President Donald] Trump.”
Another voter in San Diego, Olivia Brielle, said she knows “two wrongs don’t make a right, but politics is a messy game too.” Brielle said she didn’t know if she would be voting in Tuesday’s special election if the fight was framed around anyone other than Trump.
“To be honest, I’m not a big fan of [Democratic California Gov. Gavin] Newsom’s,” she said, adding she disliked Trump more.
A California voter waiting in line told the Washington Examiner that there was “too much s*** happening in America.”
Bob Page, Orange County Registrar of Voters, told the Washington Examiner that his team would be working well into the night as voters showed up to weigh in on Proposition 50, a controversial redistricting measure.
Page confirmed that the Department of Justice sent one observer while California Attorney General Rob Bonta sent two. The DOJ dispatched election monitors to five California counties: Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, Kern, and Fresno. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the move would “ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”
