5 things to watch in Tuesday’s biggest Election Day contests |
Election Day dawns on Tuesday with four contests commanding the most national attention.
In New York City, 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani hopes to become mayor.
Mamdani leads the polls by a comfortable margin against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, now running as an independent. Republican Curtis Sliwa is a distant third.
Two races for governor are also in the spotlight.
In New Jersey, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D) is leading by a narrow margin against former state Rep. Jack Ciattarelli (R). In Virginia, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) holds a wider advantage over the state Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.
In both of those states, the incumbent governors — Democrat Phil Murphy in New Jersey and Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia — are term-limited out of office.
Meanwhile, voters in California will go to the polls to vote on Proposition 50. Basically, that’s a measure to redraw the Golden State’s congressional maps to Democrats’ advantage.
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and others in his party have cast the measure as a response to an earlier redistricting in Republican-dominated Texas which has likely given the GOP five extra House seats.
Here are the big things to watch on Tuesday.
Will Mamdani win — and by how much?
Mamdani’s rise has been one of the most dramatic political stories of the year.
The hitherto-obscure state assemblyman caused a political earthquake by vanquishing Cuomo, one of the most famous names in New York politics, in the Democratic primary.
Mamdani’s campaign has revolved around a single purpose — to make the city more affordable.
His relatability and use of social media have won plaudits, especially among younger voters. He has exploited Cuomo’s numerous vulnerabilities — most infamously, the multiple allegations of sexually inappropriate behavior, which the former governor denies.
Anger among the Democratic grassroots about Israel’s conduct in Gaza — and U.S. support for it — has also helped Mamdani, who is now on the brink of becoming the city’s first Muslim mayor.
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