New Yorkers appeared set to elect a young Muslim leftist as mayor on Tuesday, marking a potentially transformative moment in US politics as voters across the nation cast ballots in the first major electoral test since Donald Trump began his turbulent second presidency.
While the meteoric rise of Zohran Mamdani has dominated headlines, significant gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, alongside a redistricting measure in California, were also seen as key indicators of the country’s political climate nearly ten months after Trump’s return to the White House.
Democrats in Virginia celebrated early victories, with Abigail Spanberger wresting the governor’s mansion from Republican control — a result seen as evidence of a resurgent opposition ahead of next year’s midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress.
In New York, 34-year-old Mamdani, a self-described socialist and political newcomer, rose to prominence after a surprise win in the Democratic primary. He has centred his campaign on lowering living costs for working-class New Yorkers, earning grassroots support through an approachable persona and viral social media clips of him engaging directly with voters.
President Trump, meanwhile, took aim at Mamdani in typically inflammatory fashion, describing him as a “Jew hater.” On his social media platform, Trump wrote: “Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self-professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!” If elected, Mamdani would become New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
According to the latest polling figures, Mamdani held around 44 percent of the vote — several points ahead of former state governor Andrew Cuomo, who is standing as an independent after losing the Democratic primary. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels crime prevention group, was polling at 24 percent, a figure that could yet prove decisive if his supporters transfer their votes to Cuomo.
Voter turnout has been exceptionally high, reaching 1.45 million with hours still remaining before polls closed — well above the total from the 2021 election that brought Eric Adams to power. Adams, embroiled in corruption allegations during his re-election campaign, ultimately withdrew from the race and endorsed Cuomo, aged 67.
Outside a school polling station in Staten Island, traditionally a Republican stronghold, 61-year-old retired city worker Rocco Napoli described Sliwa as “the common-sense candidate,” but admitted that Cuomo’s claim — that a vote for Sliwa was effectively a vote for Mamdani — “could be true.” He added, “But I blame the Republican Party for giving us Curtis again.”
Polls officially closed at 9:00 pm (0200 GMT Wednesday).
– Mamdani’s improbable rise –
The mayoral race has been dominated by issues surrounding the cost of living, rising crime, and each candidate’s approach to President Trump, who has openly threatened to withhold federal funding from New York.
According to Professor Grant Reeher of Syracuse University’s Department of Political Science, a Mamdani victory would likely spark confrontation. “Trump will treat New York City more aggressively,” he noted. “There will be some kind of political showdown.”
Mamdani’s remarkable ascent has underscored growing divisions within the Democratic Party between its centrist and progressive wings. “I believe this must be a party that truly allows Americans to see themselves represented within it,” Mamdani said last week.
Cuomo, however, has characterised the current dynamic as “a civil war within the Democratic Party.” He stated after casting his vote: “You have an extreme radical left, led by socialists, that is challenging what they call moderate Democrats. I am a moderate Democrat.”
Elsewhere, in New Jersey, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, faced a tough contest against Republican businessman Jack Ciattarelli, who enjoys backing from Trump.
Meanwhile, in California, a closely watched redistricting proposal — introduced in response to Republican-led boundary changes in Texas — was also expected to send a strong political signal.
Both major parties have deployed high-profile figures to rally support. Former President Barack Obama appeared at campaign events for Spanberger and Sherrill over the weekend, while Trump held virtual rallies for Republican contenders in Virginia and New Jersey on the eve of voting.
Reports suggest that Obama also spoke privately with Mamdani in recent days but, reflecting the ideological tension within the Democratic Party, chose not to issue an official endorsement.