Democrats across the country had a monumental victory following the election on Nov. 4.
There were four major elections: California’s Proposition 50, New York City’s mayoral race and New Jersey and Virginia’s gubernatorial races. Democratic candidates in each race won.
Proposition 50
California’s Proposition 50 passed overwhelmingly, with 63.9% voting yes and 36.1% voting no so far.
The yes vote on Proposition 50 was backed by Democrats such as Gov. Gavin Newsom, former President Barack Obama, former Vice President Kamala Harris and many more.
With Proposition 50 in place, Democrats are now projected to gain five seats in the House of Representatives, while California Republicans will only hold four seats.
Many counties that voted yes on Proposition 50 previously voted for Donald Trump in 2024. Fresno County, for example, voted for Trump by a four-point margin, but voted yes on Proposition 50 by a 0.8 margin.
New York City mayoral race
Perhaps the most anticipated race was the New York City mayoral race. Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, Independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa all ran against each other, but Mamdani came out victorious.
Mamdani made history as New York City’s first Muslim mayor, which has drawn a lot of backlash from Republicans. He also describes himself as a democratic socialist, which has also elicited reactions from Republicans, saying Mamdani’s election is disgraceful and does not represent American values.
The mayor-elect’s campaign came with many ambitious goals for New York City, including creating the city’s first universal childcare program, making buses free and freezing the rent for 1 million rent-stabilized residents.
Mamdani said that he is willing to work with Trump if the president wants to deliver on his campaign goals, such as lower grocery prices and a lower cost of living.
New Jersey and Virginia’s gubernatorial races
Both New Jersey and Virginia’s gubernatorial races came out with a Democratic victor.
Representative Mikie Sherrill was elected the governor of New Jersey, winning 56.4% of the vote over Republican Jack Ciattarelli’s 43%.
Sherill’s campaign focused on electricity rates, which have increased by 22%, more than in most states in the U.S. She also plans on banning cellphones from public schools and hiring more mental health counselors.
Abigail Spanberger, a former U.S. representative, was elected Virginia’s first female governor. She won over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears with 57.2% of the vote.
Spanberger’s campaign, like Mamdani’s, focused on affordability and federal job cuts. She will be flipping the governor’s office from Republican to Democrat.
The democratic shift in this year’s election may serve as an indicator for how the 2026 midterm elections will go. Midterm elections typically see shifts, and since Republicans took control of both chambers of Congress, a Democratic shift may be imminent.
