US EditionThe Under-the-Radar Factor that Helped Democrats Win in Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia
Democrats secured key mayoral and gubernatorial wins and passed California's Prop. 50 redistricting to counter GOP efforts, shifting six seats to Democrats, analysts say.
- On Nov. 4, Democrats swept closely watched races nationwide and California voters passed Prop. 50, a Democrat-led plan to redraw congressional maps.
- Amid GOP remapping efforts, California voters approved Prop. 50 to counter Texas Republicans' August mid-decade map, which aims to influence 2026 control of the U.S. House.
- Zohran Mamdani, mayor-elect of New York City , won by eight points; Abigail Spanberger, Governor-elect of Virginia , led by about 10 points; Mikie Sherrill, Governor-elect of New Jersey, won by 13 points and carried Bergen County with over 55% support.
- USA TODAY analysis shows Democratic wins and Prop. 50 could reshape the 2026 midterm elections and U.S. House control, while AI data center disputes may become a populist issue.
- After the returns, observers framed Tuesday’s contests as a rebuke to President Donald Trump whose endorsements did not secure victories, raising questions about what lessons the Democratic Party will draw.
16 Articles
16 Articles
Off-year election wins give Democrats hope, and a blueprint for congressional comebacks in 2026
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom looks on during an election night gathering at the California Democrats' headquarters on Nov. 4, 2025 in Sacramento. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Democrats’ sweep of the biggest races in Tuesday’s off-year elections, including a California ballot measure to redraw that state’s congressional lines to give the party up to five more seats in the U.S. House…
From California to New York, elections give Democrats a breath of fresh air
While Tuesday's successes do not solve the party's underlying problems, they do allow it to emerge from the slump that followed its defeat in the presidential election, one year ahead of the midterms.
The moderate Spanberger and Sherrill win while the governor of California will be able to redesign the electoral colleges
Democrats energized by wins in state elections around US
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks as his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom looks on during an election night gathering at the California Democrats' headquarters on Nov. 4, 2025 in Sacramento. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)WASHINGTON — Democrats’ sweep of the biggest races in Tuesday’s off-year elections, including a California ballot measure to redraw that state’s congressional lines to give the party up to five more seats in the U.S. House…
The under-the-radar factor that helped Democrats win in Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia
The Democratic sweep of gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey and public service commissioner races in Georgia offer an early glimpse of what could be a sleeper issue in the 2026 midterm elections: the politics of AI infrastructure. In Virginia, Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger made data centers’ outsize energy demands one of her campaign planks, calling on tech companies to pay their “fair share” to strengthen the grid. In New Jersey,…
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