Election Day in the U.S.: Key Races and What to Watch

Wed Nov 05 2025 02:51:45 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

As polls open across the United States, critical races are underway including New York City's mayoral contest and pivotal gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey. Here’s what you need to know.

It's election day in the U.S. with polls opening in several states, including New York, where voters will decide on a new mayor. Key races in Virginia and New Jersey are also underway. Noteworthy candidates include Zohran Mamdani in New York, who could become the youngest and first Muslim mayor. The elections may set the tone for next year’s congressional midterm elections, alongside significant propositions in California regarding redistricting.

It's election day in the US.

Polls have opened in New York, Virginia, and New Jersey, while California polling centres will open later.

This so-called off year election doesn't feature presidential or congressional races, but there are still several critical votes to watch tonight.

New York City will choose its next mayor, in a battle that has pitted a younger, progressive Democrat against a member of the party's old guard.

The states of Virginia and New Jersey will elect new governors, and the outcome of these contests could be bellwethers for next year's congressional midterm elections.

Californians also will decide whether to redraw their US House district maps in a rare mid-decade redistricting, as Democrats try to counter Republicans' efforts to give their party an advantage in next year's midterm elections.

Here are five things to watch.

New York City mayoral race

All eyes will be on the Big Apple as Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state assemblyman, attempts a political upset in his bid to become New York City's youngest mayor in over a century.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, shocked the political establishment when he bested former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary this summer. Cuomo, undeterred, has continued to campaign as an independent. Meanwhile, Republican Curtis Sliwa has resisted pressure to drop out of the race to clear a path for Cuomo.

If Mamdani wins, he will become the city's first Muslim mayor. Democrats around the country will be watching to see if his laser-focus on cost-of-living issues like rent, groceries, and wages could serve as effective messaging in future races. Though Mamdani heads into election night with a suggested polling lead, the gap between him and Cuomo has narrowed.

California redistricting

California's Democratic leadership is asking voters for permission to redraw the state's congressional districts in the middle of the decade. That's unusual in California, which by law relies on a nonpartisan committee to draw its congressional maps once every decade, based on census data.

However, as Republican-led states like Texas and Missouri seek to hastily redraw their congressional maps to give their party an advantage in the 2026 midterm elections, California Governor Gavin Newsom wants to counter the losses with redistricting in his own state.

California's Proposition 50 would allow the temporary use of new congressional district maps through 2030. The campaign has drawn $158 million in donations, according to the Los Angeles Times, with Democratic proponents vastly outraising the Republican opposition effort.

New Jersey governor's race

New Jersey is considered a Democratic state, but polls indicate a close race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. It's one of the two governor's races this year that could indicate how Americans feel about the current political climate.

Virginia governor's race

Virginia's leadership usually swings between Democrats and Republicans, meaning the outcome of this year's gubernatorial election might serve as a bellwether for the electorate's mood. Voters will choose between Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.

The Trump factor

Though he's not on the ballot, Trump's name looms over this election. The New York City mayor's race is impacted by how the next leader will deal with the Trump administration, which has meddled in the city's politics.