Here are the main events that occurred in Politics this week:
1. Mikie Sherrill Wins New Jersey Governor’s Race in Decisive Victory Over Jack Ciattarelli
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey, catapulted to victory on November 4 on the strength of her opposition to President Donald Trump after a hard-fought race against Jack Ciattarelli, a Republican whose energetic campaign could not outrun national politics in a liberal-leaning state. Congresswoman Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and federal prosecutor, will become New Jersey’s 57th governor and its second female leader.
2. Zohran Mamdani Wins New York City Mayoral Election
Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York on November 4, capping a stunning ascent for the 34-year-old, Democratic Socialist-aligned state lawmaker who promised to transform city government to restore power to the working class and fight back against a hostile Trump administration. In a victory for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, Mamdani defeated former Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. With his commanding win, Mamdani will etch his place in history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, and the first born in Africa. He will also become New York’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on January 1, 2026. “The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani declared to a roaring crowd at his victory party. He cast his win as a boon for blue-collar workers struggling to get by. “New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change,” he said, vowing to “wake up each morning with a singular purpose: To make this city better for you than it was the day before.”
3. California Voters Approve Democratic-drawn Congressional Map as National Redistricting Battle Spreads
California voters have approved a new congressional map drawn by state Democrats on November 4. This gives the party the chance to gain up to five House seats in the 2026 midterm elections and counter Republican redistricting efforts in other states. The approval of the ballot measure, known as Proposition 50 or the Election Rigging Response Act, allows California Democrats to temporarily circumvent the independent commission that typically controls the redistricting process and enact a more partisan map. The green light from voters will help Democrats limit, but not eliminate, the political disadvantage they face in the 2026 elections after Republicans in several states, most notably Texas, redrew maps this year to boost their party.
4. Democrat Abigal Spanberger Wins Virgnia Gubernatorial Election By A Comfortable Margin
Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia Gubernatorial election on November 4, with her victory being called almost immediately after the polls closed. Spanberger’s victory delivered a potent repudiation of President Trump’s policies after a campaign laser-focused on attacking them. The former CIA officer and three-term Congresswoman, who entered politics in the 2018 Democratic wave, defeated her Republican opponent, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, in a race that drew national attention as an early test of voter sentiment toward the Trump administration. At 46, Spanberger will be Virginia’s first female governor, following a streak of 65 men who have served in that office since Virginia became part of the US in 1788. Spanberger replaces popular outgoing Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin, who won in 2021 with 50.6% of the vote to Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s 48.7% but cannot seek consecutive re-election.
