High stakes elections test Democratic momentum | JQJO

After months of President Trump asserting federal power, Tuesday’s elections will test Democratic momentum amid a record-long government shutdown. Governor races in New Jersey and Virginia lead the slate; in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger is favored over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, while New Jersey pits Democrat Mikie Sherrill against Republican Jack Ciattarelli. New York City’s mayoral contest features Zohran Mamdani, polling ahead, against Andrew Cuomo. With affordability central and tariffs shaping the economy, Trump’s Justice Department plans to monitor polling sites in California and New Jersey, a move Gov. Gavin Newsom decries, as Virginia’s attorney general race turns combative.