Election Day 2025: What Races Should Be On Your Radar
Tuesday, Nov. 4, is shaping up to be a major day for elections across the United States, with several high-profile races capturing national attention. Here are a few places that should be on your radar.
New York
In New York City, the tightly contested mayoral race features Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. According to RealClearPolitics polling, Mamdani is leading with 45.8% of the vote, followed by Cuomo at 31.1% and Sliwa at 17.3%.
Fox News reported that over the weekend, Mamdani traveled across the city, engaging with voters and emphasizing his pledge to make New York City more affordable. On Nov. 1, Mamdani was joined by Rev. Al Sharpton at a rally in East Harlem and later attended a church service in Brooklyn with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; State Attorney General Letitia James was also present. Mamdani reiterated his commitment to addressing the cost-of-living crisis.
“The first thing will be the same as the last thing: to focus on the cost-of-living crisis,” he said. “We are speaking about the wealthiest city in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, and one in four New Yorkers are living in poverty.”
Meanwhile, Cuomo campaigned near Cortona Park in the Bronx, highlighting his experience as the reason he is best suited to lead the city, while Sliwa rallied in Forest Park, Queens, promising to flip New York City from blue to red.
Virigina
In Virginia, voters will decide not only on a new governor but also on the lieutenant governor, attorney general, and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates, according to The Washington Post. Abigail Spanberger, a former member of Congress, is the Democratic nominee for governor, while current lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears is the Republican candidate. If elected, Spanberger would become Virginia’s first female governor, while Earle-Sears would make history as the first Black woman to be elected governor of any state.
The race for lieutenant governor features Democrat Ghazala F. Hashmi and Republican John Reid. Hashmi could become the first person of South Asian descent and the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, while Reid would become the first openly gay Republican to hold a statewide office in the United States. In the attorney general contest, incumbent Republican Jason S. Miyares faces Democratic challenger Jay Jones.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, voters will choose a successor to term-limited Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are in a tight race, with Sherrill holding 48.9% of the polls and Ciattarelli trailing slightly behind with 45.6%, according to RealClearPolitics polling.
California
California voters will weigh in on Proposition 50, a ballot measure that would temporarily override the state’s independently drawn congressional districts in favor of new maps. Known as the Election Rigging Response Act, the measure aims to counter former President Donald Trump’s alleged plans to manipulate next year’s congressional elections.
“California will not sit idle as Trump and his Republican lapdogs shred our country’s democracy before our very eyes,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said at a rally formally announcing the initiative, according to The Guardian.
Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, voters face retention elections for three justices of the state Supreme Court, a decision with potentially significant implications in this key presidential battleground. Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on the court, and voters will decide whether the three incumbents should be retained for new 10-year terms, according to ABC17. If they are not, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro would appoint interim replacements until elections for new justices are held in 2027.
Texas
In Texas, a special election is scheduled for the 18th Congressional District. The seat was last represented by Sylvester Turner, who passed away in March.
Minnesota
Finally, four major candidates are competing for votes in the Minneapolis mayoral election on Tuesday. Incumbent Mayor Jacob Frey, state Senator Omar Fateh, DeWayne Davis, and Jazz Hampton—all Democrats—are seeking to secure victory on Election Day. Early polls, according to CNN, show Frey as the frontrunner, with Fateh trailing closely behind.
A win for Frey would earn him a second term as mayor; he was first elected by the people of Minneapolis in 2017.
SEE MORE:
Why Black Men Must Vote This Year
Federal Court Rules Alabama’s Racist Voting Map Dilutes Black Voting Power…Again
Election Day 2025: What Races Should Be On Your Radar was originally published on newsone.com
