Zohran Mamdani reacts as he walks on stage to speak at a mayoral election night watch party. (Photo: AP) It was the first major election since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, and the Democratic Party scored major wins in the New York City mayoral race and the polls to elect the governors of Virginia and New Jersey.
Democratic surge ahead of midterms
Zohran Mamdani, Abigail Spanberger, and Mikie Sherrill won their respective races on Tuesday in a move that observers say would give a definite momentum to the Democrats in the 2026 midterms.
US Government shutdown
The election results come amid the ongoing US government shutdown, which has entered its 36th day on Wednesday, the longest in history, as many Americans, including federal employees and low-income families, have started feeling the pinch.
What Trump said
Trump, who throughout the New York City mayoral election campaign vilified Mamdani and threatened to cut off federal funds if the Indian-origin candidate was elected, blamed the government shutdown for Tuesday’s results.
According to Trump, his name not being on the ballot also contributed to the poor showing of Republicans in the polls.
“Trump wasn’t on the ballot, and shutdown were the two reasons that Republicans lost elections tonight,’ according to Pollsters,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
Vote against Trump: AP poll
A poll by The Associated Press (AP) also noted that while Trump was not on the ballot, many voters in Tuesday’s elections made their choice in opposition to him or considered him to be irrelevant.
The AP Voter Poll, which surveyed more than 17,000 voters in those places, found that most voters disapproved of Trump’s performance as president, and many thought his aggressive approach to immigration had “gone too far.”
Republicans and those who lean toward the Republican Party were more likely to say Trump wasn’t a factor for their vote, even though most approve of his job performance.
