2025 Election Results: Dems Point to Big Wins
November 10, 2025
This year’s elections were what political watchers call an “off-year”: only a few gubernatorial and state legislative races were on the ballot. Democrats won key races and issues in New Jersey, Virginia, and California.
Why it matters: While there were not any surprises on who won, the margins and enthusiasm provide another public sentiment marker in the lead up to the 2026 midterms.:
- In Virginia, former U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger (D) flipped the governor’s seat from Republican to Democrat.
- Abigail Spanberger’s victory was striking both for its 14-point margin (57–43) and for her strong performance among rural voters. This is a group that has largely drifted from Democrats in recent years. Spanberger outperformed Kamala Harris in almost every rural area and won 46% of rural voters, cutting the GOP edge to just 8 points — a 19-point improvement over Democrat Terry McAuliffe’s 2021 showing.
Source: Politico
In New Jersey, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D) held the governorship for her party in a decisive victory. Her victory marks the first time New Jersey has elected a governor from the same party three terms in a row.
Why it matters:
- These wins were expected in both states, however the margin of victory was larger than expected. Spanberger and Sherrill each won by a nearly 14 point margin. Late polling in the New Jersey race put the GOP candidate within a few points of winning.
- The races in both states were much closer just four years ago, with Gov. Youngkin (R-VA) winning in 2021 by 2 points, and Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ) winning the same year by 3 points.
NYC Mayoral Race:
- In New York, Zohran Mamdani won the mayoral race defeating his main challenger former Governor Andrew Cuomo. His win has ignited strong opinions from both sides of the aisle.
- Mamdani’s rise as a self-declared Democratic socialist and upset win in the Democratic nomination this summer worried some moderates and business leaders.
- Mamdani’s campaign centered on affordability, housing reform, and reshaping city government, driven by grassroots energy and high youth turnout.
- Mamdani won 78% of voters under 30 and 66% of those aged 30–44, according to exit polls. Notably, newer residents were among his strongest supporters as some 81% of voters who’ve have lived in New York City less than a decade backed him. Source: ABC News
California Proposition 50
A major ballot measure in California, Proposition 50, passed, giving the Democratic-controlled legislature greater leeway in drawing congressional maps.
- This is in direct response to Texas redrawing its maps earlier this year to include five more GOP seats.
- California is poised to draw in five more Dem leaning seats to offset those GOP gains in Texas.
Other noteworthy races:
- In Pennsylvania, Democrats held judicial seats, flipped a state Senate district, and maintained a slim House majority.
- In Georgia, Democrats won two statewide Public Service Commission races — their first statewide victories since 2006 — signaling voter pushback on energy costs.
- In Mississippi, Democrats broke the GOP’s long-held supermajority by flipping two Senate seats, marking a meaningful political shift even in a deep-red state.
Please contact James Montfort (jmontfort@crefc.org) with questions.