As polls closed, these headline-grabbing wins lit up the political stage: New York City crowned its youngest and most trailblazing mayor; Virginia flipped the script with a game-changing governor’s race; and Detroit made history by electing its first Black woman mayor. Meanwhile, California flexed with a power move to keep the House maps in Democratic hands.

Here's everything you need to know...

Who Everyone Is Talking About:

Last night, the biggest spotlight landed on New York City, where Zohran Mamdani was elected as the city’s youngest, first Muslim, and first South Asian mayor.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, ran on a platform centered on economic justice and social reform. His grassroots efforts and strategic social media game mobilized a coalition of young, working-class, and immigrant communities to the polls.

“My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,” Mamdani said in his victory speech to a charged-up audience. “I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few. New York, tonight you have delivered. A mandate for change. ​​A mandate for a new kind of politics. A mandate for a city we can afford. And a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”

​Considering the republican response to Mamdani’s win, it’s clear the GOP now has a favorite target.

In Virginia, former CIA officer Abigail Spanberger made history as the state’s first female governor, defeating republican lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears.

Apparently, Earle-Sears, a Black woman from Jamaica, was considered a shoo-in among Black voters across the state. However, just as campaigns came to a close, former President Barack Obama endorsed Spanberger. Earle-Sears expressed shock in an interview with Fox News’s Charlie Hurt.

“Last year this time, he [Obama] told everybody to vote for the Black woman,” Earle-Sears said to Hurt regarding Obama’s endorsement of then-Vice President Kamala Harris. “Here I am, and now he’s singing a different tune. Hypocrisy all the way.”

The upset proved that Black voters are not always rooting for everybody Black.

Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield has just made history as the city’s first woman mayor.  According to the Detroit Free Press, The Associated Press, and CNN called the race for Sheffield, who defeated Triumph Church Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr., with roughly 77% of the vote.

"I am told it was the largest margin (of victory) in the history of the city of Detroit," Sheffield said to a group of reporters before taking the stage at her election party. "I feel like today was a mandate by our city," she said, going on to add, “Everyone is going to have a seat at the table with this administration.”

In the city’s 324-year history, 75 mayors have led Detroit. As its first woman mayor, and as a Black woman, all eyes will be on Sheffield.

Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill won the New Jersey governor race, beating Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a tight contest that drew national attention. 

Sherrill’s campaign focused on opposition to the president, while Ciattarelli built his campaign on a presidential endorsement, turning the race into a battle over far-right influence.

Sherrill’s victory marks the first time since the 1960s that New Jersey will have three consecutive terms with governors from the same party and also makes her the second female governor in state history.

What Everyone Is Talking About:

California Votes “Yes!” to Proposition 50

In the Golden State, roughly 63% of voters voted “Yes” on Proposition 50, allowing California Democrats to temporarily change the boundaries of U.S. House districts and make them more favorable to Democrats.  

“Instead of agonizing over the state of our nation, we organized,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a victory speech on Tuesday night.

Prop 50 is a direct response to many Republican-backed states that intend to change their congressional maps, which would give the GOP an advantage. The approval of Proposition 50 could allow Democrats to gain up to five additional seats in the 2026 midterms.

“This is not just a victory for the Democratic Party,” Newsom said in his victory speech. “This is a victory for the United States of America, for the people of this country, and the principles our founding fathers lived and died for.”

You can watch it all here.

Democratic Sweep In Virginia Overall

In Virginia, all three of the key offices have flipped from red to blue. In addition to Spanberger besting Earle-Sears for governor, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond) defeated conservative talk-show host John Reid in the lieutenant governor’s race, and former state delegate Jay Jones unseated incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares. Jones’ narrow victory came on the heels of a text messaging controversy. 

“My ancestors were slaves,” Jones said in his victory speech. “My grandfather was a civil rights pioneer who braved Jim Crow. My father, my mother, my uncles, my aunts endured segregation all so that I can stand here before you today.” 

Mississippi Breaks Republican Stronghold

Mississippi Democrats have broken the Republican Senate supermajority for the first time in 13 years by winning two previously GOP-held seats, reducing the Republican majority in the upper chamber from 36 to 34 senators. 

This shift came after special legislative elections, with Democrat Johnny DuPree winning Senate District 45 and Theresa Gillespie Isom capturing Senate District 2, both formerly Republican strongholds. In the House, Democrat Justin Crosby flipped District 22 from Republican control, contributing to the Democratic surge across the state. 

According to the Mississippi Free Press, these victories followed a federal court order mandating more Black-majority legislative districts, and Democrats are now set to hold at least 18 Senate seats when the legislature reconvenes in January 2026.

Georgia’s Blue Breakthrough

Democrat Alicia Johnson defeated Tim Echols, a Republican, who has held a seat on the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) since 2011. 

The PSC is the regulating body in Georgia that sets rates for utilities such as Georgia Power, among other responsibilities.

The New York Times summed it up plainly: “The closely watched races for two of the five seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission had been viewed not only as a referendum on rising electric bills but also as a bellwether for next year’s contests for governor and U.S. Senate.”

Stay tuned for more updates.