2025 Election Recap Dems Sweep Virginia Nj California Races

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 22, 2025, 4:55 PM

2025 election recap dems sweep virginia nj california races

A year after former Vice President Kamala Harris suffered an electoral beating by President Donald Trump, Democrats across the country – from Virginia to California – notched major victories in a sign of growing... In Virginia, a state with thousands of federal workers affected by the government shutdown and Department of Government Efficiency cuts, Abigail Spanberger soundly defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome-Earle Sears, reports say. In New Jersey, which last year saw hoards of voters move toward Trump, projections say Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill won against Republican businessman Jack Ciattarelli.

Next door, in New York City, voters chose progressive Zohran Mamdani and his affordability platform over the more centrist former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. And in California, voters overwhelmingly supported Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting referendum allowing the state legislature to redo congressional maps and add up to five new Democratic-leaning seats ahead of the 2026 election. Trump kept his distance from the races this year, never having stepped on the campaign trail for any of his party’s contenders, though he still loomed on voter’s minds. Democrats' sweeping victories come as a troubling sign for the president and his party.

When I looked at the towers of results lighting up on Election Day, I couldn’t help but feel a kind of political tremor rippling through the map. The Election 2025 recap shows more than just wins and losses—it shows a moment of opportunity, and maybe a wind change in American governance. For Democrats to sweep three major battlegrounds in one night? That rarely happens. Let’s dive into what went down, why it matters, and how this shift is playing out. In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli by a margin of roughly 56.2 % to 43.2 % in the gubernatorial race.

Her win maintains Democratic control in a state where Republicans had been gaining ground. This result keeps the blue wave strong in the Garden State. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger crushed the competition with about 57.6 % of the vote against Republican Winsome Earle Sears at 42.2 %. And that’s not all—Spanberger becomes the first woman to hold the office in Virginia. For a state long considered a bellwether, this win sends strong signals. California may not have had a governor’s race this year, but it still made headlines by approving Proposition 50—giving the state’s Democratic leadership the power to redraw U.S.

House maps and likely add up to five seats for the party. It’s a strategic move with long term implications. It was a good night for Democrats. A year after former Vice President Kamala Harris suffered an electoral beating by President Donald Trump, Democrats across the country – from Virginia to California – notched major victories in a sign of growing... In... read full story

Answer for your question of the article will be displayed here ... Updated on: November 5, 2025 / 5:31 PM EST / CBS News A day after Republicans faced losses in several states, President Trump said Wednesday he believes his party needs to talk more about affordability — including the successes he believes he's had with containing energy... "It's no good if we do a great job and you don't talk about it, and I don't think they talk about it enough," he told Fox News' Bret Baier. The president seemed more surprised by Republican Jack Ciattarelli's loss in the New Jersey governor's race than GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears' loss in Virginia. "I thought New Jersey would do a little bit better than that," Mr.

Trump said. The 2025 election results are in, with Democrats securing key victories in several high-profile races across the country — from New York to Virginia and New Jersey. The 2025 election results are in, with Democrats securing key victories in several high-profile races across the country — from New York to Virginia and New Jersey, offering a wave of momentum heading into... Other analysts caution, however, that while the victories — including Zohran Mamdani’s grassroots win in New York — signal energy within the party, the results may be more reflective of local dynamics than a... In perhaps the most-watched race, Mamdani clinched the mayoral race over former Gov. Andrew M.

Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. In New York, voter turnout for the mayoral race was the largest in decades. Another closely watched race was New Jersey’s gubernatorial contest, which saw former Navy helicopter pilot U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill overcome Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Voters in Huntington Beach, Calif.

In the most closely watched ballot measure race of this election, Californians voted to use new congressional district maps. (Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images) Democrats won the governor’s races in both Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday, picking up a trifecta in the former along with as many as 13 seats in the House. California passed its closely watched Proposition 50, which approves new congressional maps. In New Jersey, Democrats held on to their trifecta, where the same party controls the governorship and both chambers of the legislature.

And Virginia ended its divided government, bringing the total number of states with a trifecta to 39—16 Democratic and 23 Republican. New Jersey and Virginia were the only states with regularly scheduled gubernatorial and legislative elections, electing 80 and 100 members to their lower houses, respectively. With the exception of one special election in New Jersey, both states’ senates will not be reelected until 2027. (Learn more about states that hold odd-year elections.) Democrats celebrated major victories across Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and California in the 2025 off-year elections, signaling momentum ahead of next year’s midterms. The wins came a year after former Vice President Kamala Harris lost to President Donald Trump, highlighting a shift in voter sentiment.

Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome-Earle Sears, making history as the first woman elected governor of Virginia. The ongoing government shutdown and cuts from the Department of Government Efficiency played a central role in the race, especially among the state’s large federal workforce. Spanberger campaigned on protecting Virginia jobs, calling out the chaos in Washington and promising to stand up for workers. Democrat Ghazala Hashmi also made history by winning the lieutenant governor race, becoming the first Muslim woman elected to statewide office in the U.S.

Planned Parenthood and other groups praised Spanberger’s win as a victory for reproductive rights. Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a tightly contested race. Ciattarelli conceded the race with good humor, highlighting the civility of his campaign. Sherrill’s victory demonstrates the strength of moderate Democrats appealing to kitchen-table issues, echoing the strategy seen in Virginia. Progressive candidate Zohran Mamdani won the NYC mayoral race over former Gov.

Andrew Cuomo, advocating for affordability measures, free public transit, universal child care, and a rent freeze on rent-stabilized units. Mamdani’s victory represents a shift in Democratic politics toward progressive platforms, despite heavy opposition from wealthy donors and Republican attacks.

2025 Election Recap Dems Sweep Virginia Nj California Races

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