University of Kwazulu-Natal

Takeaways From Us Election Night 2025

Bonisiwe Shabane
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takeaways from us election night 2025

Democrat Abigail Spanberger gives her victory speech over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia's race for governor in Richmond, Virginia, U.S. November 4, 2025. REUTERS/Jay Paul WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The 2025 off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City and California provided an early barometer of how some U.S. voters view President Donald Trump's second term and the Democratic Party's efforts to revive its political fortunes. Here are some takeaways from election night:

New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger may have provided a blueprint for how Democrats can get their mojo back in next year’s congressional elections. They have much in common. Each was first elected to Congress in 2018, during the midterms in Trump's first term. This year, they both ran as problem-solving moderates with backgrounds in national security and laser-focused their campaigns on affordability issues while positioning themselves as bulwarks against Trump. WASHINGTON – The 2025 off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City and California provided an early barometer of how some U.S. voters view President Donald Trump’s second term and the Democratic Party’s efforts to revive its political fortunes.

Here are some takeaways from election night: New Jersey Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Virginia Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger may have provided a blueprint for how Democrats can get their mojo back in next year’s congressional elections. They have much in common. Each was first elected to Congress in 2018, during the midterms in Trump’s first term. This year, they both ran as problem-solving moderates with backgrounds in national security and laser-focused their campaigns on affordability issues while positioning themselves as bulwarks against Trump. To a party starved for good news, Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, and Spanberger, an ex-CIA officer, provided it.

While their wins were not huge surprises given that their states tend to support Democrats more than Republicans, their broad margins of victory may bolster the argument that their approach could work in next... Takeaways from an eventful 2025 election cycle. By Caroline Soler, Christine Zhang and Alex Lemonides Is there such a thing as an “off year” for U.S. elections? The elections in 2025 were not nearly as all-encompassing as last year’s presidential race, nor as chaotic as what is expected from next year’s midterms.

But hundreds of elections were held in dozens of states, including local contests, mayoral races, special congressional elections and two highly anticipated governor’s races. Many of the elections were seen as early tests of how lasting President Trump’s 2024 gains might be and as a preview of what might happen in 2026. Here are five takeaways from the 2025 election cycle. The economy, dissatisfaction with the country, helped Democrats win key seats. Tuesday night was a far cry from the shell-shocked scenes in Democrats' election headquarters a year ago this November. In three key races, for Virginia governor, New Jersey governor and New York City mayor, the party's nominees drew in huge numbers of the electorate by attacking President Donald Trump and offering plans to...

The Democratic wins come as Trump and Republicans have seen sinking approval ratings 10 months into his second term. Here are some of the key takeaways from Tuesday's election -- one year to the 2026 midterms: Democrats victorious in New Jersey and Virginia governor elections, California Proposition 50 vote, and mayoral races. Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani has won the New York mayoral election to become the city’s first Muslim mayor, polls projected late on Tuesday after voting closed in the closely watched election. By the time 91 percent of votes had been counted late on Tuesday night, Mamdani, who stood as the candidate for the Democratic Party, had won more than one million votes in the mayoral... Democrats also won gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia on the same day, and Californians voted to allow the state’s Democratic lawmakers to redraw the congressional map.

Here are some key takeaways from the local United States elections: Donald Trump reclaimed the presidency and immediately began reshaping Washington in his image. A new cast of MAGA loyalists took power: JD Vance emerged as the vice president with real muscle; Marco Rubio gained Kissinger-like influence across matters of national security and foreign affairs; and Karoline Leavitt,... Behind the scenes, Stephen Miller and Susie Wiles pulled the levers of policy and discipline that defined Trump’s second act. But the year’s churn didn’t lift everyone. The Epstein files cast a shadow over the FBI and Attorney General Pam Bondi, who saw her credibility undercut not only by the White House’s own inner circle but also by some of Trump’s...

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also found himself in the headlines more often than the president might have liked, with embarrassing leaks pouring out of the Pentagon. And Elon Musk, briefly hailed as Trump’s secret weapon on the campaign trail, became an electoral liability—disrupting the federal government and turning into a political headache for both the president and congressional Republicans. Democrats, meanwhile, were left wandering — and scrambling. Gavin Newsom, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Zohran Mamdani gained stature in the opposition, embracing a more confrontational tone and giving voice to what many progressive voters wanted. In doing so, they exposed the limits of party leaders like Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer—who, despite ending the year in strong positions, continue to struggle to connect with younger generations. For all the wins and losses on paper, the broader reality was clear: in 2025, Trump called the plays—and Washington reacted.

Here are Newsweek's biggest political winners and losers of the year. Socialist or Communist, Mamdani is a problem the retired congressman warns. Democrats dominate as economic woes take a toll on Trump’s GOP Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party, Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura) By Steve Peoples and Will Weissert ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON — Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may hav…

This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Tuesday was a great day at the ballot box for the planet, with climate-friendly initiatives and candidates winning nationwide. In races from New York to Georgia to Washington, voters backed funding renewables, reining in energy costs, and building out mass transit—and the people promising to deliver those policies. On the whole, the re… Every so often, a person or a movement comes along that resonates in a way that breaks through. The Civil Rights Movement in the ‘60s, Women’s Liberation in the ‘70s, etc.

Per my iPad’s handy-dandy New Oxford American Dictionary, the definitions of “conservative” are: Averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values. A person favoring free enterprise, private ownership, and socially traditional ideas. I could add a few of my own th… The Democrats’ time in the desert is over. After sweeping every single one of Tuesday’s major elections — from one end of the country to the other and by wide margins — the opposition has finally put its long mourning period following... Now preparations begin for the next battle, the midterm elections that will decid…

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