WASHINGTON, D.C. — Across the country, voters are deciding on crucial races and ballot measures that have the potential to change the national political landscape.
It may be an off-year for elections, but politically — the heat is on. From Virginia’s history-making governor’s race to a three-way showdown in New York City and a high-stakes ballot measure in California that could reshape the balance of power in Congress ahead of next year’s midterms, the stakes are high.
In Virginia, voters are guaranteed their first-ever female governor — but the question is which one. Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is facing off against Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.
For voters in Alexandria, Virginia — a suburb of Washington, D.C. — there was no shortage of issues in the off-year gubernatorial race.
“Keeping taxes down, providing good infrastructure, trying to get to a little less polarized,” said Miles Holtzman, an Alexandria, resident. “That’s going to be difficult.”
“I want to make sure people get fed. Like with the SNAP thing,” he said. “Because here in Alexandria, there’s a lot of people who need help here. It’d be nice to see some more compassion on both sides of the aisle,” Holtzman added.
Holtzman believes Virginia is a microcosm of the nation — and could provide an accurate report card on political attitudes.
“Virginia is such a diverse state. It might give us, you know, a pulse as to what might be coming down the road,” he said.
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill is running against Trump-backed Republican Jack Ciattarelli to become the next governor. Experts say this race, too, will provide valuable insight.
“For whatever reason, Mikie Sherrill really has not been able to separate herself from her opponent. It could be one of those situations where we are somewhat surprised tomorrow morning learning that that has gone red, which would say a lot about where we’re going in 2026,” said Michael Cohen, lecturer in the communications program at Johns Hopkins University and author of Modern Political Campaigns.
In the Big Apple, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani is the front-runner over former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo- who is running as an Independent after losing his party’s primary- and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani is hoping a strong grassroots campaign propels him to the mayor’s office.
“He was enormously smart about how he not only ran his campaign, but how he put it together,” said Cohen. “I think that the issues that he ran on, including affordability, really do speak to New Yorkers.”
Cohen says the margin in this race will matter.
“If Mamdani is able to close above ten, that really says something about not only New York, but all of us — about the politics of New York and how it’s shifted.”
National Democrats are split. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., provided a late endorsement a little over a week ago, but Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., has remained quiet on supporting Mamdani.
“Schumer is much more concerned about ‘26 and the kinds of candidates that he needs to win in very difficult races. And so his politics are telling him he can’t endorse a very left-of-center candidate if he wants to win that sort of fuzzy middle,” said Cohen. “So, this is entirely about politics.”
In California, a redrawing of congressional maps could rewrite the rules. If approved, Proposition 50 would scrap the maps drawn by a nonpartisan commission and replace them with new ones that are expected to turn five red seats blue.
“If Prop 50 does not win, it is very likely, if not mostly likely, that the Republicans will not only retain their majority in the House of Representatives next year but will probably expand it,” said Cohen.
California’s Prop 50 could reignite the redistricting arms race seen earlier this year.
“If this happens today, then it basically resets the table. And then you have to look at other states to see if there are going to be any more — what I would call — artificial advantages going into 2026,” said Cohen.
If voters approve Prop 50, it could spark a political chess match as states like Missouri, New York and North Carolina prepare to potentially move their own pieces before the midterms.
