Welcome to the online version From the politics departmentnewsletter featuring the latest reporting and analysis from the NBC News Politics team from the White House, Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.
In today's episode we will bring you up to date before polls close tonight in California, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and beyond.
Programming Note: Stay tuned for this evening's special edition of the Newsletter. when we announce the election results.
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— Adam Woolner
What to look for on election night
Analysis by Steve Kornacki
The era of Donald Trump has changed American politics for a decade. Tonight, two contentious races for governor will determine what the next steps for Republicans and Democrats might look like—not just who leads Virginia and New Jersey for four years, but also how the two parties appeal to different types of voters and build coalitions for future elections.
Republicans have strengthened their position in these two blue states after Trump's heavy losses in 2020. Today's election will show how durable those gains have been, depending in part on the progress the GOP has made under Trump with groups that once voted more forcefully against the GOP. This is especially true among Latino voters, who strongly favored Trump in 2024.
But Democrats have spent the past year focused on how to reverse those trends, nominating candidates without the baggage of the party's 2024 election defeat. And of course, Trump is now in the White House, which during his first term led to a voter backlash against him as the incumbent.
The two states saw similar results in the last presidential election, but the races are different this year. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger enters Election Day with a clear lead in the polls over Republican Lt. Gov. Vince Earle-Sears. And in New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill has a smaller lead over Republican Jack Ciattarelli in most polls.
Here are the cities, counties and trends Steve is watching in New Jersey and Virginia →
In addition to these high-profile gubernatorial elections, there are a number of other important elections taking place across the country today.
- State Assemblyman Zoran Mamdani and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo are vying to become New York's next mayor.
- California voters will decide whether to approve a new congressional map that would give Democrats up to five House seats.
- Three Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices face a retention vote that will determine whether Democrats maintain their 5-2 majority.
- Voters in Texas' 18th Congressional District will choose a replacement for late Democratic Rep. Sylvester Turner.
Voting closes at 19:00 in Virginia; 8:00 pm in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas; 21:00 in New York; and 11:00 p.m. in California (Eastern European time).
Latest news from the election campaign:
- Trump held telemeetings from Republicans in New Jersey and Virginia, although he did not mention Earl-Sears by name.
- Trump supported Cuomo for the mayor of New York City, telling voters, “You really don't have a choice.” Mamdani told NBC News: “I think it brings into the open what has been hidden for many months.”
- Follow our blog for updates →
Tune in for live election coverage on NBC News:
- NBC News NOW, our free streaming service, will air an election special starting at 7:00 pm ET.
- NBCNews.com and the NBC News app will provide real-time results for all major races, as well as all the latest coverage.
- NBC News' “Here's the Scoop” Podcast will stream live on YouTube and NBCNews.com beginning around 11:00 pm ET.
- Steve Kornacki will be at the big whiteboard all night, analyzing the results and providing minute-by-minute updates exclusively on an NBC News NOW special and live “Here's the Scoop.”
🗞️ Other top news of today
- ⛔ Closing, day 35: With the government shutdown the longest in American history, some senators predicted the impasse may end this week. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Sean Duffy said the U.S. may be forced to close parts its airspace if staffing shortages persist.
- 🗺️ Update on redistribution: Maryland Gov. Wes Moore has created a redistricting commission to consider a new congressional map, despite opposition to such an initiative from the top Democrat in the state Senate. Continue reading →
- ⚫ RIP: Former Vice President Dick Cheney, an architect of the global war on terrorism and the war in Iraq who served for decades in Congress and three Republican administrations, died last night. He was 84. Continue reading →
That's all there is to the policy department for now. Today's newsletter was written by Adam Wallner.
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