(WASHINGTON) — Since taking office ten months ago, Donald Trump has been sued in court hundreds of times by progressive organizations seeking to challenge his agenda.
The lawsuit over his sweeping global tariffs now before the U.S. Supreme Court is not one of them.
The group behind the lawsuit is a nonprofit organization that, for the last decade, has consistently fought in court for private property rights, free speech, and other individual rights, including a landmark decision when the Supreme Court determined that millions of public sector workers no longer needed to pay dues to unions that took positions they disagreed with.
According to Jeffrey Schwab, senior counsel and interim director of litigation at the Liberty Justice Center, bringing a case to challenge the tariffs aligns with the organization’s nonpartisan goal of enforcing constitutional and statutory limits on government overreach.
“We have three branches of government. They’re supposed to be coequal. I think we’ve been trending in the expansion of the executive branch’s power for the last several decades, and at some point, it’s going to be a problem,” Schwab told ABC News.
Filing nearly 140 lawsuits since its founding in 2011, The Liberty Justice Center has cemented a reputation as a legal force for many right-leaning causes, but the tariffs case has put it squarely against the president on his signature issue.
Schwab said the idea to sue was hatched after he read a blog post by Ilya Somin, a professor at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, in which Somin expressed his belief that the tariffs were both unconstitutional and illegal, especially in light of the Supreme Court’s recent approaches to major questions and nondelegation doctrine.
“After reading that blog, I thought that would be an interesting case to bring with those claims, and we reached out to Professor Soman, and we had a discussion,” Schwab said.
And when Trump announced his sweeping tariffs on “Liberation Day” in April, the idea of a lawsuit began to gain momentum with Soman and Schwab beginning to seek out small businesses that might be interested in suing. With Soman making a blog post titled “Looking for Plaintiffs to Challenge Trump’s IEEPA Tariffs in Court” to solicit plaintiffs for the Liberty Justice Center, Schwab said his inbox quickly filled with interested small business owners, who happily shared how they were harmed by the sweeping and at times arbitrary tariffs.
“We got an overwhelming response of small business owners,” said Schwab, who recounted interviewing about 50 different small business owners. They ultimately landed on five business, including a wine and spirits importer, fishing outfitter, plastics producer, cycling apparel maker, and producer of children’s learning kits.
“They are five different diverse companies. They’re of different sizes, different industries, different geographic locations, and we think, represent the small business community in the United States very well,” he said.
Shortly after Liberation Day, Liberty Justice Center filed their lawsuit in New York’s Court of International Trade, arguing that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act does not give Trump the power to impose sweeping tariffs unilaterally. A panel of judges ultimately agreed with their case, issuing a unanimous decision in May that the tariffs were illegal. The Trump administration appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld their decision, though Trump was allowed to keep the tariffs in place while the issue made its way through the court. Come Wednesday, former Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal is set to argue on behalf of the businesses at the Supreme Court.
According to Oliver Dunford, senior attorney at the libertarian-leaning Pacific Legal Foundation, the tariffs case could have the potential to be one of the most critical separation of powers cases in recent history, with Trump assuming the authority to impose tariffs on any item imported from any country.
“The previous Presidents have pushed the envelope, both Republicans and Democrats, and this kind of arbitrary rulemaking is not new,” said Dunford. “This is on a scale that’s certainly different. This is just about every product, just from just about every country, and who knows when it’s going to end.”
(NEW YORK) — 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 tackle what exit polls showed was voters’ top concern: affordability.
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 turn the tide The national spotlight was on Abigail Spanberger in Virginia, Mikie Sherrill, in New Jersey and Zohran Mamdani in New York City as the first true tests for the Democrats after the party’s punishing defeat in the 2024 nationwide election.
Tuesday’s results showed the party is on the offensive, with all three candidates projected to score sizable wins over their opponents.
“We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our commonwealth over chaos,” Spanbrger said.
It’s the economy, again Preliminary exit poll data compiled by ABC News in the three races showed that the majority of Americans were concerned about the cost of living.
Nearly half of Virginia voters said that the economy was the most important issue facing the commonwealth.
In New Jersey, six in 10 voters said that the economy in the state was doing “not so good” or “poor,” while about four in 10 said it was “excellent” or “good.”
More than half of voters in New York City said the cost of living was the most important issue they faced.
Spanberger, Sherrill and Mamdani all campaigned with affordability as the main focus.
Although each candidate has different proposals to lower costs — with Mamdani being the most vocal with raising the tax rate on the wealthiest to pay for services such as child care — voters in huge numbers were attracted to their messages.
Voters are not happy with the state of the country Just as with last year’s elections, where nearly every Democratic led state shifted red, voters appeared to want change from the status quo.
A large majority of voters who said they were angry supported Sherrill, saying they were unhappy with how things were going on in the country. New Jersey has never elected a governor from the same party in three cycles in a row.
Record turnout helps propel Mamdani More than 2 million voters turned out Tuesday in New York City, the first time a mayoral election crossed that threshold since 1969.
Mamdani collected over 1.03 million votes as of 10 p.m. Tuesday, which is larger than the population of five states, according to U.S. Census figures.
The New York turnout mirrored the increased turnout seen during an off-year election.
Historic wins for Muslim candidates Mamdani and Virginia Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi both made history as the first Muslim Americans elected to their respective offices.
Both had faced anti-Islamic attacks from their opponents and critics from around the country.
Wins sends message to Trump Trump got indirectly involved in the three races, especially New York City, as he tried to maintain and grow the GOP’s influence following his win.
The president was particularly tied to the New Jersey race as Republican Jack Ciattarelli vocally embraced and welcomed Trump’s support, despite the president’s low approval ratings.
Sherrill took several opportunities to criticize Trump while looking to tie the president and Ciattarelli tightly together. Mamdani and Spanberger also tied their opponents to Trump’s influence.
Mamdani also addressed Trump directly during his victory speech.
“I have four words for you, turn the volume up,” he mayor-elect said to a roar of supporters’ cheers.
The president reacted angrily to the wins on social media, arguing that the ongoing government shutdown and the fact that he was not on the ballot as the reasons Republicans lost.
(WASHINGTON) — The government shutdown on Wednesday entered its 36th day, officially becoming the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
That means the two longest shutdowns in American politics have occurred under President Donald Trump, with the previous 35-day record having been set during his first term in 2019.
There’s been little movement on Capitol Hill over the past five weeks as Republicans and Democrats blame one another for the stalemate. Democrats are keeping up their demand for an extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, while Trump and Republicans say they won’t negotiate until the government is reopened.
Meanwhile, the impact on Americans is growing more painful by the day.
The 42 million Americans who rely on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits are left vulnerable after funding lapsed and the administration committed to only partial payments.
ACA recipients saw their health insurance premiums spike as open enrollment began on Nov. 1, in some cases as much as 300%.
Airports across the country are experiencing delays amid staffing shortages, with thousands of air traffic controllers working without pay. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned “mass chaos” could be in store and some airspace might have to be closed if the shutdown continues.
How we got here Here are key moments from the shutdown so far.
Oct. 1: The federal government shut down at 12:01 a.m. after Republican and Democratic proposals that would have funded the government failed in the Senate at the eleventh hour. The Democrat bill included extensions for health care subsidies under the ACA while the Republican bill would have funded the government at current levels until Nov. 1.
Oct. 10: The Trump administration begins to layoff thousands of federal workers. Agencies impacted include the Commerce, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Homeland Security and Treasury departments. Among those fired are substance abuse and mental health services employees, special education staff and more.
Oct. 14: Two weeks into the shutdown with virtually no progress, House Speaker Mike Johnson predicts they are headed toward “one of the longest shutdowns in American history.” The House has remained out of session the entire shutdown after Republican members passed a clean, seven-week funding bill in mid-September.
Oct. 15: The Pentagon says that troops have been paid and will not miss a paycheck due to the shutdown. The military did this by moving $8 billion from existing funds.
Oct. 24: More than 500,000 federal employees miss their first full paycheck. Just days later, the president of the country’s largest union representing federal workers called on lawmakers to pass a short-term spending bill to end the shutdown, a statement seized on by Republicans to ramp up pressure on Democrats.
Oct. 30: President Trump, back from a weeklong trip to Asia, reinserts himself in the shutdown drama by calling on Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster and unilaterally reopen the government. But his call is quickly rebuffed by Senate Majority Leader John Thune.
Nov. 1: Funds run dry for SNAP benefits, leaving 42 million Americans vulnerable. (The Trump administration, after being ordered to do so by a federal judge, later says it will dip into contingency funds for benefits but those payments will only be partial ones.) Plus, open enrollment begins for Affordable Care Act recipients with prices for insurance premiums skyrocketing next year.
Nov. 4: The Senate fails for the 14th time to advance a clean, short-term funding bill. The record is tied for longest-shutdown in history.
What’s next? A major question going forward is whether Trump will get more personally involved in trying to bring the shutdown to an end.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, asked that question on Tuesday, said Trump’s “making his position on it quite clear” as she reiterated his call for Republicans to nuke the filibuster. Thune has said he doesn’t believe enough Senate Republicans will go for changing the traditional Senate rule.
All Senate Republicans have been invited to the White House for a breakfast tomorrow morning, a White House official and two Congressional aides confirmed to ABC News.
Behind the scenes, a small bipartisan group of rank-and-file senators are in conversation to try to find a way out of this shutdown. Some Senate Republicans told ABC News Senior Political Correspondent Rachel Scott they believed they could get some more moderate Democrats to their side after Tuesday’s elections — though Senate Democrats haven’t said as much.
The talking points made by leaders all shutdown long continued on Tuesday.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in floor remarks on Tuesday, said there deserves to be a “serious negotiation” on health care and that Democrats “are going to keep pushing to get these tax credits extended.”
Thune said he hopes this is the week that Democrats “come to their senses” and vote to reopen the government. The Senate leader said he was “still at a loss as to what it is exactly they’re trying to get out of this.”
In the meantime, the clock is running out on the short-term funding measure that was passed by the House and put up 14 times by the Senate, as it would only fund the government until Nov. 21. Thune has said the date would have to be changed, adding in a new question of what the new date would be.
(WASHINGTON) — High-profile races are unfolding across the country on Tuesday, including New York City’s mayoral election and governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia.
In California, voters will consider a ballot measure that puts forth a redrawn congressional map that could net Democrats five House seats.
The elections come with high-stakes for both Democrats and Republicans, and will provide a picture of how Americans feel about President Donald Trump’s first nine months in office.
Here’s how the news is developing.
Obama on Democratic wins: ‘Future looks a little bit brighter’
Former President Barack Obama reacted to the flurry of Democratic wins on Tuesday, saying on X, “It’s a reminder that when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win. We’ve still got plenty of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter.”
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
House Speaker Mike Johnson slams Mamdani after win
House Speaker Mike Johnson put out a statement criticizing Mamdani and the Democrats after his historic win.
Johnson said Mamdani’s win “cements” the Democratic Party’s “transformation to a radical, big-government socialist party.”
“Now, every House Democrat incumbent and candidate will co-own Mamdani’s disastrous record in the 2026 midterms,” he added.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
Mamdani posts video after winning mayoral election
Mamdani posted a short video on Bluesky after several outlets projected he would win the New York City mayoral election.
The video showed a subway door opening at the City Hall stop, with an announcement saying, “The next stop is City Hall.”
Sherrill: ‘I promise to listen, lead with courage and never forget who I serve’
As of 9:30 p.m. with 63% of the expected vote reporting, Democrat Mikie Sherrill is projected to win the New Jersey gubernatorial election against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, currently holding a more than 14-point lead (57% to 42.4%).
“New Jersey, it is the honor of my life to earn your trust to become this great state’s 57th Governor,” Sherrill said, celebrating her victory. “I promise to listen, lead with courage, and never forget who I serve.”
The former Navy pilot makes history as the first Democratic female governor of New Jersey. Former Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, who served two terms from 1994 to 2001, was the state’s first female governor.
Sherrill’s victory breaks a notable trend in the state, as no party has controlled the New Jersey governor’s seat for three consecutive terms since the 1960s. Her Democratic governorship will immediately succeed current Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy’s back-to-back terms.
Tuesday’s results mark Ciattarelli’s third unsuccessful bid for governor. The former state assemblyman set his sights on the governor’s mansion in 2017, but failed to secure the Republican primary. He made it to the general election in 2021, but lost to Murphy by just 3 points.
Sherrill consistently led Ciattarelli in the polls throughout the course of the campaign, though their distance narrowed slightly in the days leading up to the election.
Ciattarelli’s loss comes as Republicans have tightened their margins in New Jersey in recent years, with Trump losing the state by just 6 points in 2024, compared to 16 points in 2020.
ABC News projects Democrat Zohran Mamdani will win the New York City mayoral election.
He is set to be the first the city’s Muslim mayor of south Asian descent.
ABC News projects Sherrill will win NJ governor race
ABC News projects Democrat Mikie Sherrill will win the New Jersey governor’s race against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, based on an analysis of the vote.
Ghazala Hashmi the first Muslim woman to win statewide office in US history
Democrat Ghazala Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to win statewide office in U.S. history.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) highlighted the historic moment.
“We hope this historic moment will inspire American Muslims to continue pursuing public service in Virginia and across the country,” the organization said in a statement.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
Trump adviser implies that Winsome Earle-Sears was a bad candidate
Following Spanberger’s victory in Virginia, Trump’s political adviser and 2024 co-campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, seemed to imply that Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears was a bad candidate.
“A Bad candidate and Bad campaign have consequences – the Virginia Governor’s race is example number 1,” LaCivita posted on X.
LaCivita’s post comes after a tele-rally Monday night for Virginia’s Republican candidates, during which Trump did not mention Earle-Sears by name.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Sherrill continues to lead with 41% of the expected vote in
As of 9:01 p.m., with 41% of the expected vote in, Democrat Mikie Sherrill continues to lead against Republican Jack Ciattarelli by just over 14 points (56.7% to 42.4%) in the New Jersey governor’s race.
This comes after a judge ruled for a one-hour extension of some Passaic County polling centers due to unfounded bomb threats earlier Tuesday. As of 9 p.m., all New Jersey polls are now closed.
Spanberger on historic projected victory
While surrounded by her daughters during her victory speech, Abigail Spanberger remarked on the historic nature of her projected win in Virginia.
She said ahead of her speech that her husband said to their daughters, “Your mom’s going to be the governor of Virginia.”
“I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia ever before,” she said.
“It’s a big deal that the girls and the young women I have met along the campaign trail now know with certainty that they can achieve anything,” she continued.
Polls close in New York City
Polls are now closed in New York City, where the mayoral race has garnered national attention.
NYC turnout surpasses 56-year record
With 15 minutes left until polls close, over 2 million New York City voters cast a ballot for this year’s race, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
This surpasses the 1.9 million votes cast in 1993 and 1989. The last time the tally surpassed 2 million votes was in 1969, according to the BOE.
Majority of independent voters, women backed Sherrill: Exit poll
A preliminary exit poll analysis by ABC News shed more light on the turnout in the New Jersey governor’s race.
Over half of independents support Democrat Mikie Sherrill and she had the support of roughly 6 in 10 New Jersey female voters, according to preliminary exit poll data.
Roughly half of male voters in the state supported Republican Jack Ciatterelli, the preliminary analysis found.
A majority of New Jersey voters under 45 supported Sherrill according to early exit polling, while those 45 and older roughly split their votes roughly evenly between the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor, according to the data.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
‘Tonight we sent a message’: Spanberger
During her victory speech in the Virginia governor’s race, Abigail Spanberger told the cheering crowd, “Tonight we sent a message.”
The message to Virginia, the country and the world, she said, is that Virginia “chose pragmatism over partisanship.”
“We chose our commonwealth over chaos,” she said. “You all chose leadership that will focus relentlessly on what matters most — lowering costs, keeping our communities safe and strengthening our economy for every Virginian.”
She said she intends to serve all Virginians.
“I have worked with anyone and everyone, regardless of political party, to deliver results for the people that I serve, and that’s because I believe in this idea that there is so much more that unites us as Virginians and as Americans than divides us,” she said.
Voting extended in NJ county after unfounded bomb threats
Polls will remain open in parts of Passaic County, New Jersey, after unfounded bomb threats earlier in the day halted voting at locations across the northern part of the state, a judge ruled late Tuesday.
Voters will be allowed to cast their ballots until 9 p.m. ET at three schools in the Paterson area of Passaic County, which has been a swing county in recent cycles.
-ABC News’ Jared Kofsky, Olivia Rubin and Lucien Bruggeman
Polls close in New Jersey
Polls are now closed in New Jersey, one of only two states holding gubernatorial races this November. The race tightened in the run-up to Election Day.
ABC News projects Spanberger will win Virginia governor’s race
ABC News projects Democrat Abigail Spanberger will win the Virginia governor’s race, based on an analysis of the vote.
Polls now closed in Virginia
Polls are now closed in Virginia, where there is a closely watched governor’s race.
New Jersey voters focused on taxes and economy: Exit polls
Taxes and the economy are the most important issues for New Jersey voters, according to a preliminary exit poll analysis by ABC News.
Most New Jersey voters said the economy in the state was doing “not so good” or “poor,” and that property taxes were “a major problem” where they live, according to the analysis.
Most New Jersey voters also said electricity costs where they live are “a major problem,” according to the analysis.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
Kentucky election official informs state voters there is no election this year following complaints
Election officials in Kentucky felt compelled to address a surprising complaint from some constituents on Tuesday: Why are polling places closed?
The answer? There aren’t any elections in Kentucky.
That didn’t keep some voters in the state from flocking to polling places, only to be disappointed to learn that they could not vote for high-profile races in Virginia and New York, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.
“We’re getting calls about polls being closed. They are closed because we do not have elections today,” he wrote on X. “Kentucky votes next year. You cannot vote today in Kentucky for the mayor of New York City or the Governor of Virginia. Sorry.”
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman
NYC voters are concerned about the cost of living: Exit poll
More than half of voters in New York City said Tuesday that the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city, dwarfing the other issues measured in preliminary ABC News exit polling.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
Schumer refuses to say who he voted for in NYC mayoral election
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dodged a question by a reporter who asked if he voted for Mamdani or Cuomo in the election.
“Look I voted, and I Iook forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City,” he said before taking another question.
Schumer has not publicly supported Mamdani since he won the Democratic primary in June.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 20-year high, with hours to go until polls close
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close marking the highest turnout for a city election in 20 years, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
The last time a city election vote exceeded 1.3 million was in 2005, when Michael Bloomberg was re-elected to a second term, according to BOE records.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 2021 total, halfway through the day
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
‘Another baseless claim,’ California officials dismiss Trump
The California secretary of state slammed President Donald Trump over his unfounded claims about the state’s election.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement that Trump’s comments appeared to be “another baseless claim”– and urged voters to head to the polls.
“California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy,” she said.
Additionally, a spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said that Trump is “continuing to spread lies,” adding that elections in California are “fair, safe, and secure.”
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Trump says California redistricting vote is under ‘criminal review’
After President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post that California’s Proposition 50 should be under “very serious legal and criminal review,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House is “looking into” providing “executive action.”
“The White House is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country, and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California with their universal mail-in voting system. It’s absolutely true that there’s fraud in California elections. It’s just a fact,” Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.
Leavitt’s comments come after Trump laid into the proposal — where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas — calling it a “GIANT SCAM.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.
2 hours and 49 minutes ago
Trump has made his thoughts on NYC mayoral election ‘quite clear,’ White House says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has made his thoughts on the New York City mayoral election “quite clear.”
“The president is a New Yorker, and he loves New York. He has made his thoughts on this election quite clear,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also addressed Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s comments accusing the Trump administration of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud,” saying his comments are “based on zero evidence.”
“I think this is just another example of how the Democratic Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump, and I think it’s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on election day today saying such things about the president, when he obviously had nothing to do with those threats,” Leavitt said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Mamdani addressed reports of voter intimidation in New Jersey, saying these incident are “incredibly concerning.”
“I think that it is an illustration of the attacks we’re seeing in our democracy,” he continued, accusing the Trump administration of adopting a “general approach” of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,” Mamdani said.
Trump endorsed Cuomo on Monday in a social media post. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote.
3 hours and 50 minutes ago
Trump and Newsom square off on Prop 50
President Donald Trump and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom are sparring over the vote on Proposition 50, the ballot proposition where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
On social media, Trump laid into the proposal as a “GIANT SCAM” and that voting process itself is “rigged.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote.
Newsom hit back on X: “The ramblings of an old man that knows he’s about to LOSE.”
Democrats feel particularly bullish about their chances in California tonight.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
3 hours and 58 minutes ago
GOP groups attack Mamdani, attempt to link him to broader Democratic Party
As voters head to the polls, various Republican groups have released statements and memos attacking New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, as the Republican Party continues to tie the self-described democratic socialist to the broader Democratic Party as a way to paint Democrats as radical and out of touch.
The messaging, while not new, reflects how the Republican Party hopes to use Mamdani as an albatross against Democrats.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, in a memo released on Tuesday morning framing Republicans as having more momentum one year out to the 2026 midterms, claimed that Democrats are fully on board with “the socialist agenda.”
“Democrats are now fully embracing the socialist agenda, with Hakeem Jeffries endorsing radical socialist Zohran Mamdani just last week,” the committee wrote, calling this “electoral poison for Democrats” because Democrats view socialism more negatively than capitalism.
Additionally, the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the campaign arm of Senate Republicans — sent out a flurry of at least seven memos early Tuesday tying Democratic primary candidates in key Senate races to Mamdani.
In a press release on Monday, the Republican National Convention grouped Mamdani with the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, saying they “are all cut from the same far-left cloth.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Brittany Shepherd and Emily Chang
12:05 PM EST
Cuomo says Trump ‘does not support me’ but ‘opposes Zohran Mamdani’
While casting his vote for himself on Tuesday morning, independent candidate for mayor of New York City and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said President Donald Trump does not support him but “opposes Zohran Mamdani.”
“The president does not support me. The president opposes Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo said when asked if he accepts Trump’s recent endorsement.
Cuomo was also asked what’s at stake nationally in this election, to which he told reporters, “I think what you’re seeing is a civil war in the Democratic Party that has been growing for a while.”
The former governor said Trump believes Mamdani is an “existential threat” and that the “momentum is on our side.”
-ABC News’ Halle Troadec
11:27 AM EST
Vance urges support for New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Ciattarelli as race tightens
Vice President JD Vance urged voters in New Jersey to cast their vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, as the race tightens between Ciattarelli and the Democrats’ pick, former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill.
“Get out there and vote for Jack if you live in NJ. New Jersey is such a great state but it’s suffered too long under crap leadership,” Vance wrote on Tuesday.
According to a Quinnipiac poll, Ciattarelli is lagging Sherill only by single digits in the race, with Sherill leading Ciatttarelli by 8 points in the full ballot matchup.
Former President Barack Obama has previously endorsed Sherill, saying her “integrity, grit and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders.”
In addition to being backed by Vance, Ciattarelli also boasts the support of President Donald Trump.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
11:10 AM EST
Implications of NYC’s mayoral race stretch beyond the Big Apple
While New Yorkers are focused on solving key issues of affordability and public safety, the implications of the mayoral race could stretch beyond the five boroughs.
This local off-year election has garnered national attention and is considered representative of political headwinds ahead of the 2026 midterms. Candidates are zeroed in on navigating the impacts of President Donald Trump’s second term, and Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy has shed light on how the Democratic Party has struggled to balance its progressive and moderate sides.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:49 AM EST
Cuomo votes, calls Trump ‘pragmatic’ for encouraging Republicans to back him
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appeared to cast his ballot at a polling place on the East Side of Manhattan on Tuesday morning, called President Donald Trump “pragmatic” for encouraging Republican voters to support him in the New York City mayoral election, instead of the GOP nominee, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, to blunt a victory for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
“President Trump is pragmatic. He is telling them the reality of the situation, which is, if you do not vote, Mamdani is going to win. Who is Mamdani? I don’t know, but he’s a Democratic socialist that brings socialism to New York City. New York City will not thrive with a socialist economy,” Cuomo, who is running as an independent, said on Fox News on Tuesday. “So Republicans, you have to get up and come out and vote. Even if you’re not voting for a Republican, you’re voting to save New York City.”
Cuomo went on to say that Mamdani’s campaign promises to lower costs and expand government resources — by freezing the rent temporarily on rent stabilized units, providing government-run grocery stores and free city busses — is “all BS.”
“It’s not up to the mayor. It’s up to the state. State said they’re not going to do it. It’s all BS, it’s all campaign rhetoric. None of it will change anybody’s life,” Cuomo argued.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
10:37 AM EST
Mikie Sherrill says there’s ‘no credible’ threats to New Jersey voting
Accompanied by her husband and children, New Jersey’s Democratic nominee for governor Mikie Sherrill appeared at a Montclair voting center to cast her ballot and address the press.
Sherrill sought to assure voters that it is currently safe to cast ballots throughout the state, after multiple polling places temporarily closed in northern New Jersey after precincts fielded emailed bomb threats later deemed to be not credible, prompting election officials to direct some voters to other polling places.
“We’ve checked out all the bomb threats. There are no credible ones yet. Law enforcement is working overtime to keep our elections safe, so I don’t see any threat to voting,” Sherrill said. She called the scare an “attempt to suppress the vote.”
-ABC News’ Emily Chang and Lucien Bruggeman
10:24 AM EST
Mamdani casts his ballot: ‘We are on the brink of making history’
Just moments after casting his ballot on the morning of Election Day, New York City mayoral Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani proudly branded an “I voted” sticker and emphasized his vision to “usher in a new era in this city.”
“Today is Election Day. It is a day that we have been dreaming of for more than a year,” he began. “We are on the brink of making history in our city, on the brink of saying goodbye to a politics of the past.”
Mamdani emphasized his platform centered on affordability, touting his plan to “transform the most expensive city of the United States of America into one that’s affordable for each and every person that calls it home.”
Asked by ABC News’ Aaron Katersky on what he would say to New Yorkers concerned that President Donald Trump will follow through on his threats, Mamdani reiterated his resolve to stand up to Trump and argued that the president’s words sometimes hold no weight.
“I look forward to representing those New Yorkers, and look forward to fighting for every single dollar this city is owed. What we see in the language of Donald Trump is a premise, as if it is his decision on whether or not to fund the city the very money that this city is owed … That means using the courts, that means using the bully pulpit, that means ensuring that we actually follow the letter of the law,” he said.
Mamdani is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, along with some other independent and third-party candidates.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:13 AM EST
Voters head to polls in 1st major elections of Trump 2.0
It’s Election Day in America, and voters across the country are heading to the polls in statewide and local elections.
It’s the first major election cycle since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The results from Tuesday’s races will give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the country and their communities.
Trump joined election eve tele-rallies supporting Republican candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, where he focused on energy costs and crime. He also threw out an eleventh-hour endorsement in New York City’s mayoral election, urging voters to support Andrew Cuomo over Zohran Mamdani.
(WASHINGTON) — High-profile races are unfolding across the country on Tuesday, including New York City’s mayoral election and governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia.
In California, voters will consider a ballot measure that puts forth a redrawn congressional map that could net Democrats five House seats.
The elections come with high-stakes for both Democrats and Republicans, and will provide a picture of how Americans feel about President Donald Trump’s first nine months in office.
Here’s how the news is developing.
Trump adviser implies that Winsome Earle-Sears was a bad candidate
Following Spanberger’s victory in Virginia, Trump’s political adviser and 2024 co-campaign manager, Chris LaCivita, seemed to imply that Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears was a bad candidate.
“A Bad candidate and Bad campaign have consequences – the Virginia Governor’s race is example number 1,” LaCivita posted on X.
LaCivita’s post comes after a tele-rally Monday night for Virginia’s Republican candidates, during which Trump did not mention Earle-Sears by name.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
Sherrill continues to lead with 41% of the expected vote in
As of 9:01 p.m., with 41% of the expected vote in, Democrat Mikie Sherrill continues to lead against Republican Jack Ciattarelli by just over 14 points (56.7% to 42.4%) in the New Jersey governor’s race.
This comes after a judge ruled for a one-hour extension of some Passaic County polling centers due to unfounded bomb threats earlier Tuesday. As of 9 p.m., all New Jersey polls are now closed.
Spanberger on historic projected victory
While surrounded by her daughters during her victory speech, Abigail Spanberger remarked on the historic nature of her projected win in Virginia.
She said ahead of her speech that her husband said to their daughters, “Your mom’s going to be the governor of Virginia.”
“I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia ever before,” she said.
“It’s a big deal that the girls and the young women I have met along the campaign trail now know with certainty that they can achieve anything,” she continued.
Polls close in New York City
Polls are now closed in New York City, where the mayoral race has garnered national attention.
NYC turnout surpasses 56-year record
With 15 minutes left until polls close, over 2 million New York City voters cast a ballot for this year’s race, according to the city’s Board of Elections.
This surpasses the 1.9 million votes cast in 1993 and 1989. The last time the tally surpassed 2 million votes was in 1969, according to the BOE.
Majority of independent voters, women backed Sherrill: Exit poll
A preliminary exit poll analysis by ABC News shed more light on the turnout in the New Jersey governor’s race.
Over half of independents support Democrat Mikie Sherrill and she had the support of roughly 6 in 10 New Jersey female voters, according to preliminary exit poll data.
Roughly half of male voters in the state supported Republican Jack Ciatterelli, the preliminary analysis found.
A majority of New Jersey voters under 45 supported Sherrill according to early exit polling, while those 45 and older roughly split their votes roughly evenly between the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor, according to the data.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
‘Tonight we sent a message’: Spanberger
During her victory speech in the Virginia governor’s race, Abigail Spanberger told the cheering crowd, “Tonight we sent a message.”
The message to Virginia, the country and the world, she said, is that Virginia “chose pragmatism over partisanship.”
“We chose our commonwealth over chaos,” she said. “You all chose leadership that will focus relentlessly on what matters most — lowering costs, keeping our communities safe and strengthening our economy for every Virginian.”
She said she intends to serve all Virginians.
“I have worked with anyone and everyone, regardless of political party, to deliver results for the people that I serve, and that’s because I believe in this idea that there is so much more that unites us as Virginians and as Americans than divides us,” she said.
Voting extended in NJ county after unfounded bomb threats
Polls will remain open in parts of Passaic County, New Jersey, after unfounded bomb threats earlier in the day halted voting at locations across the northern part of the state, a judge ruled late Tuesday.
Voters will be allowed to cast their ballots until 9 p.m. ET at three schools in the Paterson area of Passaic County, which has been a swing county in recent cycles.
-ABC News’ Jared Kofsky, Olivia Rubin and Lucien Bruggeman
Polls close in New Jersey
Polls are now closed in New Jersey, one of only two states holding gubernatorial races this November. The race tightened in the run-up to Election Day.
ABC News projects Spanberger will win Virginia governor’s race
ABC News projects Democrat Abigail Spanberger will win the Virginia governor’s race, based on an analysis of the vote.
Polls now closed in Virginia
Polls are now closed in Virginia, where there is a closely watched governor’s race.
New Jersey voters focused on taxes and economy: Exit polls
Taxes and the economy are the most important issues for New Jersey voters, according to a preliminary exit poll analysis by ABC News.
Most New Jersey voters said the economy in the state was doing “not so good” or “poor,” and that property taxes were “a major problem” where they live, according to the analysis.
Most New Jersey voters also said electricity costs where they live are “a major problem,” according to the analysis.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
Kentucky election official informs state voters there is no election this year following complaints
Election officials in Kentucky felt compelled to address a surprising complaint from some constituents on Tuesday: Why are polling places closed?
The answer? There aren’t any elections in Kentucky.
That didn’t keep some voters in the state from flocking to polling places, only to be disappointed to learn that they could not vote for high-profile races in Virginia and New York, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.
“We’re getting calls about polls being closed. They are closed because we do not have elections today,” he wrote on X. “Kentucky votes next year. You cannot vote today in Kentucky for the mayor of New York City or the Governor of Virginia. Sorry.”
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman
NYC voters are concerned about the cost of living: Exit poll
More than half of voters in New York City said Tuesday that the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city, dwarfing the other issues measured in preliminary ABC News exit polling.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
Schumer refuses to say who he voted for in NYC mayoral election
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dodged a question by a reporter who asked if he voted for Mamdani or Cuomo in the election.
“Look I voted, and I Iook forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City,” he said before taking another question.
Schumer has not publicly supported Mamdani since he won the Democratic primary in June.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 20-year high, with hours to go until polls close
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close marking the highest turnout for a city election in 20 years, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
The last time a city election vote exceeded 1.3 million was in 2005, when Michael Bloomberg was re-elected to a second term, according to BOE records.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 2021 total, halfway through the day
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
‘Another baseless claim,’ California officials dismiss Trump
The California secretary of state slammed President Donald Trump over his unfounded claims about the state’s election.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement that Trump’s comments appeared to be “another baseless claim”– and urged voters to head to the polls.
“California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy,” she said.
Additionally, a spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said that Trump is “continuing to spread lies,” adding that elections in California are “fair, safe, and secure.”
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Trump says California redistricting vote is under ‘criminal review’
After President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post that California’s Proposition 50 should be under “very serious legal and criminal review,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House is “looking into” providing “executive action.”
“The White House is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country, and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California with their universal mail-in voting system. It’s absolutely true that there’s fraud in California elections. It’s just a fact,” Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.
Leavitt’s comments come after Trump laid into the proposal — where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas — calling it a “GIANT SCAM.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.
2 hours and 49 minutes ago
Trump has made his thoughts on NYC mayoral election ‘quite clear,’ White House says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has made his thoughts on the New York City mayoral election “quite clear.”
“The president is a New Yorker, and he loves New York. He has made his thoughts on this election quite clear,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also addressed Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s comments accusing the Trump administration of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud,” saying his comments are “based on zero evidence.”
“I think this is just another example of how the Democratic Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump, and I think it’s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on election day today saying such things about the president, when he obviously had nothing to do with those threats,” Leavitt said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Mamdani addressed reports of voter intimidation in New Jersey, saying these incident are “incredibly concerning.”
“I think that it is an illustration of the attacks we’re seeing in our democracy,” he continued, accusing the Trump administration of adopting a “general approach” of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,” Mamdani said.
Trump endorsed Cuomo on Monday in a social media post. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote.
3 hours and 50 minutes ago
Trump and Newsom square off on Prop 50
President Donald Trump and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom are sparring over the vote on Proposition 50, the ballot proposition where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
On social media, Trump laid into the proposal as a “GIANT SCAM” and that voting process itself is “rigged.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote.
Newsom hit back on X: “The ramblings of an old man that knows he’s about to LOSE.”
Democrats feel particularly bullish about their chances in California tonight.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
3 hours and 58 minutes ago
GOP groups attack Mamdani, attempt to link him to broader Democratic Party
As voters head to the polls, various Republican groups have released statements and memos attacking New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, as the Republican Party continues to tie the self-described democratic socialist to the broader Democratic Party as a way to paint Democrats as radical and out of touch.
The messaging, while not new, reflects how the Republican Party hopes to use Mamdani as an albatross against Democrats.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, in a memo released on Tuesday morning framing Republicans as having more momentum one year out to the 2026 midterms, claimed that Democrats are fully on board with “the socialist agenda.”
“Democrats are now fully embracing the socialist agenda, with Hakeem Jeffries endorsing radical socialist Zohran Mamdani just last week,” the committee wrote, calling this “electoral poison for Democrats” because Democrats view socialism more negatively than capitalism.
Additionally, the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the campaign arm of Senate Republicans — sent out a flurry of at least seven memos early Tuesday tying Democratic primary candidates in key Senate races to Mamdani.
In a press release on Monday, the Republican National Convention grouped Mamdani with the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, saying they “are all cut from the same far-left cloth.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Brittany Shepherd and Emily Chang
12:05 PM EST
Cuomo says Trump ‘does not support me’ but ‘opposes Zohran Mamdani’
While casting his vote for himself on Tuesday morning, independent candidate for mayor of New York City and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said President Donald Trump does not support him but “opposes Zohran Mamdani.”
“The president does not support me. The president opposes Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo said when asked if he accepts Trump’s recent endorsement.
Cuomo was also asked what’s at stake nationally in this election, to which he told reporters, “I think what you’re seeing is a civil war in the Democratic Party that has been growing for a while.”
The former governor said Trump believes Mamdani is an “existential threat” and that the “momentum is on our side.”
-ABC News’ Halle Troadec
11:27 AM EST
Vance urges support for New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Ciattarelli as race tightens
Vice President JD Vance urged voters in New Jersey to cast their vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, as the race tightens between Ciattarelli and the Democrats’ pick, former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill.
“Get out there and vote for Jack if you live in NJ. New Jersey is such a great state but it’s suffered too long under crap leadership,” Vance wrote on Tuesday.
According to a Quinnipiac poll, Ciattarelli is lagging Sherill only by single digits in the race, with Sherill leading Ciatttarelli by 8 points in the full ballot matchup.
Former President Barack Obama has previously endorsed Sherill, saying her “integrity, grit and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders.”
In addition to being backed by Vance, Ciattarelli also boasts the support of President Donald Trump.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
11:10 AM EST
Implications of NYC’s mayoral race stretch beyond the Big Apple
While New Yorkers are focused on solving key issues of affordability and public safety, the implications of the mayoral race could stretch beyond the five boroughs.
This local off-year election has garnered national attention and is considered representative of political headwinds ahead of the 2026 midterms. Candidates are zeroed in on navigating the impacts of President Donald Trump’s second term, and Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy has shed light on how the Democratic Party has struggled to balance its progressive and moderate sides.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:49 AM EST
Cuomo votes, calls Trump ‘pragmatic’ for encouraging Republicans to back him
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appeared to cast his ballot at a polling place on the East Side of Manhattan on Tuesday morning, called President Donald Trump “pragmatic” for encouraging Republican voters to support him in the New York City mayoral election, instead of the GOP nominee, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, to blunt a victory for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
“President Trump is pragmatic. He is telling them the reality of the situation, which is, if you do not vote, Mamdani is going to win. Who is Mamdani? I don’t know, but he’s a Democratic socialist that brings socialism to New York City. New York City will not thrive with a socialist economy,” Cuomo, who is running as an independent, said on Fox News on Tuesday. “So Republicans, you have to get up and come out and vote. Even if you’re not voting for a Republican, you’re voting to save New York City.”
Cuomo went on to say that Mamdani’s campaign promises to lower costs and expand government resources — by freezing the rent temporarily on rent stabilized units, providing government-run grocery stores and free city busses — is “all BS.”
“It’s not up to the mayor. It’s up to the state. State said they’re not going to do it. It’s all BS, it’s all campaign rhetoric. None of it will change anybody’s life,” Cuomo argued.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
10:37 AM EST
Mikie Sherrill says there’s ‘no credible’ threats to New Jersey voting
Accompanied by her husband and children, New Jersey’s Democratic nominee for governor Mikie Sherrill appeared at a Montclair voting center to cast her ballot and address the press.
Sherrill sought to assure voters that it is currently safe to cast ballots throughout the state, after multiple polling places temporarily closed in northern New Jersey after precincts fielded emailed bomb threats later deemed to be not credible, prompting election officials to direct some voters to other polling places.
“We’ve checked out all the bomb threats. There are no credible ones yet. Law enforcement is working overtime to keep our elections safe, so I don’t see any threat to voting,” Sherrill said. She called the scare an “attempt to suppress the vote.”
-ABC News’ Emily Chang and Lucien Bruggeman
10:24 AM EST
Mamdani casts his ballot: ‘We are on the brink of making history’
Just moments after casting his ballot on the morning of Election Day, New York City mayoral Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani proudly branded an “I voted” sticker and emphasized his vision to “usher in a new era in this city.”
“Today is Election Day. It is a day that we have been dreaming of for more than a year,” he began. “We are on the brink of making history in our city, on the brink of saying goodbye to a politics of the past.”
Mamdani emphasized his platform centered on affordability, touting his plan to “transform the most expensive city of the United States of America into one that’s affordable for each and every person that calls it home.”
Asked by ABC News’ Aaron Katersky on what he would say to New Yorkers concerned that President Donald Trump will follow through on his threats, Mamdani reiterated his resolve to stand up to Trump and argued that the president’s words sometimes hold no weight.
“I look forward to representing those New Yorkers, and look forward to fighting for every single dollar this city is owed. What we see in the language of Donald Trump is a premise, as if it is his decision on whether or not to fund the city the very money that this city is owed … That means using the courts, that means using the bully pulpit, that means ensuring that we actually follow the letter of the law,” he said.
Mamdani is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, along with some other independent and third-party candidates.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:13 AM EST
Voters head to polls in 1st major elections of Trump 2.0
It’s Election Day in America, and voters across the country are heading to the polls in statewide and local elections.
It’s the first major election cycle since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The results from Tuesday’s races will give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the country and their communities.
Trump joined election eve tele-rallies supporting Republican candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, where he focused on energy costs and crime. He also threw out an eleventh-hour endorsement in New York City’s mayoral election, urging voters to support Andrew Cuomo over Zohran Mamdani.
(WASHINGTON) — High-profile races are unfolding across the country on Tuesday, including New York City’s mayoral election and governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia.
In California, voters will consider a ballot measure that puts forth a redrawn congressional map that could net Democrats five House seats.
The elections come with high-stakes for both Democrats and Republicans, and will provide a picture of how Americans feel about President Donald Trump’s first nine months in office.
Here’s how the news is developing.
Polls close in New Jersey
Polls are now closed in New Jersey, one of only two states holding gubernatorial races this November. The race tightened in the run-up to Election Day.
ABC News projects Spanberger will win Virginia governor’s race
ABC News projects Democrat Abigail Spanberger will win the Virginia governor’s race, based on an analysis of the vote.
Polls now closed in Virginia
Polls are now closed in Virginia, where there is a closely watched governor’s race.
New Jersey voters focused on taxes and economy: Exit polls
Taxes and the economy are the most important issues for New Jersey voters, according to a preliminary exit poll analysis by ABC News.
Most New Jersey voters said the economy in the state was doing “not so good” or “poor,” and that property taxes were “a major problem” where they live, according to the analysis.
Most New Jersey voters also said electricity costs where they live are “a major problem,” according to the analysis.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
Kentucky election official informs state voters there is no election this year following complaints
Election officials in Kentucky felt compelled to address a surprising complaint from some constituents on Tuesday: Why are polling places closed?
The answer? There aren’t any elections in Kentucky.
That didn’t keep some voters in the state from flocking to polling places, only to be disappointed to learn that they could not vote for high-profile races in Virginia and New York, according to Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.
“We’re getting calls about polls being closed. They are closed because we do not have elections today,” he wrote on X. “Kentucky votes next year. You cannot vote today in Kentucky for the mayor of New York City or the Governor of Virginia. Sorry.”
-ABC News’ Lucien Bruggeman
NYC voters are concerned about the cost of living: Exit poll
More than half of voters in New York City said Tuesday that the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city, dwarfing the other issues measured in preliminary ABC News exit polling.
-ABC News’ Emily Guskin
Schumer refuses to say who he voted for in NYC mayoral election
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer dodged a question by a reporter who asked if he voted for Mamdani or Cuomo in the election.
“Look I voted, and I Iook forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City,” he said before taking another question.
Schumer has not publicly supported Mamdani since he won the Democratic primary in June.
-ABC News’ Lauren Peller
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 20-year high, with hours to go until polls close
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close marking the highest turnout for a city election in 20 years, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
The last time a city election vote exceeded 1.3 million was in 2005, when Michael Bloomberg was re-elected to a second term, according to BOE records.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 2021 total, halfway through the day
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
‘Another baseless claim,’ California officials dismiss Trump
The California secretary of state slammed President Donald Trump over his unfounded claims about the state’s election.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement that Trump’s comments appeared to be “another baseless claim”– and urged voters to head to the polls.
“California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy,” she said.
Additionally, a spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said that Trump is “continuing to spread lies,” adding that elections in California are “fair, safe, and secure.”
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
Trump says California redistricting vote is under ‘criminal review’
After President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post that California’s Proposition 50 should be under “very serious legal and criminal review,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House is “looking into” providing “executive action.”
“The White House is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country, and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California with their universal mail-in voting system. It’s absolutely true that there’s fraud in California elections. It’s just a fact,” Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.
Leavitt’s comments come after Trump laid into the proposal — where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas — calling it a “GIANT SCAM.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.
2 hours and 49 minutes ago
Trump has made his thoughts on NYC mayoral election ‘quite clear,’ White House says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has made his thoughts on the New York City mayoral election “quite clear.”
“The president is a New Yorker, and he loves New York. He has made his thoughts on this election quite clear,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also addressed Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s comments accusing the Trump administration of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud,” saying his comments are “based on zero evidence.”
“I think this is just another example of how the Democratic Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump, and I think it’s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on election day today saying such things about the president, when he obviously had nothing to do with those threats,” Leavitt said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Mamdani addressed reports of voter intimidation in New Jersey, saying these incident are “incredibly concerning.”
“I think that it is an illustration of the attacks we’re seeing in our democracy,” he continued, accusing the Trump administration of adopting a “general approach” of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,” Mamdani said.
Trump endorsed Cuomo on Monday in a social media post. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote.
3 hours and 50 minutes ago
Trump and Newsom square off on Prop 50
President Donald Trump and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom are sparring over the vote on Proposition 50, the ballot proposition where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
On social media, Trump laid into the proposal as a “GIANT SCAM” and that voting process itself is “rigged.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote.
Newsom hit back on X: “The ramblings of an old man that knows he’s about to LOSE.”
Democrats feel particularly bullish about their chances in California tonight.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
3 hours and 58 minutes ago
GOP groups attack Mamdani, attempt to link him to broader Democratic Party
As voters head to the polls, various Republican groups have released statements and memos attacking New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, as the Republican Party continues to tie the self-described democratic socialist to the broader Democratic Party as a way to paint Democrats as radical and out of touch.
The messaging, while not new, reflects how the Republican Party hopes to use Mamdani as an albatross against Democrats.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, in a memo released on Tuesday morning framing Republicans as having more momentum one year out to the 2026 midterms, claimed that Democrats are fully on board with “the socialist agenda.”
“Democrats are now fully embracing the socialist agenda, with Hakeem Jeffries endorsing radical socialist Zohran Mamdani just last week,” the committee wrote, calling this “electoral poison for Democrats” because Democrats view socialism more negatively than capitalism.
Additionally, the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the campaign arm of Senate Republicans — sent out a flurry of at least seven memos early Tuesday tying Democratic primary candidates in key Senate races to Mamdani.
In a press release on Monday, the Republican National Convention grouped Mamdani with the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, saying they “are all cut from the same far-left cloth.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Brittany Shepherd and Emily Chang
12:05 PM EST
Cuomo says Trump ‘does not support me’ but ‘opposes Zohran Mamdani’
While casting his vote for himself on Tuesday morning, independent candidate for mayor of New York City and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said President Donald Trump does not support him but “opposes Zohran Mamdani.”
“The president does not support me. The president opposes Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo said when asked if he accepts Trump’s recent endorsement.
Cuomo was also asked what’s at stake nationally in this election, to which he told reporters, “I think what you’re seeing is a civil war in the Democratic Party that has been growing for a while.”
The former governor said Trump believes Mamdani is an “existential threat” and that the “momentum is on our side.”
-ABC News’ Halle Troadec
11:27 AM EST
Vance urges support for New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Ciattarelli as race tightens
Vice President JD Vance urged voters in New Jersey to cast their vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, as the race tightens between Ciattarelli and the Democrats’ pick, former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill.
“Get out there and vote for Jack if you live in NJ. New Jersey is such a great state but it’s suffered too long under crap leadership,” Vance wrote on Tuesday.
According to a Quinnipiac poll, Ciattarelli is lagging Sherill only by single digits in the race, with Sherill leading Ciatttarelli by 8 points in the full ballot matchup.
Former President Barack Obama has previously endorsed Sherill, saying her “integrity, grit and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders.”
In addition to being backed by Vance, Ciattarelli also boasts the support of President Donald Trump.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
11:10 AM EST
Implications of NYC’s mayoral race stretch beyond the Big Apple
While New Yorkers are focused on solving key issues of affordability and public safety, the implications of the mayoral race could stretch beyond the five boroughs.
This local off-year election has garnered national attention and is considered representative of political headwinds ahead of the 2026 midterms. Candidates are zeroed in on navigating the impacts of President Donald Trump’s second term, and Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy has shed light on how the Democratic Party has struggled to balance its progressive and moderate sides.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:49 AM EST
Cuomo votes, calls Trump ‘pragmatic’ for encouraging Republicans to back him
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appeared to cast his ballot at a polling place on the East Side of Manhattan on Tuesday morning, called President Donald Trump “pragmatic” for encouraging Republican voters to support him in the New York City mayoral election, instead of the GOP nominee, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, to blunt a victory for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
“President Trump is pragmatic. He is telling them the reality of the situation, which is, if you do not vote, Mamdani is going to win. Who is Mamdani? I don’t know, but he’s a Democratic socialist that brings socialism to New York City. New York City will not thrive with a socialist economy,” Cuomo, who is running as an independent, said on Fox News on Tuesday. “So Republicans, you have to get up and come out and vote. Even if you’re not voting for a Republican, you’re voting to save New York City.”
Cuomo went on to say that Mamdani’s campaign promises to lower costs and expand government resources — by freezing the rent temporarily on rent stabilized units, providing government-run grocery stores and free city busses — is “all BS.”
“It’s not up to the mayor. It’s up to the state. State said they’re not going to do it. It’s all BS, it’s all campaign rhetoric. None of it will change anybody’s life,” Cuomo argued.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
10:37 AM EST
Mikie Sherrill says there’s ‘no credible’ threats to New Jersey voting
Accompanied by her husband and children, New Jersey’s Democratic nominee for governor Mikie Sherrill appeared at a Montclair voting center to cast her ballot and address the press.
Sherrill sought to assure voters that it is currently safe to cast ballots throughout the state, after multiple polling places temporarily closed in northern New Jersey after precincts fielded emailed bomb threats later deemed to be not credible, prompting election officials to direct some voters to other polling places.
“We’ve checked out all the bomb threats. There are no credible ones yet. Law enforcement is working overtime to keep our elections safe, so I don’t see any threat to voting,” Sherrill said. She called the scare an “attempt to suppress the vote.”
-ABC News’ Emily Chang and Lucien Bruggeman
10:24 AM EST
Mamdani casts his ballot: ‘We are on the brink of making history’
Just moments after casting his ballot on the morning of Election Day, New York City mayoral Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani proudly branded an “I voted” sticker and emphasized his vision to “usher in a new era in this city.”
“Today is Election Day. It is a day that we have been dreaming of for more than a year,” he began. “We are on the brink of making history in our city, on the brink of saying goodbye to a politics of the past.”
Mamdani emphasized his platform centered on affordability, touting his plan to “transform the most expensive city of the United States of America into one that’s affordable for each and every person that calls it home.”
Asked by ABC News’ Aaron Katersky on what he would say to New Yorkers concerned that President Donald Trump will follow through on his threats, Mamdani reiterated his resolve to stand up to Trump and argued that the president’s words sometimes hold no weight.
“I look forward to representing those New Yorkers, and look forward to fighting for every single dollar this city is owed. What we see in the language of Donald Trump is a premise, as if it is his decision on whether or not to fund the city the very money that this city is owed … That means using the courts, that means using the bully pulpit, that means ensuring that we actually follow the letter of the law,” he said.
Mamdani is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, along with some other independent and third-party candidates.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:13 AM EST
Voters head to polls in 1st major elections of Trump 2.0
It’s Election Day in America, and voters across the country are heading to the polls in statewide and local elections.
It’s the first major election cycle since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The results from Tuesday’s races will give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the country and their communities.
Trump joined election eve tele-rallies supporting Republican candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, where he focused on energy costs and crime. He also threw out an eleventh-hour endorsement in New York City’s mayoral election, urging voters to support Andrew Cuomo over Zohran Mamdani.
(WASHINGTON) — High-profile races are unfolding across the country on Tuesday, including New York City’s mayoral election and governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia.
In California, voters will consider a ballot measure that puts forth a redrawn congressional map that could net Democrats five House seats.
The elections come with high-stakes for both Democrats and Republicans, and will provide a picture of how Americans feel about President Donald Trump’s first nine months in office.
Here’s how the news is developing.
44 minutes ago
NYC 2025 vote surpasses 2021 total, halfway through the day
As of 3 p.m. ET, roughly 1.4 million New York voters have cast a ballot in this year’s elections, with six hours before polls close, the city’s Board of Elections said.
Roughly 1.1 million voters cast a ballot in the 2021 election, according to city BOE data.
Of the 1.4 million cast so far in 2025, 716,625 votes, about 49%, were cast on Tuesday, while the remaining were cast at early voting polling sites.
2 hours and 9 minutes ago
‘Another baseless claim,’ California officials dismiss Trump
The California secretary of state slammed President Donald Trump over his unfounded claims about the state’s election.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement that Trump’s comments appeared to be “another baseless claim”– and urged voters to head to the polls.
“California voters will not be deceived by someone who consistently makes desperate, unsubstantiated attempts to dissuade Americans from participating in our democracy,” she said.
Additionally, a spokesperson for the state’s attorney general said that Trump is “continuing to spread lies,” adding that elections in California are “fair, safe, and secure.”
-ABC News’ Olivia Rubin
2 hours and 28 minutes ago
Trump says California redistricting vote is under ‘criminal review’
After President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post that California’s Proposition 50 should be under “very serious legal and criminal review,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the White House is “looking into” providing “executive action.”
“The White House is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country, and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California with their universal mail-in voting system. It’s absolutely true that there’s fraud in California elections. It’s just a fact,” Leavitt told reporters on Tuesday.
Leavitt’s comments come after Trump laid into the proposal — where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas — calling it a “GIANT SCAM.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday.
2 hours and 49 minutes ago
Trump has made his thoughts on NYC mayoral election ‘quite clear,’ White House says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump has made his thoughts on the New York City mayoral election “quite clear.”
“The president is a New Yorker, and he loves New York. He has made his thoughts on this election quite clear,” Leavitt said.
Leavitt also addressed Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s comments accusing the Trump administration of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud,” saying his comments are “based on zero evidence.”
“I think this is just another example of how the Democratic Party unfortunately stands for nothing. All they stand against is President Donald Trump, and I think it’s quite sad to see that we have someone at the top of the ticket on election day today saying such things about the president, when he obviously had nothing to do with those threats,” Leavitt said on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, Mamdani addressed reports of voter intimidation in New Jersey, saying these incident are “incredibly concerning.”
“I think that it is an illustration of the attacks we’re seeing in our democracy,” he continued, accusing the Trump administration of adopting a “general approach” of attempting to “intimidate voters with baseless allegations of voter fraud as a means of trying to repress the voice of Americans across this country,” Mamdani said.
Trump endorsed Cuomo on Monday in a social media post. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote.
3 hours and 50 minutes ago
Trump and Newsom square off on Prop 50
President Donald Trump and California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom are sparring over the vote on Proposition 50, the ballot proposition where Californians are deciding if the state will adopt a new Democratic-friendly congressional map in response to mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
On social media, Trump laid into the proposal as a “GIANT SCAM” and that voting process itself is “rigged.”
“The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED. All ‘Mail-In’ Ballots, where the Republicans in that State are ‘Shut Out,’ is under very serious legal and criminal review. STAY TUNED!” Trump wrote.
Newsom hit back on X: “The ramblings of an old man that knows he’s about to LOSE.”
Democrats feel particularly bullish about their chances in California tonight.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
3 hours and 58 minutes ago
GOP groups attack Mamdani, attempt to link him to broader Democratic Party
As voters head to the polls, various Republican groups have released statements and memos attacking New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, as the Republican Party continues to tie the self-described democratic socialist to the broader Democratic Party as a way to paint Democrats as radical and out of touch.
The messaging, while not new, reflects how the Republican Party hopes to use Mamdani as an albatross against Democrats.
The National Republican Congressional Committee, in a memo released on Tuesday morning framing Republicans as having more momentum one year out to the 2026 midterms, claimed that Democrats are fully on board with “the socialist agenda.”
“Democrats are now fully embracing the socialist agenda, with Hakeem Jeffries endorsing radical socialist Zohran Mamdani just last week,” the committee wrote, calling this “electoral poison for Democrats” because Democrats view socialism more negatively than capitalism.
Additionally, the National Republican Senatorial Committee — the campaign arm of Senate Republicans — sent out a flurry of at least seven memos early Tuesday tying Democratic primary candidates in key Senate races to Mamdani.
In a press release on Monday, the Republican National Convention grouped Mamdani with the two Democratic gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, saying they “are all cut from the same far-left cloth.”
-ABC News’ Oren Oppenheim, Brittany Shepherd and Emily Chang
12:05 PM EST
Cuomo says Trump ‘does not support me’ but ‘opposes Zohran Mamdani’
While casting his vote for himself on Tuesday morning, independent candidate for mayor of New York City and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo said President Donald Trump does not support him but “opposes Zohran Mamdani.”
“The president does not support me. The president opposes Zohran Mamdani,” Cuomo said when asked if he accepts Trump’s recent endorsement.
Cuomo was also asked what’s at stake nationally in this election, to which he told reporters, “I think what you’re seeing is a civil war in the Democratic Party that has been growing for a while.”
The former governor said Trump believes Mamdani is an “existential threat” and that the “momentum is on our side.”
-ABC News’ Halle Troadec
11:27 AM EST
Vance urges support for New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate Ciattarelli as race tightens
Vice President JD Vance urged voters in New Jersey to cast their vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, as the race tightens between Ciattarelli and the Democrats’ pick, former Navy helicopter pilot Mikie Sherrill.
“Get out there and vote for Jack if you live in NJ. New Jersey is such a great state but it’s suffered too long under crap leadership,” Vance wrote on Tuesday.
According to a Quinnipiac poll, Ciattarelli is lagging Sherill only by single digits in the race, with Sherill leading Ciatttarelli by 8 points in the full ballot matchup.
Former President Barack Obama has previously endorsed Sherill, saying her “integrity, grit and commitment to service are what we need right now in our leaders.”
In addition to being backed by Vance, Ciattarelli also boasts the support of President Donald Trump.
-ABC News’ Hannah Demissie
11:10 AM EST
Implications of NYC’s mayoral race stretch beyond the Big Apple
While New Yorkers are focused on solving key issues of affordability and public safety, the implications of the mayoral race could stretch beyond the five boroughs.
This local off-year election has garnered national attention and is considered representative of political headwinds ahead of the 2026 midterms. Candidates are zeroed in on navigating the impacts of President Donald Trump’s second term, and Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy has shed light on how the Democratic Party has struggled to balance its progressive and moderate sides.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:49 AM EST
Cuomo votes, calls Trump ‘pragmatic’ for encouraging Republicans to back him
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who appeared to cast his ballot at a polling place on the East Side of Manhattan on Tuesday morning, called President Donald Trump “pragmatic” for encouraging Republican voters to support him in the New York City mayoral election, instead of the GOP nominee, Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa, to blunt a victory for Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani.
“President Trump is pragmatic. He is telling them the reality of the situation, which is, if you do not vote, Mamdani is going to win. Who is Mamdani? I don’t know, but he’s a Democratic socialist that brings socialism to New York City. New York City will not thrive with a socialist economy,” Cuomo, who is running as an independent, said on Fox News on Tuesday. “So Republicans, you have to get up and come out and vote. Even if you’re not voting for a Republican, you’re voting to save New York City.”
Cuomo went on to say that Mamdani’s campaign promises to lower costs and expand government resources — by freezing the rent temporarily on rent stabilized units, providing government-run grocery stores and free city busses — is “all BS.”
“It’s not up to the mayor. It’s up to the state. State said they’re not going to do it. It’s all BS, it’s all campaign rhetoric. None of it will change anybody’s life,” Cuomo argued.
-ABC News’ Brittany Shepherd
10:37 AM EST
Mikie Sherrill says there’s ‘no credible’ threats to New Jersey voting
Accompanied by her husband and children, New Jersey’s Democratic nominee for governor Mikie Sherrill appeared at a Montclair voting center to cast her ballot and address the press.
Sherrill sought to assure voters that it is currently safe to cast ballots throughout the state, after multiple polling places temporarily closed in northern New Jersey after precincts fielded emailed bomb threats later deemed to be not credible, prompting election officials to direct some voters to other polling places.
“We’ve checked out all the bomb threats. There are no credible ones yet. Law enforcement is working overtime to keep our elections safe, so I don’t see any threat to voting,” Sherrill said. She called the scare an “attempt to suppress the vote.”
-ABC News’ Emily Chang and Lucien Bruggeman
10:24 AM EST
Mamdani casts his ballot: ‘We are on the brink of making history’
Just moments after casting his ballot on the morning of Election Day, New York City mayoral Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani proudly branded an “I voted” sticker and emphasized his vision to “usher in a new era in this city.”
“Today is Election Day. It is a day that we have been dreaming of for more than a year,” he began. “We are on the brink of making history in our city, on the brink of saying goodbye to a politics of the past.”
Mamdani emphasized his platform centered on affordability, touting his plan to “transform the most expensive city of the United States of America into one that’s affordable for each and every person that calls it home.”
Asked by ABC News’ Aaron Katersky on what he would say to New Yorkers concerned that President Donald Trump will follow through on his threats, Mamdani reiterated his resolve to stand up to Trump and argued that the president’s words sometimes hold no weight.
“I look forward to representing those New Yorkers, and look forward to fighting for every single dollar this city is owed. What we see in the language of Donald Trump is a premise, as if it is his decision on whether or not to fund the city the very money that this city is owed … That means using the courts, that means using the bully pulpit, that means ensuring that we actually follow the letter of the law,” he said.
Mamdani is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, along with some other independent and third-party candidates.
-ABC News’ Emily Chang
10:13 AM EST
Voters head to polls in 1st major elections of Trump 2.0
It’s Election Day in America, and voters across the country are heading to the polls in statewide and local elections.
It’s the first major election cycle since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. The results from Tuesday’s races will give voters an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the country and their communities.
Trump joined election eve tele-rallies supporting Republican candidates in Virginia and New Jersey, where he focused on energy costs and crime. He also threw out an eleventh-hour endorsement in New York City’s mayoral election, urging voters to support Andrew Cuomo over Zohran Mamdani.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney at the Sunshine Summit opening dinner in 2015. (Tom Benitez – Pool/Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Former Vice President Dick Cheney, considered by many political observers to be the most politically active and influential vice president in U.S. history, has died. He was 84.
“Richard B. Cheney, the 46th Vice President of the United States, died last night, November 3, 2025,” his family said in a statement. “He was 84 years old. His beloved wife of 61 years, Lynne, his daughters, Liz and Mary, and other family members were with him as he passed. The former Vice President died due to complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease.”
He worked for nearly four decades in Washington. He served as the youngest White House chief of staff under President Gerald Ford; represented Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives — where he worked with congressional leadership and President Ronald Reagan; was secretary of defense under President George H.W. Bush; and later served two terms as vice president under Bush’s son, President George W. Bush.
He was also CEO of Halliburton, an energy company based in Texas that had a global presence.
When terrorists attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, it was Cheney who first took charge while the president was out of Washington.
“When the president came on the line, I told him that the Pentagon had been hit and urged him to stay away from Washington,” Cheney recalled in his memoir, “In My Time.” “The city was under attack, and the White House was a target. I understood that he didn’t want to appear to be on the run, but he shouldn’t be here until we knew more about what was going on.”
He and senior staff gathered at the Presidential Emergency Operations Center, where they monitored the horror unfolding.
“I stayed up into the morning hours thinking about what the attack meant and how we should respond,” Cheney wrote in his memoir. “We were in a new era and needed an entirely new strategy to keep America secure. The first war of the twenty-first century wouldn’t simply be a conflict of nation against nation, army against army. It would be first and foremost a war against terrorists who operated in the shadows, feared no deterrent, and would use any weapon they could get their hands on to destroy us.”
As vice president, Cheney was also known as the mastermind behind much of the Bush administration’s strategy in Iraq.
“His power is unparalleled in the history of the republic, frankly, for that position,” John Hulsman, a research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, a conservative Washington-based think tank, told ABC’s “Nightline” in 2005.
Cheney said he looked upon his role as vice president as being an adviser to the president.
“I don’t run anything, I’m not in charge of a department or a particular policy area and for me to be out all of the time commenting on the issues of the day — pontificating if you will — on what’s going on, to some extent infringes upon everybody else in the administration, especially with those specific people who have got specific responsibilities,” he told ABC News Chief Global Affairs Martha Raddatz in an interview in March 2008, when she was a White House correspondent.
And later, in the 2013 documentary “The World According to Dick Cheney,” the former vice president said, “Tell me what terrorist attacks you would have let go forward because you didn’t want to be a mean and nasty fellow. Are you going to trade the lives of a number of people because you want to preserve your honor, or are you going to do your job, do what’s required, first and foremost your responsibility is to safeguard the United States of America and the lives of its citizens.”
After his time in office ended, he remained politically active while former President George W. Bush had moved back to Texas and refrained from commenting on politics in an effort to avoid “undermining” the current president.
During President Barack Obama’s administration, Cheney emerged as an outspoken critic of the president’s national security policies — charging that Obama’s counterterrorism policies were making the country less safe.
“It has always been easy for those who are evil to kill, but now it is possible for a few to do so on an unimaginable scale,” Cheney wrote in his 2011 memoir.
“The key, I think, is to choose serious and vigilant leaders, to listen to the men and women who want us to entrust them with high office and judge whether they are saying what they think we want to hear or whether they have the larger cause of the country in mind,” he continued. “It’s not always easy to move beyond pleasing promises, but in the case of America, the greater good is so grand.”
(NEW YORK) — Eyes are on New York City as Election Day arrives, marking the final opportunity for voters to weigh in on the high-stakes mayoral race.
While New Yorkers are focused on solving key issues of affordability and public safety, the implications of this race could stretch beyond the Big Apple.
Along with gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, this local off-year election has garnered national attention and is considered representative of political headwinds ahead of the 2026 midterms. Particularly in New York City, one of the most high-profile races to watch on Election Day, candidates are zeroed in on navigating the impacts of President Donald Trump’s second term.
State assemblyman and Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani has remained the front-runner since his upset victory in the June primary. The 34-year-old democratic socialist is running on a progressive economic platform with a remarkable social media charm, though he has faced questions from mayoral opponents and others on the feasibility and effectiveness of his policies, in addition to backlash for comments about Israel and his stance toward police.
Though Mamdani has scored endorsements of notable Democratic leaders, his candidacy has shed light on how the Democratic Party has struggled to balance its progressive and moderate sides.
If elected, Mamdani would be the city’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor. His identity has been a topic of scrutiny throughout the course of the campaign, with Mamdani accusing Independent candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as well as Vice President JD Vance, of engaging in Islamophobic attacks.
Trump has called Mamdani a “communist lunatic” and threatened to withhold federal funding to New York City if he wins. Though, his dislike for Cuomo has been evident, the president declared his preference for Cuomo over the other candidates in a CBS “60 Minutes” interview that aired Sunday night.
The president endorsed Cuomo on Monday in a social media post. “Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job,” Trump wrote.
Cuomo, 67, has attempted a political comeback following his 2021 resignation from New York’s governorship amid sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations — allegations he has denied and charges dropped. Cuomo has also faced backlash for his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic during his tenure as governor.
After losing the Democratic primary to Mamdani in June, he attempted his return once more — this time as an Independent candidate. Backed by multiple billionaire donors, including former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Cuomo touts his experience and ability to work with Trump as cornerstones of his campaign.
While Mamdani has consistently held a healthy lead over Cuomo, a Quinnipiac poll published Wednesday shows polls beginning to tighten between the two.
Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, 71, who ran an unsuccessful campaign against current Mayor Eric Adams in 2021, is keen on improving public safety — a goal that has been top-of-mind ever since he founded The Guardian Angels in the 1970s, a nonprofit crime prevention organization.
In addition to garnering criticism from Trump and consistently facing low polling numbers, Sliwa has faced numerous calls to exit the race — which he has refused to do.
Adams, who suspended his re-election campaign in September, remains on the ballot as an Independent due to his late withdrawal. Despite previous harsh words, he endorsed Cuomo last month and campaigned alongside him.
New York City has already seen a massive increase in early voting, with five times as many people voting early in 2025 compared to the 2021 mayoral race, according to the New York City Board of Elections.
Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images
(LOS ANGELES) – One of 2025’s major elections could have major reverberations for the 2026 midterms.
Californians are voting on a ballot initiative, “Proposition 50,” to determine if the state will adopt a new congressional map that redraws five districts to be more Democratic-leaning, potentially allowing Democrats to flip them in the midterms.
Supporters of Proposition 50 — including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and former President Barack Obama — have pushed for the new map.
Texas Republicans, encouraged by President Donald Trump, revised their maps in a rare mid-decade redistricting move that could allow Republicans to gain five seats in 2026 — and insulate the GOP from the historic midterm headwinds a president’s party can face.
“We have a chance at least to create a level playing field in the upcoming midterm elections,” Obama said during a recent call with supporters of the campaign to vote “yes”.
Hannah Milgrom, a spokesperson for Yes on 50, the political committee supported by Newsom, told ABC News that the group has been working with over 230 community organizations on the ground.
National Democrats have largely supported the initiative, hoping it will be the first of other Democratic efforts to push back on Republican-led redistricting in Texas, Missouri, and other states.
But Rep. Kevin Kiley, a California Republican whose district would be reshaped and made significantly more Democratic-leaning, told ABC News partisan gerrymandering is a “plague on democracy,” and has unsuccessfully pushed House Speaker Mike Johnson to take up a bill banning the practice.
“I think it takes power away from voters, undermines the fairness of elections and degrades representative government,” he said.
Spokespeople for two of the political committees opposing Proposition 50, which are supported by megadonor Charles T. Munger Jr. and former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, respectively, told ABC News they were focused in the final weeks before the election on reaching persuadable voters and to emphasizing arguments about allowing voters to choose their politicians, not the other way around.
Actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger, who supported independent redistricting as governor, has also spoken out against the proposition. He said in September, “If you vote yes on that, you’re going backwards.”
“Prop 50 will have a big impact on the midterms … the U.S. House margin right now is so narrow that every seat in every state could make a difference for which party controls Congress,” Christian Grose, a professor of political science at the University of Southern California, told ABC News.
If the proposition passes, Grose added, a large margin of support could signal to Democratic donors that there’s enthusiasm for the party — and could impact whether other blue or red states decide to redraw their congressional maps as well.
Grose said Democrats are likely more fired up in part because campaigning towards Democratic voters is how to win with ballot propositions in California, Grose said, but also because of what they see as national stakes: “Democrats, maybe nationally, are viewing things as an existential threat; are viewing Trump as an existential threat. So anything that pushes back against Trump, anything that helps Democrats, is resonating.”
