Dems win big across US; GOP zeroes in on Mamdani as liability

NewsNation political editor Chris Stirewalt breaks down the most notable wins from election night.

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Addressing a room of Senate Republicans, Trump doubled down on his election night claims about GOP losses.

“‘TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters,” Trump wrote on Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, Trump repeated that sentiment and said he planned to discuss “what last night represented, and what we should do about it” with Republican lawmakers.

“Last night was not expected to be a victory. I don’t think it was good for Republicans,” he said.

When asked by a press member what the takeaways were from Tuesday night, Trump did not respond.

Wednesday marks the 36th day of the government shutdown, with little progress toward reopening.

NewsNation’s Taylor Delandro and Tom Dempsey contributed to this report.

NewsNation political contributor and Democratic strategist Kurt Bardella joins “Morning in America” alongside Republican strategist Annalyse Keller to discuss what comes next for Republicans.

Trump is expected to address an election night the Democratic National Committee called a “Blue sweep” and a “Republican reckoning” when he hosts Senate Republicans for a Wednesday breakfast.

The meeting comes as the government shutdown enters its 36th day — making it officially the longest in U.S. history.

Read more: How a perfect storm of partisan politics fueled a historic shutdown >

“We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast among Jewish New Yorkers,” Zohran Mamdani told a crowd Tuesday after winning the New York City mayoral race. He said City Hall “will not waver in the fight against the scourge of antisemitism” while ensuring Muslims they belong in New York, too.

“AND SO IT BEGINS!” the Republican president said of NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, whom he has called a communist.

In his victory speech, Mamdani directly addresses perhaps his biggest critic, President Trump.

“Hear me, President Trump, when I say this: To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us,” he said.

“Tonight we step out from the old into the new”: Zohran Mamdani lays out his agenda as the mayor-elect of New York, including freezing rents and offering universal child care and free buses.

NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, spoke to supporters late Tuesday as Republicans began tarring him as a divisive figure who will harm the Democratic Party nationally.

“Against all odds, we have grasped it. The future is in our hands. My friends, we have toppled a political dynasty,” the 34-year-old state assemblyman said.

Of his opponent Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor who ran as an independent, Mamdani said: “I wish Andrew Cuomo only the best in private life. But let tonight be the final time I utter his name, as we turn the page on a politics that abandons the many and answers only to the few.”

What are the biggest takeaways of the early 2025 election results? NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt, Leland Vittert, Elizabeth Vargas and Chris Cuomo weigh in.

NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt breaks down what the difference in polling and results in the 2025 elections reveals about the state of the Republican Party, saying it struggles to turn out lower-propensity Trump voters when he’s not on the ballot.

The California ballot question authorizes a mid-decade congressional remap that Democrats hope will add seats for their party in the U.S. House. The measure comes after Republicans who control the Texas state government redrew maps with the aim of creating five more GOP-leaning House districts.

Voters in California were asked to allow a mid-decade congressional remap.

The Minneapolis mayor’s race will advance to ranked-choice voting after none of the candidates received at least 50% of the vote in Tuesday’s election.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, wouldn’t say how he voted earlier Tuesday. But after democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor, he issued a statement congratulating him.

“I have worked collaboratively and productively with Mayor-elect Mamdani on a number of vital issues over the years … and I look forward to building on that partnership,” Schumer said.

Here’s where voters turned out to hand big wins for Zohran Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race, Abigail Spanberger in the Virginia governor’s race and Mikie Sherrill in the New Jersey governor’s race.

Democrat Mikie Sherrill spoke Tuesday night after being projected to win the New Jersey governor’s race. She said she has seen “genius” in the state’s motto, “liberty and prosperity,” and talks about why it is “essential” to democracy.

Decision Desk HQ projects Mary Sheffield to win the Detroit mayoral election.

The Republican president cited pollsters in explaining why Democrats seemed to win big Tuesday night. On Truth Social, he said he wasn’t on the ballot to help his party and the politically unpopular shutdown may have had an impact, too.

Republican National Committee chair Joe Gruters said Democrats have put a “self-proclaimed Communist” in charge of New York:

“Zohran Mamdani’s radical agenda will push businesses out, drain taxpayers dry, and drive one of America’s greatest cities into lawlessness. His election is proof that the Democrat Party has abandoned common sense and tied themselves to extremism. Next year, Democrats will be held accountable by voters for embracing Mamdani’s far-left agenda and the consequences it will bring.”

Decision Desk HQ projects Eileen Higgins and Emilio Gonzalez to advance to a runoff in the Miami mayoral election. One more spot remains to advance to a runoff.

Former President Barack Obama, who campaigned on behalf of Democratic candidates in New Jersey and Virginia, gave his party a pat on the back:

“Congratulations to all the Democratic candidates who won tonight. 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.”

Pennsylvania’s Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro celebrated the retention of three Democratic justices on his state’s high court.

“Tonight, folks across our Commonwealth sent a resounding message by voting to retain all three Supreme Court Justices who will continue to defend the rule of law, safeguard our elections, and protect our constitutional rights,” the Democrat said in a statement. “Here in the birthplace of democracy, the good people of Pennsylvania will always stand for freedom.”

“The American people are sick of Republicans putting the elites first, tired of Trump ignoring the tens of millions of families that bust their asses every day just to get by, and tired of watching the GOP turn our beloved country into a playground for billionaires,” DNC chair Ken Martin said after his party took the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia.

“Tonight isn’t only a warning sign to Republicans, it’s an affirmation of the vision that Democrats have presented to voters in New Jersey and across the country.”

Are Republicans feeling queasy about Tuesday’s election night results tilting to Democrats? Not if you listen to one GOP campaign operative, who tells NewsNation’s Kellie Meyer: “Democrats have made a communist the face of their party in the nation’s largest city, providing Republicans a political gift that keeps on giving.”

That’s a reference to Zohran Mamdani, the self-described democratic socialist who won the New York City mayoral race after President Trump tried to push voters to independent Andrew Cuomo.

NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo gives his take after 34-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is projected to win the New York City mayoral election, defeating his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “Of course I wanted my brother to win … but he’s not what Democrats want right now,” Chris Cuomo said.

Decision Desk HQ projects justices David Wecht, Kevin Dougherty and Christine Donohue retain their seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Decision Desk HQ chief election analyst Geoffrey Skelley said it’s likely that more than 2 million residents voted in the New York mayoral election, an unusually high benchmark. That margin “speaks to the energy and attention that this race has garnered” and “passion for and against the candidates,” he said.

Decision Desk HQ projects incumbent Democrat Aftab Pureval to win the Cincinnati mayoral election; he defeats Republican Cory Bowman, the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance.

NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo says he hoped his brother Andrew Cuomo would have won the NYC mayoral race, but added: “He’s not what Democrats right now in their party.”

He said Mamdani’s win also seems to be pushback to the Trump administration and the president’s MAGA base.