Newsweek, November 2025
Democratic candidates sailed to victory in Tuesday night’s elections. In Virginia, former Representative Abigail Spanberger flipped the governorship with a 15-point victory against GOP Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. Democratic Representative Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli by about 13 points in New Jersey, and Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani won the New York City mayoral race.
Although there are differences between those candidates, an emphasis on affordability was a common thread through each of those campaigns that helped propel them to victory.
That’s a contrast from last November, when Republicans used the affordability issue to defeat Democratic candidates up and down the ballot. The results underscore how the political environment has shifted in just a year—and is good news for Democrats hoping to reclaim control of the House of Representatives and the Senate next November.
