Millions of Americans are called to the polls this Tuesday to elect mayor in cities like New York and Miami, governor in states like New Jersey and Virginia, or to decide on a new electoral map for the congressional elections in California, as it marks almost a year since the victory of President Donald Trump, whose influence in some of these contests will be tested this Tuesday.
In total, more than thirty states will hold elections that will serve to measure the political pulse of the country after nine months of Trump's second term, not without controversy, while the Democratic Party seeks to recover from the setback before the midterm elections.
New York, the Hope of the Left
One of the races that has gained the most prominence this election Tuesday is for the mayor of New York. However, it is Cuban-American Emilio González, who has received the public support of Florida's governor, Republican Ron DeSantis. The housing crisis is one of the hottest issues in these elections, due to the strong demand and population growth that Miami has experienced in recent years, coupled with the entry of foreign and luxury real estate investment, which has caused prices to rise.
New Jersey and Virginia, the Lifeline for Democrats
The Democratic Party has focused its efforts on the race for governor of New Jersey and Virginia as a kind of first push to regain ground after Kamala Harris's defeat last year and ahead of next year's legislative elections. In New Jersey, the Democratic candidate, Mickie Sherrill, narrowly leads her Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli. Its citizens must decide whether they approve the redistricting of congressional districts to give more seats to Democrats ahead of next year's elections for the House of Representatives and the Senate. Proposition 50, as they have dubbed it, seeks a temporary redistribution of electoral maps to tip the balance in favor of the Democratic Party in five seats that would otherwise be in Republican hands in this state. This measure, which is expected to be approved, is a clear response to the initiative led by Trump in Texas to retain Republican majority with a similar maneuver to the one proposed here.
Elections in New York, Virginia, and New Jersey Test Trump's Influence. During the campaign, he has been accused of being a populist, or a 'communist' as Trump classifies him, who on Monday asked for votes for Cuomo, despite having harshly criticized him during his time as a Democratic governor. The victory of Mandani, a representative of a rising progressive wing within a blurred Democratic Party, could be a setback for a Trump who always wanted to leave his mark on his native New York.
Thirteen Candidates for Mayor of Miami
Another major U.S. city holding municipal elections is Miami. The difference is within the margin of error of the polls and could end Democratic control of the state and serve as a thermometer of Trump's popularity, who has given his support to Ciattarelli, in a state the Republican says is becoming more Trumpian by the day. However, the Democratic candidate for governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger, maintains a clear lead over the Republican, Winsome Earle-Sears, according to several polls in a traditionally swing state. Trump said Monday that voting for the Democratic candidates in Virginia and New Jersey would be to opt for 'transgender for all,' more crime, and 'the highest energy prices' and that on the contrary his political brand means less tax, more security, and cheap gasoline. The victory of Spanberger, who in the campaign's closing today said that Wednesday will be the beginning of 'flipping many seats,' would end four years of Republican governor Glenn Youngkin's rule. The Democratic candidates have focused much of their campaigns on condemning Trump's policies, and precisely for that reason, from the results of both elections, party leaders will be able to draw conclusions when preparing the political struggle at the national level.
California's Electoral Map
In the state of California, one of the most decisive votes of the day will be held. The Democratic candidate, Zohran Mamdani, leads the latest polls followed by independent Andrew Cuomo, former governor of the state, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani, who if elected as polls predict would become the city's first Muslim mayor, and the youngest since 1892, represents the leftmost wing within the Democrats. There thirteen candidates are vying to succeed the mayor, Francis Suárez, very close to Trump and who cannot run for a third consecutive term in the elections next Tuesday. Among the aspirants are former Miami mayors Xavier Suárez, father of the current mayor, and Joe Carollo.
