California Gov. Gavin Newsom, eager to raise his national profile as a Democrat willing to aggressively confront President Donald Trump, scored a campaign victory Tuesday that may help his party in the midterms as he moves toward a White House run.

With Proposition 50, Newsom successfully bet he could persuade California voters to throw out independently drawn U.S. House maps in favour of new districts designed to help Democrats win five more seats. (AP)

Rama Dwaji, the 28-year-old wife of New York's mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who mostly opts to stay out of the spotlight, was on stage with him when he declared his victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo.

Democrat Zohran Mamdani, set to be the next Mayor of New York, wasted no time in targeting US President Donald Trump in his fiery victory speech. "Donald Trump, since I know you are watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up. To get to any of us, you will have to get through all of us," he said.

Trump was indeed watching, and has taken note. "...AND SO IT BEGINS!" he wrote on his platform Truth Social just as Mamdani wrapped up his 30-minute speech.

Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair on Tuesday shared Indian movie director Zoya Akhtar's praise for the former's son Zohran Mamdani on his electoral victory in the crucial New York Mayor elections.

Nair reposted Akhtar's Instagram story that was captioned "Zohran you beauty", with emojis of hearts and fireworks. Akhtar also said "Zohran Mamdani has officially won the NYC mayoral race at 34 years old".

Democrat socialist Zohran Mamdani has scripted history by becoming the youngest and first Indian-American Muslim mayor of New York City. Mamdani's rousing victory got a Bollywood spin as 'Dhoom Machale', title track from the Bollywood movie 'Dhoom' began to play at the end of his first speech after the results.

As the song played in the background, Mamdani waved at his fans and then walked to his wife, Rama Duwaji, for a hug. He was later joined by his parents - Ugandan scholar Mahmood Mamdani and Indian filmmaker Mira Nair - on stage.

The video of 'Dhoom Machale' playing at Mamdani's victory event has left internet in shock. An X (formerly Twitter) called it Mamdai's "unreal aura".

I am young despite my best efforts to grow olders. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. I refuse to apologise for any of this. And, yet, if tonight teaches us anything, it is that convention has held us back: Zohran Mamdani

In his first address after winning the New York City mayor polls, Democrat Zohran Mamdani said that "New York will remain a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and as of tonight led by an immigrant." 

"Standing before you, I think of the words of Jawaharlal Nehru. A moment comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends and when the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance. Tonight, we have stepped out from the old into the new," Mamdani said, echoing Nehru's words.

"No more will New York be a city where you can traffic in Islamophobia and win an election," said Mamdani.

"We will build a City Hall that stands steadfast alongside Jewish New Yorkers and doesn't waiver in the fight against the surge of antisemitism," said Mamdani.

"In this moment of political darkness, New York will be the light," said Zohran Mamdani in his first speech after winning New York City mayor polls. "Here, we believe in standing up for those we love. Whether you are an immigrant, a member of the Trans community, one of the many black women that Donald Trump has fired from a federal job, a single mom still waiting for the cost of groceries to go down, or anyone else with their back against the wall, your struggle is ours too."

“My friends we have toppled a political dynasty. 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,” Zohran Mamdani said.

Zohran Mamdani said New York voters have delivered a “mandate for change” and “mandate for a new kind of politics.”

“Thank you to the next generation of New Yorkers who refused to accept that the promise of a better future was a relic of the past,” Zohran Mamdani said thanking young voters who played a key role in his victory.

In his first address after winning New York City mayor polls, Zohran Mamdani addressed US President Donald Trump and shared four words for him.

“Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: turn the volume up,” he said.

Democrat Sean Ryan won the mayor's race in Buffalo on Tuesday, defeating Republican nominee James Gardner.

Ryan is a state senator who defeated the incumbent acting mayor, Christopher Scanlon, in the Democratic primary in June. Scanlon was elevated to the position after longtime mayor Byron Brown stepped down late last year to become chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting. Ryan also served in the state assembly. Prior to entering politics, he worked as a lawyer.

Democrats are dominating the first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. Trump was largely absent from the campaign trail, but the GOP candidates closely aligned themselves with the president, betting that his big win last year could provide a path to victory this time, even if the party occupying the White House typically suffers in off-year elections.

They were wrong.

Democrats have already won governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey, the only states electing new chief executives this year. In New York, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won the much-anticipated mayoral race.

All three of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court justices who sought reelection Tuesday will get another term, ensuring Democratic jurists keep their majority on the presidential battleground state's highest court - one at the center of pivotal fights over voting rights, redistricting and elections.

The result shapes the makeup of the seven-member court through the next presidential election in 2028. The three justices had been elected as Democrats, and voters were deciding whether to extend the court's Democratic majority. Rejecting all three could have plunged the court into a partisan deadlock if the state's politically divided government could not agree on temporary appointees to fill in.

Justices Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty and David Wecht won new terms, with support from the Democratic Party and allies including Planned Parenthood, labor unions, trial lawyers and a constellation of progressive groups.

In particular, Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro - considered a potential White House contender in 2028 who is up for reelection next year - appeared in ads for the justices and lobbied for their retention. (AP)

Ghazala Hashmi was four when she emigrated with her mother and older brother from India to the United States where they joined her father in Georgia.

Zohran Mamdani has shared video of City Hall station in his first social media post after winning the New York mayoral polls.

Democrat Sean Ryan won the mayor's race in Buffalo on Tuesday, defeating Republican nominee James Gardner.

Ryan is a state senator who defeated the incumbent acting mayor, Christopher Scanlon, in the Democratic primary in June. Scanlon was elevated to the position after longtime mayor Byron Brown stepped down late last year to become chief executive officer of Western Regional Off-Track Betting. Ryan also served in the state assembly. Prior to entering politics, he worked as a lawyer.

After Republicans suffered huge losses in US elections, US President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform and wrote, ""TRUMP WASN'T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT," according to Pollsters."

City Council President Mary Sheffield will be Detroit's newest mayor and the first woman to lead the city. She defeated popular megachurch pastor the Rev. Solomon Kinloch in Tuesday's general election.

Zohran Mamdani becomes New York's first Indian-American Muslim mayor in big boost to Democrats

Zohran Mamdani was running against independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.

Zohran Mamdani has been elected New York's first Indian-American Muslim mayor in big boost to Democrats.

Mary Sheffield won the race for Detroit mayor on Tuesday, defeating Solomon Kinloch Jr. to become the first woman elected to lead the city.

Sheffield, the Detroit City Council president, received more than 50% of the vote in August’s all-party municipal primary. The office is officially nonpartisan.

Sheffield will succeed three-term incumbent Mike Duggan, who did not seek reelection. (AP)

U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill on Tuesday was elected governor of New Jersey, shoring up Democratic control of a state that has been reliably blue in presidential and Senate contests but had shown signs of shifting rightward in recent years.

Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot and four-term member of Congress, defeated Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump.

According to an Associated Press poll survey, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani is leading the New York mayoral poll race.

Polls have closed in the New York City mayor’s race, a generational and ideological contest between a democratic socialist and former governor that will resonate across the nation.

Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary earlier this year, faces former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is trying to land a massive upset.

Voters came out in huge numbers Tuesday. According to the city's Board of Elections, more than 2 million voters cast ballots — the first time that has happened in a New York mayoral race since 1969.

A victory for Mamdani would give the city its first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations, while elevating the democratic socialist to political stardom and giving his brand of economic populism one of the most visible political perches in America.

If Cuomo comes out on top, he will have staged a remarkable political comeback four years after resigning as governor over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations. (AP)

As many as two million votes have been cast in New York City, where polls are closing in the mayoral election, the city’s Board of Elections said.

This is the first time that this many votes have been cast since 1969, the board said in a post on X.

Polls have now closed across the five boroughs of New York City.

As a reminder - democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, faced 67-year-old Andrew Cuomo, the former governor who ran as an independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary. The campaign laid bare the Democratic Party's generational and ideological divides as it seeks to rehabilitate its damaged brand.

Wall Street was on edge heading into the New York City mayoral election on Tuesday, with a potential victory for Zohran Mamdani set to reverberate through the heart of global capitalism, where financiers worry about the city's lasting competitiveness and appeal.

Investors also are watching the results of governors' races in New Jersey and Virginia to gauge whether Democrats are gaining momentum against President Donald Trump's Republican Party ahead of next year's U.S. midterm elections. In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer, won, US media said, becoming the state's first female governor.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old state lawmaker who won the Democratic nomination, has been leading in polls and in betting markets in a fierce contest to run New York, the U.S. financial capital.

Wall Street and the finance industry have expressed broad misgivings about the prospect of a Mamdani mayoralty, as the democratic socialist pushes for higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy. They are hopeful, however, that he moderates his positions or finds roadblocks to achieving some of his aims. (Reuters)

Economic worries were the dominant concern as voters cast ballots for Tuesday’s elections, according to preliminary findings from the AP Voter Poll.

The results of the expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggested the public was troubled by an economy that seems trapped by higher prices and fewer job opportunities.

And a year after President Donald Trump was brought back to the White House on the promise that he could tame inflation and unleash growth, economic worries were still at the top of voters’ minds. Despite a rising stock market, inflation remains elevated, and hiring has slowed sharply. Since October, a federal government shutdown has only compounded the sense of uncertainty.

Voters came out in huge numbers Tuesday in the New York City mayor’s race, a generational and ideological contest between a democratic socialist and former governor that will resonate across the nation. Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary earlier this year, faces former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, who is trying to land a massive upset.

According to the city's Board of Elections, nearly 1.75 million voters had cast ballots as of 6 p.m., marking the biggest turnout in a New York mayoral race in at least 30 years. Polls were scheduled to close at 9 p.m.

A victory for Mamdani would give the city its first Muslim mayor and its youngest leader in generations, while elevating the democratic socialist to political stardom and giving his brand of economic populism one of the most visible political perches in America.

If Cuomo comes out on top, he will have staged a remarkable political comeback four years after resigning as governor over a barrage of sexual harassment allegations.

For Sliwa — the creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group and a longtime New York tabloid fixture — a win would put a Republican in charge of the nation’s largest city at a time when many New Yorkers are seeking a leader who can keep President Donald Trump at bay.

Democrat Ghazala Hashmi won the lieutenant governor’s race in Virginia on Tuesday, defeating Republican John Reid.

Hashmi is currently a state senator representing a district south of Richmond. Prior to that, she worked as a college professor in Virginia. She entered politics in 2019 by flipping a Republican-held state Senate seat and went to on to win a crowded Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in June.

She is the first Indian American and first Muslim to win statewide office in Virginia. The Associated Press declared Hashmi the winner at 8:27 p.m. EST.

Democrat Corey O’Connor won election as mayor of Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

O’Connor defeated Republican nominee Tony Moreno. O’Connor, the Allegheny County controller, defeated incumbent Mayor Ed Gainey in the Democratic primary earlier this year. He is the son of former Pittsburgh Mayor Bob O’Connor. The Associated Press declared O’Connor the winner at 8:26 p.m. EST.

Aftab Pureval won reelection as mayor of Cincinnati on Tuesday, defeating Cory Bowman, a Republican who is Vice President JD Vance’s half-brother.

Pureval was first elected mayor in 2021. The office is officially nonpartisan, but his party preference is Democratic.

Pureval won the all-party municipal primary in May with more than 80% of the vote. Prior to running for mayor, he worked as a lawyer.

The Associated Press declared Pureval the winner at 8:13 p.m.

The national battle to control the US House shifts to California on Tuesday as voters consider a Democratic proposal that could erase as many as five Republican districts and blunt President Donald Trump's moves to safeguard his party's lock on Washington power.

The outcome will reverberate into next year's midterm elections and beyond, with Democrats hoping a victory will set the stage for the party to regain control of the House in 2026. A shift in the majority would imperil Trump's agenda for the remainder of his term at a time of deep partisan divisions over immigration, health care and the future direction of the nation.

"God help us if we lose in California," Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom says.

Democrats need to gain just three seats in the 2026 elections to take control of the House.

Atlanta voters have decided that Andre Dickens will get a second term as the city's mayor, the Associated Press reported. Dickens won the office outright with more than 50 per cent of the vote, preventing a runoff.

Incumbent Aftab Pureval is projected to win reelection to a second term as mayor of Cincinnati, beating Vice President JD Vance's half-brother, according to a CNN report.

Pureval will beat Cory Bowman, who shares a father with Vance. Before the primary in May, the vice president endorsed his brother, who is a pastor and coffee shop owner. "He's a good guy with a heart for serving his community," he had said.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger has won the Virginia gubernatorial race, according to US media reports.

The congresswoman for the state's 7th district beat Republican Lt Gov Winsome Earle-Sears, becoming the state's first woman governor.

Polls have now closed in the New Jersey governor's race, where the contest is between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli.

For many years, New York voters have found candidates listed twice, three times or even more on their ballots when they go to the polling booth.

It isn't an error - it's a practice known as fusion voting that allows candidates to appear under multiple political parties.

But such intentional duplications on the New York City ballot this year, along with other layout choices, have some outside observers around the country wondering whether they are seeing evidence of rigged voting in Tuesday's widely-watched mayoral race.

Billionaire X owner Elon Musk, who briefly served as a top advisor to President Donald Trump, was among those criticizing the ballots.

"The New York City ballot form is a scam!" he wrote in an X post. "No ID is required. Other mayoral candidates appear twice. Cuomo's name is last in bottom right."