See Election Day 2025 results as Spanberger projected to win VA governor's race

CBS News rated Virginia's lieutenant governor's race as likely Democratic, giving Ghazala Hashmi the edge over Republican John Reid.

CBS News rates the New Jersey governor's race as lean Democratic, as polls close in the state. Democrat Mikie Sherrill is facing off against Republican Jack Ciattarelli for the position, which is currently held by Democrats.

Former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to be Virginia's next governor, CBS News projected.

Spanberger makes history as the first woman to serve in the role.

Spanberger, who ran as moderate, flipped the seat, which is currently held by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin is prohibited from running for a consecutive term under state law.

The race is widely seen as a referendum on President Trump, who did not endorse Earle-Sears. On Monday, Mr. Trump did not mention her by name when he held a telephone rally with the state GOP.

Read more here.

CBS News now rates the Virginia governor's race as likely Democratic — meaning former Rep. Abigail Spanberger is likely to defeat Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger is performing better with some key groups than Democrat Terry McAuliffe did in 2021, when he lost to Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Spanberger leads with women by double digits, voter groups that McAuliffe won by just seven points in 2021. The economy was top of mind for women voters, and those who picked it as their top issue are backing Spanberger.

She is also doing better with Black voters and voters under 30.

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears is getting strong backing from White evangelical voters and conservatives.

Poll percentages may have updated since this post was published.

By Jennifer De Pinto and Fred Backus

As polls close in Virginia, CBS News rates the state's gubernatorial race as lean Democratic, while the race for attorney general remains a toss-up.

The contest for lieutenant governor also leans Democratic.

In the race for governor, Democrat Abigail Spanberger is competing against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares is running for reelection against Democratic nominee Jay Jones.

Democrat Ghazala Hashmi and Republican John Reid are facing off for lieutenant governor.

Tuesday's state and local elections in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and a handful of other locales have drawn national attention — leading some excited Kentuckians to try to head to the polls, says Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams.

"We're getting calls about polls being closed. They are closed because we do not have elections today. Kentucky votes next year," Adams wrote in a post on X. "You cannot vote today in Kentucky for the mayor of New York City or the Governor of Virginia. Sorry."

While the economy outranks immigration as a top issue, voters did weigh in on President Trump's actions on immigration.

In New Jersey, more than half of voters think the Trump administration's actions on immigration enforcement have gone too far.

And we do see some differences in how voters in New Jersey want their next governor to deal with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement and how New York City's voters want their next mayor to approach that.

While divided, more voters in New Jersey want their next governor to cooperate with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement than voters in New York City do. In New York City, most voters would rather see their next mayor not cooperate with the Trump administration on this.

Views in California — which has been home to a number of ICE operations — are similar to New York City. As voters cast ballots on Proposition 50, most want their governor not to cooperate with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement.

*Poll percentages may have updated since this post was published.

By Jennifer De Pinto and Fred Backus

New York City voters were out in droves today, casting ballots aligned with the issues that matter most to them. By 3 p.m., more than 1.4 million New Yorkers had voted, including the tally from early voting.

Many New Yorkers said their votes were guided by campaign promises of the candidates, Mamdani, Cuomo and Sliwa.

"I think it's a really important election. We kind of just need a new wave of change," Manhattan resident K.C. Pruitt said.

Throughout the five boroughs, voters said the No. 1 issue on their minds is affordability.

For the latest in the New York City mayor's race, follow along here.

By CBS New York

As Californians vote on whether to approve a congressional redistricting plan, about half of the state's voters don't think either political party — Democratic or Republican — has been fair in their handling of redrawing district lines, according to exit polling data.

More generally, regardless of how they are voting, a majority of California voters say each state's congressional district lines should be drawn by a nonpartisan commission rather than the party in power. California currently has an independent redistricting commission, but the measure on Tuesday's ballot would temporarily sideline the panel and change the state's House districts in response to Texas' redistricting efforts.

The president is a factor here for more than half of voters — more to show opposition to him than support.

By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

Events overseas have played a role in this local campaign race. Most New York City voters overall say the candidates' positions on Israel were a factor in their vote, although it is a major factor for fewer than half. It is more of a factor for Jewish voters.

By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

In Virginia, most voters say federal government cuts this year have affected their family's finances, including about one in five who report being affected a lot. This includes many who have been employed by the federal government this year.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger has focused her campaign on affordability and has been critical of the Trump administration's cuts to the federal government.

Republican Winsome Earle-Sears has emphasized issues and policies concerning transgender people, and about half of Virginia's voters think support for transgender rights in society have gone too far, particularly Republicans.

In New Jersey, each of the candidates for governor emphasized affordability in their campaigns, and taxes and the economy are the top issues for voters.

Taxes are more of a priority for Republican Jack Ciattarelli's voters, while the economy is the most important issue for Democrat Mikie Sherril's supporters.

Most also say property taxes and electricity costs are big problems in the area where they live, exit polls currently show.

By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

Three in four New York City voters say the cost of housing is a major problem. Most call crime a problem, but fewer than half call it a "major" one.

A lot of the campaign has been defined by whether voters want a mayor with experience or a change agent. Both of those traits top a list of what the city's voters are looking for in a candidate.

Democrat Zohran Mandami's voters are more likely to be looking for someone who will bring needed change, while those backing lifelong Democrat-turned-third-party candidate Andrew Cuomo are looking for someone with experience.

By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

Early exit polls show economic concerns are what's on the minds of voters as they cast ballots in key elections in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City and California.

Worries about the economy are coupled with broader discontent with the state of the country right now. In Virginia and New Jersey, roughly two-thirds of voters are dissatisfied or angry about the way things are going. It's even higher in California.

And President Trump looms over the contests in these historically Democratic-leaning places, with many saying he is a factor in their vote, and more so to express opposition to him than support, according to early exit polls.

This is not uncommon in off-year elections, which are often partly a referendum on the sitting president. (In the 2021 Virginia race for governor, about half of voters said their vote was at least, in part, about then-President Joe Biden)

President Trump's overall job rating is underwater — with more who disapprove than approve of his job performance — in each of the places where exit polls are being conducted: Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and California.

In these contests for elected office, most voters made up their minds about their candidate a long time ago, but roughly a quarter in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City, made their decision in the last month.

By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, a Republican running for reelection, suggested in the final hours of voting that voters consider backing him in the AG race and a Democrat in the gubernatorial race.

Miyares posted a video Tuesday morning in which he spoke with a voter named Dave who supports Democrat Abigail Spanberger for governor but voted for Miyares for attorney general.

In the caption, Miyares wrote, "Dave's splitting his ticket — you can too."

In other cases, Miyares has encouraged people to vote for the entire GOP ticket — including Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears.

But Miyares has been courting split-ticket voters following the recent controversies surrounding his Democratic rival for attorney general, Jay Jones, who sent violent and inflammatory texts in 2022.

Miyares was running several points ahead of Earle-Sears in pre-election polls.

President Trump has endorsed candidates in most — but not all — of Tuesday's biggest races.

• The president has enthusiastically endorsed New Jersey's GOP candidate for governor, Jack Ciattarelli. He held a telephone rally for Ciattarelli on the eve of the election: "This is the biggest election — the entire country is watching New Jersey," he said.
• Mr. Trump also gave Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is running for reelection, his "complete and total endorsement," boosting Miyares and Republican lieutenant governor candidate John Reid in a tele-rally Monday.
• Notably, the president hasn't endorsed Virginia GOP gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears by name, though he has encouraged Virginians to vote for the entire Republican ticket and attacked Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger.
• The president has repeatedly encouraged people to vote for New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running third-party against Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani — likely an unwelcome endorsement for Cuomo, who has long sparred with Mr. Trump. "I'm not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it's gonna be between a bad Democrat and a communist, I'm gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you," the president told "60 Minutes." (Mamdani describes himself as a democratic socialist, not a communist.)
• Mr. Trump called California's redistricting plan a "GIANT SCAM." He has supported redistricting efforts in several Republican-leaning states.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, declined to say who he voted for in the New York City mayoral race.

"I voted, and I look forward to working with the next mayor to help New York City," he said.

Schumer has not endorsed the Democratic nominee, Zohran Mamdani. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, defeated Andrew Cuomo, the former Democratic governor of New York, in the primary. Cuomo then ran as an independent, and won the support of some Democrats who have been critical of Mamdani — and even President Trump.

The president said Monday in a Truth Social 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," the president said in a Truth Social post.

Mr. Trump also said if Zohran Mamdani wins Tuesday, "it is highly unlikely that I will be contributing Federal Funds, other than the very minimum as required, to my beloved first home, because of the fact that, as a Communist, this once great City has ZERO chance of success or even survival!"

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, endorsed Mamdani just a day before early voting began in late October, but has not appeared enthusiastic about his campaign.

Proposition 50 would allow California Democrats to temporarily change the boundaries of U.S. House districts and make them more favorable to Democrats. It's an initiative intended to respond to President Trump's push for Republican-controlled states, like Texas, to change their congressional maps and give the GOP a better shot at holding on to its narrow House majority in next year's midterm elections.

California has 52 congressional districts, 43 represented by Democrats and nine by Republicans. The five GOP-led districts targeted under Proposition 50 are District 1, represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa; District 3, represented by Rep. Kevin Kiley; District 22, represented by Rep. David Valadao; District 41, represented by Rep. Ken Calvert; and District 48, represented by Rep. Darrell Issa.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, who pushed Prop 50 through California's Assembly, rallied supporters of the measure in San Francisco on Monday night.

"We're going to get out there and win and send a powerful message not only to the people of the state of California, but the people all over the United States of America," Newsom said.

A recent CBS News poll found that among voters who plan to support Proposition 50, one reason they're doing so is to oppose the Trump administration — which they also feel generally treats California worse than other states — and oppose national Republicans.

Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears is running against former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger in the race, and in either case, the winner will make history in the commonwealth as its first female governor. If Earle-Sears wins, she'll become the first female Black governor.

There's no incumbent in this race — there never is, since Virginia governors may not run for consecutive terms under state law.

Virginia's gubernatorial election is often seen as a potential referendum on the incumbent president. The president's party often loses the Virginia governor's race, which always falls in the year following a presidential election.

Spanberger has made it clear she's running against Mr. Trump's policies during the campaign, saying, "It is because of the trade wars and the retaliatory tariff policies and the attack on Virginia, our economy and our people, that we recognize the possibility of November 4."

The Trump administration's broadsides against the federal workforce hit Virginia hard, since the state has hundreds of thousands of civilian federal employees and contractors. Besides the reduction-in-force cuts by the administration, federal workers are taking an economic hit in the government shutdown that's now stretching into its second month.

Earle-Sears has focused on immigration and transgender issues, and in their October debate, she pressed Spanberger on whether she'd keep transgender youth out of girls' high school sports and bathrooms.

During the campaign, Earle-Sears has campaigned alongside Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, but she was not endorsed by President Trump. Mr. Trump appeared in a telerally on Monday night for the Republican ticket, attacking Spanberger and encouraging people to vote for Republicans, but he didn't mention Earle-Sears by name.

New Jersey voters are deciding between former GOP New Jersey state Rep. Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill in the race for governor today.

Sherrill, who flipped a Republican congressional seat in 2018, is running as a moderate and trying to tie Ciattarelli to President Trump. Ciattarelli counters that Sherrill is blaming Mr. Trump for everything.

Both candidates are appealing to voters' concerns about the high cost of living: Ciattarelli is touting a "Make New Jersey Affordable Again" pitch, while Sherrill features an "Affordability Agenda" on her campaign website.

In September, CBS News reported that a branch of the National Archives released a mostly unredacted version of Sherrill's military records to an ally of Ciattarelli in error.

Republicans allied with Ciattarelli have been examining Sherrill's record in the Navy, looking for information about a Naval Academy cheating scandal that implicated over 100 midshipmen. Sherrill was not accused of wrongdoing but did not walk in her graduation, which she said was because she "didn't turn in some of my classmates." Sherrill had an unblemished career in the Navy and, as a midshipman, received a Navy Achievement Medal in 1991 for saving the life of a classmate.

The mayoral race between Democrat Zohran Mamdani, independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa had record-breaking early voting turnout before polls opened at 6 a.m. Tuesday across the five boroughs.

By noon, the City Board of Elections had reported 1,195,062 voter check-ins — including 735,317 during early voting. Brooklyn has the highest voter turnout so far, followed by Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island. Polls stay open until 9 p.m. ET.

In addition to the mayor's race, New Yorkers are also voting for several other local offices and six ballot proposals.

Several polling sites in New Jersey received threats this morning, but two senior homeland security officials and a federal law enforcement source said there are currently no credible threats to polling sites nationwide, including in New Jersey. Those threats were determined to be a hoax.

New Jersey Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way said in a statement that the bomb threats resulted in the closure of several polling sites. After law enforcement determined the threats were not credible, some were reopened. State Attorney General Matthew Platkin said other polling sites remained closed and voters were being directed to cast their ballots at nearby locations instead.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency promised Tuesday to "steadfastly operate within its statutory mission to protect the nation's critical infrastructure from cyber and physical threats," even amid the shutdown, which CISA director of public affairs Marci McCarthy blamed on Democrats.

Voters headed to the polls today in several states, with races that are being closely watched in New York City, New Jersey and Virginia. New York City is choosing a new mayor, while New Jersey and Virginia voters are electing a governor. In California, redistricting is on the ballot as Proposition 50. Each of these races could be viewed early bellwethers for next year's midterm elections.

Here are the poll closing times for those races:

7 p.m. ET: Polls close in Virginia

8 p.m. ET: Polls close in New Jersey

9 p.m. ET: Polls close in New York

11 p.m. ET (8 p.m. PT): Polls close in California

If you're in line when polls close, you'll be allowed to vote.