The message of affordability also propelled Zohran Mamdani, a little-known New York assemblyman who has vowed to freeze the rent for rent-controlled apartments in New York City, to the Democratic nomination and helped make him the favorite in Tuesday’s mayoral race.

Voters in New Jersey and Virginia are casting their ballots for governor as New York City holds its mayoral race.

Early voting data suggests that Democratic candidates for governor in New Jersey and Virginia are heading into the final weekend in a slightly stronger position than Kamala Harris was at the same time last year.

New Jersey and Virginia have seen double-digit electricity rate hikes in the last year as voters in those states prepare to choose new governors.

Early voting is well underway in New York City’s mayoral race. Front-runner 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani is running against former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Meanwhile, the New Jersey gubernatorial race is tightening.

Voters in New Jersey and Virginia head to the polls Tuesday in the first major statewide elections since Donald Trump returned to the White House, seen as early tests of voter sentiment ahead of the 2026 midterms.

If there's agreement on anything in the two states with governor's races this year, it's that utility bills are a growing concern among voters. One Virginia voter, Kim Wilson, lamented at a town hall recently that her electricity bill seems to go up every month,

Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill lead in Virginia and New Jersey governor races as the government shutdown enters its 27th day.

Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill are crisscrossing the Garden State in a last push to sway undecided voters.