What you need to know
• Focus on Commonwealth: The polls are closing in Virginia, where the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general are being watched closely in this once key swing state.
• Tonight’s other big contests: In addition to Virginia, voters in several other states are casting ballots in the first major elections of President Donald Trump’s second term, a series of tests both for him and for Democrats trying to decide how to oppose him. Read more about the races.
• Disapproval with Trump: In the four closely watched contests – the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the mayoral race in New York City and the redistricting-related Proposition 50 in California – majorities disapprove of the president, according to the preliminary CNN exit polling.
Ciattarelli navigates the Trump factor in governor’s race
Republican Jack Ciattarelli once called President Donald Trump a “charlatan.” But in this campaign, he ran as an ally of the president.
Ciattarelli’s team is hoping the president’s endorsement will drive out Trump supporters who might typically sit out in off-year races — one year after Trump made gains in the state.
Trump never campaigned with Ciattarelli here but held telerallies on his behalf. On the night before the election, Trump told supporters Ciattarelli would focus on “saving New Jersey, making it great again.”
In his final speech of the campaign that same night, Ciattarelli only mentioned Trump in the context of his Democratic opponent Mikie Sherrill’s attacks against him.
It highlights the careful balance Ciattarelli has sought to strike in this campaign – trying to keep the focus on local issues even as Trump, who is facing low approval ratings, looms over the race. Sherrill has made the Trump-Ciattarelli alliance a focal point of her arguments, saying the GOP nominee won’t stand up to the president.
Ciattarelli gave Trump an “A” grade for his performance, and there have been very few areas where he’s publicly distanced himself from the president. But he also hasn’t woven their alliance into every campaign speech he’s made.
When I asked Ciattarelli if he’s worried the president might be a liability for him in this race, he told me, “Not one bit.”
It’s 7 p.m. ET, and polls are closing in Virginia. Here’s what to know about the state’s key races
Polls are closing in Virginia’s races for governor, attorney general and lieutenant governor.
Here’s what you should know about each race:
Governor: Virginia has a history of electing governors from the party that’s out of the White House. But still, the once key swing state hasn’t voted for a GOP presidential candidate since 2004, and after voting for Joe Biden by 10 points in 2020, it was still a bit of an upset when the commonwealth elected Republican Glenn Youngkin in 2021. This year however, Virginia’s blue tint and the White House backlash line up to make Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former member of congress and CIA case officer, the favorite to become the state’s first female governor.
Spanberger’s opponent is Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a former Marine who immigrated from Jamaica and served in the House of Delegates. Earle-Sears is the first woman of color elected statewide in Virginia and would not only be the state’s first female governor but also the first Black woman governor in US history.
Lieutenant governor: Vying for the role is Republican former radio host John Reid and former Democratic state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi. Either candidate would make history in statewide office if elected, as Hashmi would be the first Muslim and the first Indian American, while Reid would be the first openly gay person to fill the role.
Attorney general: Incumbent Republican Jason Miyares and Democratic nominee Jay Jones are in the race for attorney general. Jones has tried to nationalize the race, accusing Miyares of not being able to stand up to President Donald Trump, while highlighting his own support of abortion rights. Miyares has touted his record in office and has accused Jones of being soft on crime, while also focusing on his text message controversy.
Ciattarelli’s brother tells CNN "it’s in his heart" that he "wants to fix New Jersey"
Felix Ciattarelli, the younger brother of Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli, told CNN his brother was working until the final minute to turn out voters, calling him the “energizer bunny.”
Felix Ciattarelli recounted how four years earlier, the campaign’s election night event was held at the same hotel and he thought his brother was on the verge of victory.
“When we were in the same building and we left last time, he was the winner, and to wake up the next morning and see what I saw — I was like you know, you have to accept things,” he said. “He took about three weeks off and then he was right back out there like he was running next month, never stopped.”
In 2021, the race was not called until Wednesday evening, and incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy beat Jack Ciattarelli by three points.
Asked about his brother’s Democratic opponent Mikie Sherrill attacking Ciattarelli for his ties to President Donald Trump, Felix Ciattarelli said, “I think they all do that, and that’s incredible.”
Young voter in New Jersey says he cast ballot for Sherrill to "make a change"
David Rutherford, 31, said he voted for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for New Jersey governor, to “make a change.”
Rutherford, a resident of Passaic, said times have been scary lately for a lot of Americans because of the Trump administration’s recent inaction on SNAP benefits.
“While we’re sitting here struggling and worried, they’re building a ballroom,” he added, referring to ongoing White House renovations.
Rutherford said the uncertainty of the future is difficult for many in his generation but urged other young people to take action.
Trump looms large over Virginia governor race
President Donald Trump is not on the ballot this year, but he remains a central character in today’s elections — including in Virginia.
As Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican gubernatorial nominee, worked to turn out every last vote, visiting diners and praying with supporters, she closed the campaign without ever receiving the endorsement of the president. Trump offered his full support for Republican state Attorney General Jason Miyares.
In conversations with CNN, Republican sources were split on the impact, given Trump’s ability to motivate both GOP and Democratic voters.
Even without Trump’s endorsement, Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger sought to tie Earle-Sears to the administration’s actions, including the government shutdown and mass federal layoffs.
History will be made tonight in Virginia
Virginia will make history tonight, as voters are set to elect the state’s first woman governor.
It’s something that Abigail Spanberger and Winsome Earle-Sears, the Democratic and Republican candidates, have rarely mentioned on the campaign trail, but has animated supporters on both sides.
While Democrats have an air of confidence not seen in the last year, party strategists say they are still trying to push for greater turnout in the suburbs up and down Virginia — from the north to the south — hoping a strong margin could pull embattled Attorney General candidate, Jay Jones, over the finish line.
The doors are opening soon at the Spanberger victory rally, where party leaders are expecting an early night — at least in the governor’s race.
Sliwa's red beret serves as a symbol of safety, campaign staffer says
Curtis Sliwa, the Republican nominee for New York City mayor, chose to wear the now iconic red beret as the symbol to anyone in trouble that he and his group — the Guardian Angels — were there to help, according to deputy campaign manager Ashwin Prabaharan.
The beret, chosen for its distinct appearance along with the color red, is meant to be highly visible to anyone who needs help, Prabaharan said.
“That’s how they wanted to be identified, as the ones on the subway,” Prabaharan said, referring the Guardian Angels. “As a sign of safety, wherever they were.”
While Sliwa has traded in patrols for the campaign trail, he continues to wear the beret to honor former Guardian Angels who died, Prabaharan said.
“He wears the beret to honor their memory,” Prabaharan said. “To honor their sacrifice.”
Ciattarelli team looking for "strong push" in final hours of voting
Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign believes turnout size is “trending in the right direction” for him and is looking for a “strong push” in the final hours of voting to “put us over the top,” a senior campaign official said.
Ciattarelli’s team is looking to drive up Republican turnout in places like Ocean and Monmouth counties and southern New Jersey.
And they hope to rack up votes from unaffiliated and Democratic voters in counties like Passaic, Bergen, and Somerset.
Newsom says Trump is trying to "suppress the vote," in response to president's claim of fraud
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is pushing back against President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud in his state.
Earlier, the president posted on Truth Social that the “The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM,” describing it as rigged.
Trump said the results from mail-in ballots are “under very serious legal and criminal review.”
Trump has for years told outlandish lies about elections in Democratic-dominated California and has said mail-in voting is “rigged.”
Californians are voting on a new congressional map that aims to produce up to five additional Democratic seats in the House, in a direct rebuke of the recently passed Texas map that will potentially help Republicans win five more seats in 2026.
Polls close in California at 11 p.m. ET
Trump urges Jewish voters to back New Jersey GOP gubernatorial candidate hours before polls close
President Donald Trump urged Jewish voters in New Jersey to head to the ballot box to vote for Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli Tuesday, just hours before polls close in the Garden State.
“I just heard that 32,000 Orthodox Jews around Lakewood and Jackson, New Jersey, have showed up BIG for Jack Ciattarelli,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “My friends in this Great Community know how important this Election is to New Jersey, and to our Country. There is still time to vote! I am asking ALL PATRIOTIC CITIZENS OF THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY, including all Kollel and Yeshiva students who haven’t voted yet, to please GET OUT AND VOTE FOR JACK CIATTARELLI.”
The president’s appeal to New Jersey Jewish voters stands in contrast to comments earlier in the day, when he wrote, “Any Jewish person that votes for Zohran Mamdani, a proven and self professed JEW HATER, is a stupid person!!!”
Trump endorsed Ciatterelli ahead of New Jersey’s primary in May, and held a tele-rally for the candidate and GOP candidates up and down the ticket on the eve of election day.
Here's what CNN's preliminary exit polls show about how voters feel about the NYC mayoral race
New York City’s multi-candidate mayoral race sees big differences between the bases of support for Democrat Zohran Mamdani, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Nearly 90% of Mamdani’s supporters say their vote is to support him, rather than to oppose his rivals. Sliwa’s voters also see their ballot as a statement of support, according to preliminary CNN exit polling findings. By contrast, Cuomo’s voters are closely split between voting to support him and voting to oppose the other candidates.
Mamdani voters overwhelmingly call cost of living their top issue, while Cuomo voters are divided between cost of living and crime, and Sliwa voters largely see crime as the city’s biggest problem. And most of Mamdani’s supporters say it was most important either that their candidate would bring needed change, or that their candidate would work for people like them. Cuomo’s supporters broadly say they were looking for the candidate with the right experience, while Sliwa’s backers say they wanted either an honest and trustworthy candidate, or one who would work for people like them.
Although most voters say they’re holding steady or getting ahead financially, nearly 60% call cost of living the city’s most important issue. And more than 7 in 10 say the cost of housing where they live is a major problem, compared to about one-third who say crime is a major problem. About 4 in 10 call the candidates’ positions on Israel a major factor in their vote.
Roughly 1 in 6 voters say they’re casting their ballot in a mayoral election for the first time.
Exit poll numbers are preliminary and may be updated throughout the night. Learn more about how the surveys were conducted here.
Why some Richmond residents say they voted
Voters in Richmond said a wide range of issues drove them to the polls today to cast their ballot in the Virginia governor race.
Here’s what some of them told CNN:
An 81-year-old Republican voter told CNN she’s “not happy with the Democrats, with the way they’re behaving in Virginia or nationwide.”
The voter, who identified herself only as Kitty, also cited immigration as an important issue to her and not wanting to return Biden administration immigration policies.
Andrew Aquino, 45, who voted Democrat, told CNN that he’s “concerned” about President Donald Trump’s pardons and “how he’s basically using the presidency to line his pockets.” He also expressed concern over LGBTQ people’s rights, the economy, SNAP benefits expiring, and the cost of health care, mentioning that his own health care premiums are set to double.
“I am very concerned about what the Republican Party and Donald Trump are doing,” he said, adding, “I’m very concerned with what’s going on in the country.”
Aikaterina Flemotomos, 26, who voted Democrat, said she’s worried about the rising health care costs and funding SNAP benefits.
A former Youngkin voter explains why she voted for Spanberger this time around
A furloughed government worker in Virginia, who declined to provide her name, told CNN that she voted for GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin in the 2021 election. But today, she cast her ballot for Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger for governor.
“I just wasn’t pleased with how far right he went,” she said of Youngkin. “And so I’ve seen what the federal government looks like being totally controlled by one party, and I’m uncomfortable with that, with either party.”
She told CNN that she wrote in a candidate for Virginia attorney general, rather than vote for Democratic candidate Jay Jones, who faced widespread criticism for text messages he sent in 2022 suggesting a colleague should be shot.
She said the text messages controversy had less to do with her decision not to back Jones, but more that “I just haven’t been impressed with the credentials.”
“I haven’t been pleased with anyone on any of these tickets except Spanberger,” she added. She called Spanberger “qualified” to be governor, pointing to Spanberger’s experience in Congress and background as a former intelligence officer. “She’s very open to listening to both sides, so I think she’s the type of leader that we need right now when no one’s talking.”
California’s election chief pushes back on Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting system
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber today pushed back on President Donald Trump’s attack on California’s mail-in voting system and claims by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt of “blatant fraud” in the state’s election system.
As CNN previously reported, Trump earlier today claimed that the state’s mail-in ballot system is “under serious legal and criminal review” and called the redistricting vote underway in the state “unconstitutional.”
California voters are deciding whether to approve a new congressional map that could give Democrats an additional five seats in the US House in next year’s midterm elections. The move in California comes in response to Texas redrawing its maps – at Trump’s behest – to pick up additional Republican-friendly seats in the Lone Star State.
See below how young voters are feeling about Proposition 50.
Younger voters are showing up to cast ballots Tuesday in Orange County, California, citing their desire to make sure Proposition 50 passes.
Mamdani’s camp encouraged by Brooklyn turnout so far
A senior adviser to Zohran Mamdani’s campaign tells CNN the high turnout in Brooklyn so far is giving them hope Mamdani will be able to win with over 50% of the vote.
The senior aide told CNN they are analyzing borough by borough turnout, but are specifically focused on Brownstone Brooklyn, parts of Queens including Mamdani’s home district, the Bronx and large swaths of Manhattan with the exception of the Upper East Side which they expect will lean heavily in favor of former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Brownstone Brooklyn is a reference to the distinct architectural style of row houses across some neighborhoods in Brooklyn. The term is used to refer to neighborhoods in Brooklyn home to many affluent, politically engaged progressive Democrats.
More than 478,000 people have cast their ballots in Brooklyn alone, according to the New York City Board of Election.
After a surge of older voters cast their votes during the first half of the early voting period in New York City, Mamdani’s campaign believes they have made up the difference thanks to a surge of young voters during the last early voting period this past weekend.
The surge among older voters was interpreted by some observers as benefitting former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has sought to appeal to more moderate Democrats and Republicans.
Mamdani has been asked multiple times whether he believes he needs to capture more than 50% of the vote to have a strong mandate. He has dismissed the question, saying winning “will be the mandate.”
Sliwa made the most of his spotlight in NYC mayor race, analyst says
Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa made the most of his second run for New York City mayor, using a spotlight that wasn’t there four years ago to get his message out, according to a political analyst.
Juan Carlos Polanco, a professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College, described Sliwa as a non-MAGA Republican who ran, what he called, an early 90s campaign, complete with campaign offices and lawn signs bearing his name.
Sliwa, who represented the frustrations of some in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island (often referred to as the outer boroughs) had a tough time with a law and order platform against Eric Adams four years ago. This time, the battle between former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Democratic Party nominee Zohran Mamdani gave him the spotlight he didn’t have the last time, Polanco said.
“There was none before,” Polanco said. “He was just the Republican candidate who was going to get 24-25% of the vote.”
Polanco believes Sliwa took the attacks by Cuomo personally and that’s why he went after him in the debates. Still, despite Sliwa’s long odds, Polanco says the Republican nominee took the opportunity to get his message across.
“You got the authenticity,” Polanco said. “You got the Brooklyn accent. You saw the passion in his eyes. You saw that he knows he’s losing but he’s going to fight until the end and people appreciate that.”
Some Sherrill supporters view their vote as a check on the Trump administration
Some supporters of Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic candidate for New Jersey’s governor, told CNN they view their vote as a check on the Trump administration.
Dr. Janelle C. Hall, a local non-profit leader, said she voted for Sherrill in part because of the administration’s recent move on SNAP benefits.
”I work with the community, I’m boots on the ground, and this SNAP situation really took a toll,” said Hall, CEO at United Passaic Organization.
Hall said there’s been increased demand at the community marketplace run by her organization.
”Seeing that need everyday, the lines increase week after week — it’s heartbreaking,” she said.
Voters in key races are dissatisfied with Trump and concerned with economy, CNN exit polls show
Last November, Donald Trump won a return to the White House amid broad national dissatisfaction with the state of the country. A year later, preliminary CNN exit polling finds, the first major electoral tests of the second Trump presidency take place with voters expressing similar pessimism and anti-incumbent sentiments despite the turnover in the Oval Office.
Across four closely watched contests — the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the mayoral race in New York City and the redistricting-related Proposition 50 in California — majorities disapprove of Trump, with strong disapproval of his performance far outpacing strong approval. In Virginia, New Jersey and California, roughly half or more of the electorate sees their vote as sending a message to Trump. And that message is largely one of opposition, rather than support.
At the same time, while all these places voted Democratic in last year’s presidential election, none currently give especially positive reviews to the Democratic Party. The party’s favorability rating hovers around the 50% mark in California and New York City — though the GOP is even more unpopular in those places. In New Jersey and Virginia, meanwhile, voters give roughly equal ratings to the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
Views of the economy aren’t uniform. Most Virginia voters say that their state’s economy is excellent or good, even as a majority say that federal government cuts this year have had at least a minor effect on their family’s finances. Majorities in California, New York City and New Jersey, by contrast, call their state’s economic conditions not so good or poor. In each place, economic issues — taxes, cost of living, or the economy as a whole — dominate voters’ concern.
Exit poll numbers are preliminary and may be updated throughout the night. Learn more about how the surveys were conducted here.
Young New York City voters say they are hopeful for change in mayoral election
In New York City, college students are gearing up for election night watch parties to see who will become mayor in their city.
New York University College Republicans president Ryan Leonard, 21, says he’ll be casting his ballot for Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa due to his willingness to crack down on crime.
The philosophy major says he’s felt unsafe due to his involvement in NYU’s Republican group and that he has experienced dangerous situations on the streets of New York City.
“I didn’t care about this much when I was younger, but something I care about more now is having a candidate who’s willing to face crime head on, be tough on crime,” Leonard told CNN.
He did acknowledge democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani’s popularity, though, saying that “overwhelmingly the young people on campus like Mamdani.”
“They’ll be tabling for him outside and trying to get people to register to vote for him so yeah, a lot of positivity for Mamdani,” Leonard said.
Still, he tells CNN that he’s hopeful Sliwa will take it home.
But Fordham University College Democrats president Caroline Lehman, 22, says she sees Mamdani winning the race.
“I think people are ready for something new,” she told CNN. “I don’t think anyone wants to continue to see the same people over and over again that aren’t really accomplishing things.”
While Lehman missed the voter registration deadline in New York to vote, she says she would have cast her ballot for Mamdani due to his stance on a variety of issues like affordability in the city and the war in Gaza.
Will tonight's elections be a referendum on Trump? The White House is in a wait-and-see mode
President Donald Trump’s team will be watching closely as the returns come in from Virginia, New Jersey and California tonight, but his aides have been hesitant to cast the night’s results as a referendum on his first nine months in office.
Instead, watch for Trump’s team to tread lightly and see how the night plays out first. Several people familiar with what’s happened behind the scenes told CNN that’s intentional.
The one exception is New York City’s mayoral race. One person familiar with his comments said Trump has spoken much more about that privately than he has the governor’s race in New Jersey or Virginia in recent weeks.
