Voters across New York City, the state, and the country turned out in droves Tuesday to cast their ballots in what is already looking like one of the most dramatic midterm elections in living memory. Some of the implications are obvious. Others are more subtle. Let's dig in to who comes out ahead after Tuesday and who has been laid low.
WINNER: Zohran Mamdani
Boring but true. Aside from one ill-advised endorsement of Lindsay Boylan for City Council in the spring, Mayor Zohran Mamdani can't lose! His three Congressional candidates—Brad Lander, Darializa Avila Chevalier, and Claire Valdez—swept their races over the summer and cemented their victories Tuesday night. His alliance with Governor Kathy Hochul, atypical of their two offices, boosted her significantly in her decisive win in the gubernatorial election.
But more than that, he seems to have rekindled a sense of, I'm sorry, but hope and optimism in the Democratic Party. And his opposition to Israel's war in Gaza and his message of affordability were echoed across the country, by Democrats and Republicans alike.