ELECTION DAY 2025: All eyes on NYC as Democrat Spanberger wins VA governor's race

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(The Center Square) – As vote counting continues in the race for New Jersey governor, the Virginia gubernatorial race has been called.

Polls also have closed in New York, where a self-described democratic socialist was leading in the polls for New York City mayor.  

The Center Square is monitoring vote counts and will update readers throughout the night.

VIRGINIA GOVERNOR 

Democrat Abigail Spanberger is projected to beat Republican Winsome Earl-Sears to become Virginia's next governor.

With 78% of the vote counted, Spanberger led 56.1% to 43.7%, with several national news outlets calling the race.

Earl-Sears is the current lieutenant governor of Virginia and Spanberger most recently served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Earl-Sears won alongside Republican Glenn Youngkin in 2021. The Virginia Constitution limits governors to a single four-year term, which prevented Youngkin from pursuing the governorship a second time.

VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL

The race for Virginia attorney general took a turn after the National Review revealed that Democrat candidate Jay Jones texted Republican state Del. Carrie Coyner about shooting former House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones faces incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares

“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” the text from Jones to Coyner reads, referring to Gilbert and the two dictators. The National Review also reported Jones tried to call Coyner after she had objected to the message and went on to text that Gilbert and his wife were “breeding little fascists.”

With 78% of the vote counted, Jones holds a thin lead on Miyares, 51.6% to 48%.

NEW JERSEY GOVERNOR

Voters in New Jersey also are electing a new governor, choosing between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. Sherrill has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2019. Ciattarelli is a businessman and previously served as a state legislator.

Ciattarelli lost to Democrat Phil Murphy in 2021. This year, Ciattarelli has an endorsement from President Donald Trump.

WIth 58% of the vote counted, Sherrill leads Ciattarelli, 56.6% to 42.9%. Two other candidates in the race were garnering less than 1% of the vote combined.

NEW YORK CITY MAYOR

In one of the most talked about races in the country, Democrat candidate and self-proclaimed Zohran Mamdani faces Republican Curtis Sliwa and Independent and former Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani has made headlines for his socialist policies including raising taxes on wealthy residents, fare-free but taxpayer funded public transit, and opening government-run grocery stores. Critics have warned that if Mamdani wins, many wealthier New Yorkers will flee the city, taking their tax contributions and spending power with them. 

Polls close at 9 p.m. eastern in New York.

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The Center Square will also report on elections in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Colorado, California, Washington state and elsewhere.

The Center Square reporters Andrew Rice and Shirleen Guerra contributed to this report.