This piece is part of MI x DW, a collaboration that brings Daily Wire readers exclusive commentary and research from the Manhattan Institute’s world-class team of scholars.
In this piece, Santiago Vidal Calvo takes a hard look at New Jersey&#8217;s plan to manage World Cup crowds by charging $150 for a train ticket. Is this a necessary move to manage large crowds for the final match, or an embarrassing scramble to solve a problem officials have known about for years? Regardless, Calvo explains how the price hike will hurt ordinary citizens, and urges lawmakers to use the World Cup to enrich Americans, not inconvenience them.
This is classic Manhattan Institute urbanism — incisive, urgent, and practical. Pieces like this are why this partnership exists. — Tim Rice
***
In less than two months, the United States will host the largest sporting event on earth.
The 2026 World Cup is expected to bring more than <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/opinion/nyc-doing-everything-possible-to-ruin-its-chances-for-a-huge-world-cup-windfall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">7 million fans</a> to stadiums across North America, and the New York-New Jersey host committee projects more than <a href="https://nynjfwc26.com/press-releases/fifa-world-cup-2026-ny-nj-final-schedule-released/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.2 million visitors</a> and <a href="https://nynjfwc26.com/press-releases/3-billion-in-economic-impact/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$3.3 billion</a> in economic impact for the region alone.
To accommodate these visitors, New Jersey is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7193375/2026/04/14/metlife-stadium-world-cup-train-tickets/?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> planning to increase the round-trip ride from Penn Station to MetLife Stadium to $150 for World Cup match days. The ride normally costs $12.90.
The Garden State says the price hike is required to keep residents from <a href="https://www.nj.com/sports/2026/04/100-for-nj-transit-rides-to-world-cup-prices-set-to-skyrocket-this-summer.html#:~:text=the%20cost%20for%20the%20eight%20matches%20will%20not%20be%20borne%20by%20our%20regular%20commuters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bearing the cost</a> of the tournament. But New Jersey won’t exempt commuters from the surge pricing, and plans to restrict certain heavily-trafficked boarding areas on match days.
The result is a mess of inconvenience that makes the World Cup fare hike look less like necessity and more like gouging. If New Jersey was really concerned about not burdening its residents, they wouldn’t <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nj-transit-ticket-prices-for-fifa-world-cup-matches/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shove</a> these riders aside.
NJ Transit <a href="https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/security-concerns-demand-penn-station-closures-during-world-cup-nj-transit-chief-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expects to move</a> about 40,000 riders per match, including roughly 28,000 originating from New York, with the broader event expected to draw stadium crowds of 80,000 people.
Meadowlands rail service for the World Cup will be <a href="https://www.njtransit.com/fifa#:~:text=Only%20FIFA%20World%20Cup%2026%20match%20ticketholders%20will%20be%20permitted%20on%20Meadowlands%20Rail%20service" target="_blank" rel="noopener">limited to match</a> ticket holders during the tournament. That means commuters who need to go to work, pick up kids from school, or run errands are out of luck. Officials are also restricting parts of Penn Station before kickoff so that only World Cup passengers can enter certain NJ Transit boarding areas.
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Worse still, seniors, children, and people with disabilities — who normally qualify for discounted tickets — would have to pay the same inflated fare.
The political class wants Americans to believe the challenge of hosting the World Cup is mostly about scale: big crowds, big security demands, big logistics. By that logic, it makes sense that New Jersey has to do what’s necessary to meet the challenge.
But America has plenty of raw capacity to handle massive crowds. Phoenix <a href="https://www.itskrs.its.dot.gov/briefings/executive-briefing/intelligent-transportation-systems-its-planned-special-events-pse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> roughly 250,000 passengers during Super Bowl week in 2023 by expanding light rail service and treating transit as part of the event infrastructure.
New Jersey has no excuse. The state has known it was hosting the World Cup for years. It manages to shuttle crowds to MetLife <a href="https://www.njtransit.com/press-releases/nj-transit-ready-kick-nfl-regular-season-metlife-stadium-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">every NFL season</a>. And if scale or cost was the issue, the Department of Transportation has already allocated <a href="https://www.transportation.gov/briefing-room/trumps-transportation-secretary-announces-100-million-funding-enhance-public" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$100.3 million</a> in federal transit support for World Cup host cities.
The issue is not capacity, but competence.
MetLife is not a secondary venue tucked away from the spotlight. It is one of the nation’s largest stadiums, and it’s hosting the World Cup final. This is where the United States tells the world that it can still execute at scale.
As I have <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2025/12/07/world-cup-2026-us-security-travel/87483594007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued elsewhere</a>, our nation’s leaders should use this global stage to posture both strength and warmth to our visitors.
The MetLife fare debacle does neither.
Host cities should not be told to accept higher fares, restricted transit, and daily disruption so officials can stage an international spectacle. Nor should we make it more difficult for visitors to move around and enjoy their stay. The World Cup should be a <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/opinion/nyc-doing-everything-possible-to-ruin-its-chances-for-a-huge-world-cup-windfall/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">windfall</a> for the country, not a penalty on the people who live there.
A country that cannot get people to the stadium without overcharging them, <a href="https://thedigestonline.com/news/world-cup-new-jersey-commuter-disruption-penn-station/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rerouting them</a>, and walling off public infrastructure should stop boasting about being World Cup ready. Spectacle is easy. Competence is hard. And by the summer of 2026, the whole world will know whether America still has it.
***
 Santiago Vidal Calvo is a Cities policy analyst at the Manhattan Institute.

FIFA warns $150 NJ Transit fares to MetLife Stadium could deter World Cup fans

The World Cup Is Supposed To Boost The Economy. The Reality Looks Different.

MI x DW

New Jersey

New York

Soccer

World Cup

Voters on Thursday elected Analilia Mejia, a leftist political organizer endorsed by Bernie Sanders, to replace Democratic Gov. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District.
With 94% of the vote reported, Mejia defeated Republican Joe Hathaway by a 20-point margin, according to The New York Times, and will serve in Congress for at least the next eight months.
Mejia’s victory further narrows Republicans&#8217; majority in the U.S. House and represents a growing pattern of Democratic performance in special elections.
In her victory speech, Mejia blasted Republicans nationwide as “radicals who are willing to upend our democracy, subvert our Constitution, and act with impunity.”
“We must stop them,” she said, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/16/progressive-analilia-mejia-coasts-to-victory-in-new-jersey-special-house-election-00878188">according to Politico</a>. “These radicals will watch Rome burn with all of us within, and they are simply cowards – cowards unwilling to stand up to this madness. But we stand up, we resist, we will not allow it to continue.”
The leftist, who served as the national political director for Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, <a href="https://www.analiliafornj.com/economy-for-everyone">ran on</a> Medicare for all, abolishing ICE, and impeaching conservative Supreme Court justices.
Thursday’s results, however, raised some red flags for the Democratic Party, as Mejia fared notably worse in the district’s Jewish neighborhoods.
“There have been clear pockets of resistance to Mejia in Livingston and Millburn, two large typically Democratic towns with large Jewish populations that may be uncomfortable with Mejia&#8217;s left-wing politics, particularly on Israel,” <a href="https://x.com/SteveKornacki/status/2044971630976245902?s=20">Steve Kornacki,</a> Chief Data Analyst for NBC News, said.
In Livingston, New Jersey, a town with a large Jewish population, support shifted sharply away from the Democrats.
“Livingston is one of the most Jewish towns in New Jersey. It just swung 70+ points toward Republicans compared to 2024 and last year’s gubernatorial race,” Evan Rosenfeld, Deputy Digital Director of The Bulwark, said. “Democrats should pay attention to this or it may very well come back to bite them in ‘26 or ‘28.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Livingston is one of the most Jewish towns in New Jersey.
It just swung 70+ points toward Republicans compared to 2024 and last year’s gubernatorial race.
Democrats should pay attention to this or it may very well come back to bite them in ‘26 and ‘28 <a href="https://t.co/uASem1wCHA">https://t.co/uASem1wCHA</a>
— Evan Rosenfeld (@Evan_Rosenfeld) <a href="https://twitter.com/Evan_Rosenfeld/status/2045064237341659635?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
A vocal critic of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Mejia is likely to align herself with the &#8220;Squad&#8221; in Congress. She has called Israel’s military campaign in Gaza a &#8220;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/16/nyregion/analilia-mejia-joe-hathaway-congress-nj.html">genocide</a>&#8220; and refused to rule out conditioning aid to the Jewish state.
Mejia stunned the Democratic establishment in February by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/02/05/us/elections/results-new-jersey-us-house-11-special.html">narrowly</a> defeating a crowded field of candidates, highlighting a surge of leftist energy within the party.
“Thank you for all who casted your votes for an unbought, unbossed, sassy new member of Congress,” Mejia <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udQuP9bKw7k">said to supporters</a>.

Analilia Mejia

Bernie-Backed Liberal Cruises To Victory — But Why A Deep-Blue Town Is The Real Story

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Acting United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey Alina Habba resigned from her position on Monday after the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that she could not legally stay in the role.
Habba was serving in the role in an interim capacity for 120 days from March until July, then continued to serve in the role as legal battles continued about whether she could continue serving beyond that point without going through the Senate confirmation process.
“As a result of the Third Circuit&#8217;s ruling, and to protect the stability and integrity of the office which I love, I have decided to step down in my role as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. But do not mistake compliance for surrender,” Habba said in a statement.
“This decision will not weaken the Justice Department and it will not weaken me. My fight will now stretch across the country. As we wait for further review of the courts ruling, I will continue to serve the Department of Justice as the Senior Advisor to the Attorney General for U.S. Attorneys,” she continued, quipping that “you can take the girl out of New Jersey, but you cannot take New Jersey out of the girl.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi also slammed the court’s decision as “flawed,” and said she was “saddened” to get Habba’s resignation.
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The attorney general said she believed the decision will eventually “be reversed” and that the Trump-backed lawyer would come back to the role if that does happen.
“The court&#8217;s ruling has made it untenable for her to effectively run her office, with politicized judges pausing trials designed to bring violent criminals to justice,” Bondi stated.
“These judges should not be able to countermand the president&#8217;s choice of attorneys entrusted with carrying out the executive branch&#8217;s core responsibility of prosecuting crime,” she continued.
Last week, New Jersey Democratic Sens. Andy Kim and Cory Booker agreed with the court&#8217;s decision that Habba’s arrangement was against the Federal Vacancies Reform Act.
“This decision vindicates concerns we have long raised about the extraordinary and unlawful steps taken by the Trump Administration to keep Habba in office without Senate confirmation,” the senators wrote in a joint statement.
“The Court’s ruling underscores a simple but fundamental principle: U.S. Attorneys must be independent and installed consistent with the rule of law, not because of their political loyalty or through political maneuvering,” the December 1 statement continued. “The Trump Administration’s attempt to bypass clear legal requirements to install a loyalist undermined the legitimacy of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Jersey and cast a shadow over the cases she oversaw.”

Alina Habba

Alina Habba Steps Down From Role After Heated Legal Battle: ‘Politicized Judges’

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The New Jersey attorney general’s battle against a Christian pregnancy resource center will take center stage at the Supreme Court next week as Democrat officials ramp up the lawfare against pro-life organizations. 
On December 2, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments about whether First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, a Christian pregnancy center, can fight back in federal court against New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin’s attempt to gain access to its donor lists and promotion of the abortion pill reversal. Platkin issued a wide-ranging subpoena targeting the crisis pregnancy center as part of an investigation into whether they had lied about their services. 
“If our attorney general can bully us, it can happen in other states that promote abortion. It&#8217;s our hope that our efforts will result in protection for pregnancy centers across the nation. There is such a great need in New Jersey for women to consider all of their pregnancy options and not think that abortion is their only option,” Aimee Huber, the executive director of First Choice Women’s Resource Centers, said in a press call. 
First Choice has centers in five of New Jersey’s largest cities, including New Brunswick, Newark, Morristown, Montclair, and Jersey City. Services include free pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, and options counseling. They also offer a parenting program that provides essential needs such as baby clothes and diapers. Since 1985, they have aided over 36,000 women. 
Represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, First Choice sued Platkin after he subpoenaed them in November 2023 for ten years of documents related to its promotion of the abortion pill reversal, information they provided to clients and donors, personnel records, and copies of every advertisement the centers had run. 
“There were no allegations of wrongdoing,” Huber said. “It was simply a fishing expedition. Receiving the subpoena was completely overwhelming. We are a small nonprofit, and the idea of compiling so much information was completely daunting.”
In June 2025, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case after First Choice’s lawsuit hit snags at the federal district court and appeals court levels. The official question granted by the court is as follows: “Whether a federal suit challenging a subpoena issued by a state attorney general is justiciable if a state court has not yet issued an order directing the recipient to comply with the subpoena.”
Responding to the Supreme Court’s decision to hear the case, Platkin said that the subpoena he issued was lawful and accused First Choice of hiding information about its operations. 
“First Choice—a crisis pregnancy center operating in New Jersey—has for years refused to answer questions about their operations in New Jersey and the potential misrepresentations they have been making, including about reproductive healthcare,” Platkin said. “I remain committed to enforcing our fraud laws without fear or favor against anyone who would harm or violate the rights of our residents, no matter how powerful the entity on the other side.”
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Alliance Defending Freedom lawyer Lincoln Wilson said that the central question before the high court was whether First Choice had the right to challenge Platkin’s subpoena in federal court. 
Fundamentally, though, Wilson said the case was about First Choice’s associational rights. 
“Any organization, right or left, no matter which side of the aisle you&#8217;re on, there needs to be the ability to keep this information confidential,” he said. “And if the government can just go ahead on a pretextual theory and demand that you turn over the names of your donors, then everyone in this country is less free.”
The Trump administration is backing First Choice with the Justice Department filing an <a href="https://www.justice.gov/crt/media/1412671/dl?inline">amicus brief</a> arguing that First Choice should be allowed to pursue its federal lawsuit. 
“A party has standing to challenge a subpoena, and such a challenge is ripe, if the party faces a credible threat that the government will bring proceedings to enforce the subpoena. Because petitioner satisfies that test, this suit is justiciable,” the Justice Department wrote.  
Pregnancy centers across the country that support vulnerable women in blue states like California, New York, and Illinois have all faced legal challenges for promoting the abortion pill reversal protocol. 
The protocol is a method <a href="https://lozierinstitute.org/abortion-pill-reversal-a-record-of-safety-and-efficacy/">backed</a> by pro-life organizations where a woman can take a prescribed dose of bioidentical progesterone to potentially reverse the effects of Mifepristone and save an unborn child if she changes her mind at the last minute about going through with the abortion.
New Jersey has enshrined abortion into the state’s constitution and has no pro-life protections in place. Huber said that the expansive abortion laws created an environment where anyone offering an alternative would be targeted. 
“Our state has done everything they could to make New Jersey a sanctuary state for abortion,” she said. “Since pregnancy centers like ours do not perform or refer for abortion, we are targets for a government that disagrees with our views.”

Platkin

New Jersey’s War On Crisis Pregnancy Centers Heads To The Supreme Court

Abortion

pregnancy centers

Pro-Life Movement

The first known fatality from a red meat allergy intolerance spread by ticks has been recorded.
The otherwise healthy 47-year-old New Jersey man died abruptly after consuming beef at a restaurant in the summer of 2024. He had been camping with his family two weeks prior, per <a href="https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2025/11/13/1st-death-linked-to-meat-allergy-spread-by-ticks/">UVA Health</a>. 
The man&#8217;s son found him unconscious on the floor of a bathroom surrounded by vomit, and the man was declared dead at a hospital. The autopsy declared it was a &#8220;sudden unexplained death,&#8221; but his wife pushed for answers, and eventually it was discovered that his death could be traced back to a tick bite.
Former Chief of UVA Health’s Division of Asthma, Allergy and Clinical Immunology Thomas Platts-Mills determined via blood samples taken post-mortem that the man had been sensitized to alpha-gal, a sugar found in mammalian meat, the outlet noted. Alpha-gal syndrome is caused by a bite from the Lone Star tick, which causes people to have an anaphylaxis reaction. Symptoms include a rash, nausea, and vomiting after consuming meat.
The same man had become ill after a steak dinner two weeks prior and had told his son he felt like he was dying. 
“The important information for the public is: First, that severe abdominal pain occurring 3 to 5 hours after eating beef, pork or lamb should be investigated as a possible episode of anaphylaxis; and, second, that tick bites that itch for more than a week or larvae of ticks often called ‘chiggers’ can induce or increase sensitization to mammalian-derived meat,” Platts-Mills said. “On the other hand, most individuals who have mild to moderate episodes of hives can control symptoms with an appropriate diet.”
While most individuals who develop alpha-gal sensitivities don’t have such an extreme allergic reaction, it is a possibility that severe illness or death can occur. Platts-Mills also warned doctors to be on the lookout for these types of responses in their patients.
“It is important that both doctors and patients who live in an area of the country where Lone Star ticks are common should be aware of the risk of sensitization,” Platts-Mills said. “More specifically, if they have unexpected episodes of severe abdominal pain occurring several hours after eating mammalian meat, they should be investigated for possible sensitization to the oligosaccharide alpha-gal.”
Lone Star ticks are common throughout the South, Southeast, and much of the eastern and midwestern United States, and their range has been expanding northward and westward in recent years.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7230a2.htm?s_cid=mm7230a2_w">said</a> more than 110,000 suspected cases were identified between 2010 and 2022, but the actual number is likely higher, as people aren’t likely to test for it. The CDC also found in 2023 that 42% of health providers had never heard of Alpha-gal syndrome.

Lone Star Tick

New Jersey Man Dies From A Meat Allergy Caused By Tick Bite

Man Dies After Contracting Meat Allergy From Tick Bite

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Two privileged young men from Montclair, New Jersey, one the child of a United Nations diplomat and one the child of a professor at Queens College, now stand at the center of a hate-fueled terror plot that shattered the illusion of safety in suburban New Jersey.
Nineteen-year-old Milo Sedarat, whose father, Roger, is a poet and professor at Queens College, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/06/us-news/accused-nj-jihadi-yuppie-teen-spewed-vile-antisemitic-hate-wanted-to-murder-moms-jewish-friends-feds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dubbed himself</a> “the biggest antisemite in America.” His home — a million-dollar Victorian on a tree-lined street — became the backdrop for his vicious selfies: clad in black, sword and knife in hand, dreaming of killing Jews. Court filings allege that Sedarat glorified genocide in online messages, while saying, “Line up like 500 Jews and execute them in front of their wives and family. Then take all their wives [as] slaves. Imma have like 10 yahood (Jewish) slave girls inshallah.”
Prosecutors say he even told his mother her Jewish friends “deserve to die” before she confiscated his swords.
The second suspect, Tomas Kaan Jimenez-Guzel, also 19, is the son of a United Nations diplomat focused on women’s entrepreneurship. He, too, reveled in violence, boasting about wanting to stage a Boston Marathon–style bombing that would make him infamous enough for a Wikipedia page. Jimenez-Guzel allegedly offered to lead beheadings for propaganda videos, declaring, “I’ll do it, bro.”
According to federal agents, he was arrested at Newark Airport en route to Turkey, trying to join ISIS forces in Syria.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
⚡<a href="https://twitter.com/nypost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nypost</a> covered the two young men from a wealthy NYC suburb who planned to join ISIS and commit terror attacks on American soil.
Tomas Kaan Jimenez-Guzal and Milo Sedarat plotted violent, antisemitic attacks and accumulated an arsenal of weapons and ammo. The two were arrested… <a href="https://t.co/DqDmCWgv8I">https://t.co/DqDmCWgv8I</a> <a href="https://t.co/kWdkOAshuj">pic.twitter.com/kWdkOAshuj</a>
&mdash; Israel War Room (@IsraelWarRoom) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraelWarRoom/status/1986800308467466452?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Investigators say their online chats tied them to a wider ISIS-linked network; five others have been detained across New Jersey, Michigan, and Washington in connection with plans to massacre Jews and LGBT clubgoers. Rabbi Yaacov Leaf of Chabad of Montclair voiced the community’s disbelief: “It’s so shocking to see how such a radical ideology can be living in your backyard. It’s frightening to realize this type of hate has seeped into our suburban liberal community … It’s a diverse community where we are open to every type of human being and every type of belief system. To see that hate has found its way into the community is very frightening.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba echoed the alarm, saying that radicalization now spares no zip code. “We can never believe this can’t touch us,” she warned. “We run down every lead, no matter where it starts.”

Warfare

Rich New Jersey Teen Plotted ISIS-Inspired Terror While Living Large

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US-POLITICS-VOTE-NEW YORK-MAMDANI

New Yorkers Hand Their City Over To A Third World Islamic Communist

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Zohran Mamdani

The 2025 election results are in, the Democratic Party has taken a hard-Left swerve, and as the government shutdown breaks records, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns of massive air travel chaos.
It’s Wednesday, November 5, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251105-member-exclusive">the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/election-day-sees-blue-rebound-11-5-25/id1576594336?i=1000735367188" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Democrats Sweep Tuesday Elections</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-996265" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Clean-Blue-Sweep-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Clean-Blue-Sweep-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Clean-Blue-Sweep-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Clean-Blue-Sweep-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Clean-Blue-Sweep-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Clean-Blue-Sweep.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: On Tuesday night, Democrats scored a number of significant victories in statewide races across New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and California. 
Republicans were facing an uphill battle. The party in control of Washington almost always struggles in off-year elections, and the biggest races were in blue states. But there’s no doubt Democrats in many ways exceeded expectations as they easily won both gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, passed a significant ballot measure in California, and scored an overwhelming mayoral victory in New York City.
New York City: NYC’s election was defined by an enormous turnout. By 5 p.m., four hours before polls closed, there had already been more votes cast than in any mayoral race in more than three decades. That enthusiasm benefitted one man, Zohran Mamdani. The self-avowed socialist trounced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa by significant margins.
Republicans intend to make the best of a bad situation, however. Many of Mamdani’s policies are wildly unpopular nationwide, so the GOP will likely work to promote him as a new standard-bearer for the Democratic Party.
New Jersey: Democrat Mikie Sherrill scored a decisive victory over Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli, with the race being called within the first hour of polls closing.
This election was decided by women. According to exit polls, Ciattarelli won with male voters by a comfortable six-point margin. Among female voters, Sherrill won by a stunning 20-point margin.
Democrats also won big on two of the most important issues, healthcare and the economy. Exit polling showed that nearly half of New Jersey voters listed those issues as their top priority. Sherrill won those folks by a more than 2-to-1 margin. Much like Donald Trump, Ciattarelli did best among working-class voters and white men.
Virginia: Democrats’ candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general all came out on top. The governor’s race ended up a blowout, with Abigail Spanberger defeating Republican Winsome Earle-Sears handily. The last few votes were counted early Wednesday morning, and it appeared to be among the largest margins of victory for a Democrat gubernatorial candidate in the state in decades.
Republicans ultimately struggled to drive turnout in the state’s deep red rural counties, while Spanberger ran up the score in heavily populated blue counties near Washington, D.C., outpacing former Vice President Kamala Harris’s performance from a year ago.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Rise Of Democrat Radicals</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-996267" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Left-Turn-Ahead-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Left-Turn-Ahead-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Left-Turn-Ahead-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Left-Turn-Ahead-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Left-Turn-Ahead-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Left-Turn-Ahead.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: This election cycle has highlighted a growing appetite for socialism among young Democrats and the growing influence of progressives over the Democratic Party.
Socialism takes NYC: Mamdani won the NYC mayoral race, which is not altogether surprising in a deep-blue city like New York. And there’s an argument to be made that Cuomo could have pulled out a win if he hadn’t split the anti-Mamdani vote with Sliwa. But regardless, the Democratic Party has given its tacit or explicit approval of Mamdani. For as radical as Mamdani is to the mainstream of American politics, he faced essentially no public resistance from Democrats. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries even endorsed him.
Still, many Democrats didn’t appear pleased with Mamdani. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer never <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/04/us/politics/chuck-schumer-zohran-mamdani-endorsement.html">endorsed</a> him. Neither did former President Barack Obama, though Obama did <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/01/nyregion/zohran-mamdani-barack-obama-election.html">call</a> Mamdani to compliment his campaign. All of this speaks to a tension these politicians see between Mamdani as a broadly unpopular figure, but very popular among the Democrats’ left-wing base, which, with Mamdani’s win, is in its ascendency.
Loyalty over decency: In Virginia, Spanberger never distanced herself from the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, Jay Jones, despite his scandals. The Washington Post wrote in a Monday evening <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/11/03/virginia-election-governor-spanberger-sears-jay-jones/">editorial</a>: “If Jones rides Spanberger’s coattails to victory, it would be a sad reflection of a discomfiting willingness among voters to prioritize partisanship over human decency.”
This is currently a trend in Democratic politics. In Maine, Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner hasn’t felt Democratic backlash, except within his own campaign staff, from having a Nazi tattoo.
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent, dismissed Platner’s tattoo last month. “Between you and me, there might be one or two more important issues,” Sanders told Axios.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Shutdown Hits Air Travel, SNAP Benefits</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-996269" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Record-Breaking-Shutdown-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Record-Breaking-Shutdown-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Record-Breaking-Shutdown-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Record-Breaking-Shutdown-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Record-Breaking-Shutdown-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Record-Breaking-Shutdown.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: The government is still shut down, potentially causing major problems for upcoming holiday travel and delaying SNAP benefits for tens of millions of Americans.
The Senate voted on a continuing resolution that passed the House, and for the 14th time, it failed. Only two Democrats, Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman and Nevada’s Catherine Cortez-Masto, voted alongside Republicans to open the government.
Dem’s message: Democrats say it’s Republicans who are keeping the government shut down, and they are essentially arguing that the shutdown is happening because Republicans aren’t on board with certain healthcare subsidies.
“There’s nothing to be optimistic about, relative to the cruelty and the pain that Donald Trump and Republicans continue to inflict on the American people,” Jeffries <a href="https://x.com/RepJeffries/status/1985755754540708251">said</a> on Tuesday. “They refuse to address the health care crisis that Republicans have created.”
GOP’s message: Republicans have stuck to their original message —that the CR bill is “clean,” maintaining current funding levels without any policy changes. Democrats refusing to vote for it are clearly the ones keeping the government shut down.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) also said that Democrats want to force American taxpayers to fund healthcare for illegal immigrants, and that’s why there is a stalemate.
“In addition to their refusal to vote for the CR and reopen the government, the Democrats have had the audacity to demand something new. They demanded $1.5 trillion with a ‘T’ in new spending obligations,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C321Cds5qIY">said</a> Johnson. “Included in that is nearly $200 million of taxpayer funds that they want to use to restore free health benefits to illegal aliens.”
Shutdown on air travel: Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said on Tuesday that if the government shutdown continues, air travel will be severely restricted during the holiday season.
“You will see mass flight delays. You&#8217;ll see mass cancellations, and you may see us close certain parts of the airspace, because we just cannot manage it because we don&#8217;t have the air traffic controllers,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jxpszDOrQA&amp;list=RDNS6jxpszDOrQA&amp;start_radio=1">said</a> Duffy.
Shutdown on SNAP: Trump said on Tuesday that a potential delay for this month’s SNAP benefits will continue for 42 million Americans until the “Radical Left Democrats” reopen the government, which he said they can “easily do” at any time. USDA’s main website similarly says they don’t have funds to distribute benefits because of Democrats.
Trump’s message comes one day after the administration said it would dip into emergency funds to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-administration-partially-fund-snap-months/story?id=127138175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partially fund</a> SNAP with a $4.65 billion payment, following a federal judge’s order. A court filing said that the process could take “a few weeks to up to several months.”

MRN_251105_V2

Morning Brief: Democrats Sweep, The Rise Of The Radicals, & The Longest Shutdown In History

California

Government Shutdown

Media

Morning Wire

Winsome Sears

The New Jersey gubernatorial race has been called for Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
&#8220;New Jersey, it is the honor of my life to earn your trust to become this great state’s 57th Governor. I promise to listen, lead with courage, and never forget who I serve,&#8221; Sherrill posted to X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New Jersey, it is the honor of my life to earn your trust to become this great state’s 57th Governor.
I promise to listen, lead with courage, and never forget who I serve. <a href="https://t.co/gipM0fWnqF">pic.twitter.com/gipM0fWnqF</a>
— Mikie Sherrill (@MikieSherrill) <a href="https://twitter.com/MikieSherrill/status/1985895982605771256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Sherrill overtook Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who also faced off against outgoing Democrat Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021 and narrowly lost.
The polls closed at 8 p.m. local time. Decision Desk HQ and NewsNation called the election at 8:13 p.m. with about 25% of the vote counted. Fox News and the Associated Press called the race with about 60% of the vote counted, at around 9:30 p.m, with Sherrill up 15 points on Ciattarelli.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Decision Desk HQ projects Mikie Sherrill to win the New Jersey Governor election.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DecisionMade?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DecisionMade</a>: 8:13 pm ET
Follow live results on our website. <a href="https://t.co/67CvF5ZM35">pic.twitter.com/67CvF5ZM35</a>
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) <a href="https://twitter.com/DecisionDeskHQ/status/1985878575317131709?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 5, 2025</a></blockquote>
Ciattarelli continued to gain momentum in the last weeks of the race, but was unable to best Sherrill. Heading into Election Day, registered Democrats <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/03/us-news/ciattarelli-may-face-uphill-climb-as-nearly-300000-more-nj-dems-vote-early-compared-to-gopers/">cast</a> nearly 300,000 more ballots than registered Republicans by way of early voting. The surplus was apparently too much for Ciattarelli to overcome on Tuesday, a day <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/11/04/us-news/nj-election-day-bomb-threats-shut-down-polling-sites-as-mikie-sherrill-jack-ciattarelli-in-dead-heat/">riddled</a> with bomb threat hoaxes at polling places across the state that caused confusion and delays for voters.
Notably, there are roughly <a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/08/06/nj-gop-sees-big-increase-in-voters-but-dems-maintain-healthy-lead/">850,000 more registered Democrats</a> in New Jersey than registered Republicans.
Sherrill&#8217;s campaign largely tied Ciattarelli to President Donald Trump, arguing that she&#8217;d shield residents from Trump&#8217;s policies. The Democrat had former President Barack Obama campaign for her over the weekend. Obama similarly made the campaign about Trump.
Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by the president, ran to repeal New Jersey&#8217;s so-called sanctuary state measures, which work to protect illegal immigrants from deportation. He also ran to block males from female sports, boost parental rights, lower property taxes and energy bills, and end soft-on-crime policies like cashless bail.

New Democrat Coalition

New Jersey Governor Race Called For Democrat Mikie Sherrill

Jack Ciattarelli

mikie sherrill

Depending on the outcome of New Jersey’s gubernatorial race on Tuesday, gun owners in the state can prepare to breathe easier or bunker down for another four years of hostility. 
The race pits Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who has promised to defend the Second Amendment, against Mikie Sherrill, who is backed by a plethora of anti-gun groups. The winner will appoint New Jersey’s next attorney general, who has a considerable role in enforcing the state’s gun laws and defending the Second Amendment. 
Matthew Platkin, New Jersey’s current attorney general, has consistently pushed for gun control after his appointment four years ago by outgoing Democratic Governor Phil Murphy. In New Jersey, the attorney general is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. 
During his time as attorney general, Platkin has sued numerous gun manufacturers, supported a wide-ranging ban on carrying guns in public places, and defended the state’s strict gun laws. 
Platkin has defended the state’s ban on AR-15s and ammunition magazines that carry more than ten rounds. The case is <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/69068398/association-of-new-jersey-rifle-and-pistol-clubs-i-v-attonrey-general-new/">currently</a> before the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Trump administration has filed a brief in support of the Second Amendment groups that challenged the law. 
“Although such rifles and magazines are subject to reasonable regulations that are consistent with the Nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation, the complete bans at issue here are unconstitutional,” the Justice Department argued in a recent brief. 
Platkin has also supported bans on so-called “assault weapons” in other jurisdictions, and he co-led a brief in September <a href="https://www.mass.gov/news/ag-campbell-co-leads-coalition-to-support-assault-weapons-ban-in-cook-county-illinois">defending</a> the ban in Cook County, Illinois, on AR-15s. In May 2024, he took action to <a href="https://www.njoag.gov/ag-platkin-leads-states-in-defending-massachusetts-gun-laws/">defend</a> similar gun control laws in Massachusetts. 
The New Jersey Democrat also went on the offensive, accusing gun manufacturer Glock of making a semi-automatic pistol that can be illegally modified into being fully automatic. 
“For decades, Glock has knowingly sold weapons that anyone with a screwdriver and a YouTube video can convert into a military-grade machine gun within a matter of minutes,” Platkin <a href="https://www.nj.com/essex/2024/12/nj-sues-to-stop-sale-of-glock-handguns.html">said</a> in December 2024.
Platkin has also <a href="https://www.nj.com/news/2023/01/nj-wanted-to-be-able-to-sue-gunmakers-but-a-federal-judge-says-law-may-be-unconstitutional.html">supported</a> the suing of gun manufacturers under “public nuisance&#8221; law and laws <a href="https://x.com/NewJerseyOAG/status/1829670601574822394">banning</a> those under the age of 21 from owning guns. Additionally, he was “thrilled” after the courts <a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2025/09/10/federal-judges-uphold-new-jersey-law-restricting-guns-in-sensitive-places/">upheld</a> a law that banned carrying guns in almost every public place. 
Ciattarelli has <a href="https://www.jack4nj.com/issues">promised</a> to replace Platkin on his first day as governor with an attorney general “who respects all constitutional rights, including Second Amendment rights, and will review all legislation and policies for constitutional flaws to remedy or repeal them, and reevaluate the state’s position in pending lawsuits by citizens challenging state laws as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.”
Additionally, he said he will veto any legislation that infringes on the Second Amendment. 
On the other hand, Sherrill, who has been <a href="https://www.everytown.org/press/everytown-for-gun-safety-action-fund-endorses-mikie-sherrill-for-new-jersey-governor/">endorsed</a> by the gun control group Everytown for Gun Safety, has <a href="https://sherrill.house.gov/media/press-releases/statement-by-rep-mikie-sherrill-on-ar-15-ruling">promised</a> to fight “until we fully ban assault weapons” and “require universal background checks for gun purchases.”
While New Jersey is seen as a solid blue state, recent polls have shown the gap between Ciattarelli and Sherrill tightening.

MixCollage-04-Nov-2025-12-52-PM-2816

The Second Amendment Hangs In The Balance In The New Jersey Governor’s Race

The Second Amendment Is On The Ballot In The New Jersey Governor’s Race

Guns

Second Amendment

We look at the final polling and stakes for both parties, check on the New Jersey governor’s race, and peer into New York City, where frontrunner Zohran Mamdani brings a commanding lead into the final day.
It’s Tuesday, November 4, 2025, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. Today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mrn-251104-member-exclusive">the video version can be seen on The Daily Wire</a>:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/election-day-2025-eyes-on-jersey-nyc-11-4-25/id1576594336?i=1000735185761" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">Election Day: Here&#8217;s What To Know</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-995579" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Election-Day-Arrives-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Election-Day-Arrives-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Election-Day-Arrives-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Election-Day-Arrives-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Election-Day-Arrives-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Election-Day-Arrives.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: It’s Election Day, as millions of voters will make their voices heard and offer new insights into the looming midterms.
This could well be a rough night for Republicans. The party in control of Washington almost always does poorly in off-year elections, and the biggest races are in blue states or cities. But conservatives are still hopeful they can pull off some upsets. 
New Jersey: Republicans’ best shot appears to be in New Jersey. Republican Jack Ciattarelli has stormed back from a 20-point deficit to challenge Democrat Mikie Sherrill. The latest polling has him within the margin of error in a state where Donald Trump got within six points last year.
If he is to win today, he must have an enormous turnout from his base and win the majority of independents. New Jersey has nearly a million more registered Democrats than Republicans, and based on the latest data, Democrats have already cast about 220,000 more mail-in ballots. Ciattarelli is already digging out of a hole.
Virginia: Virginia appears to be a safer bet for Democrats, with their nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, holding about a ten-point lead over Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in most polls. Republicans were hopeful that the texting scandal involving Attorney General nominee Jay Jones would drag Spanberger down, but, despite her refusal to retract her endorsement of Jones, she is holding steady.
California: California’s Prop 50, known as the Election Rigging Response Act, was proposed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and would suspend the state’s current congressional map and authorize a partisan-led redrawing of districts. The ballot measure essentially allows Democrats to add up to five new Democratic seats.
The proposal has drawn outrage from Republicans around the country, but it looks almost certain to pass. That could have major ramifications in a very closely divided D.C.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">New Jersey Spotlight</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-995581" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Jersey-Go-Red-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Jersey-Go-Red-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Jersey-Go-Red-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Jersey-Go-Red-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Jersey-Go-Red-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Will-Jersey-Go-Red.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: New Jersey residents hit the polls today to elect their next governor. The increasingly close race pits Sherrill against Ciattarelli, who’s hoping to flip the Garden State red.
The race to be the next governor of the Garden State is razor-thin. Most polls are within the margin of error.
New Jersey is considered a blue state. Residents have voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election since 1992. The outgoing governor, Phil Murphy, is a Democrat. And, Sherrill, up until recently, had a very substantial lead over Ciattarelli.
<a href="https://www.nj.com/politics/2025/11/jack-ciattarelli-will-win-njs-red-hot-governors-race-on-tuesday.html">More than a million New Jersey residents</a> have already voted, but Republicans tend to show up on Election Day, and the weather forecast is clear.
Obama tags in: Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Sherrill over the weekend, hoping to get her over the finish line, which many in the GOP have interpreted as the Democrats being worried. Much of Obama’s pitch was about Trump.
“It&#8217;s hard to know where to start because every day this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and carelessness and means spiritedness and just plain old craziness,” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTVhhGCfxvM">said</a> Obama.
Trump factor: The president has enthusiastically endorsed Ciattarelli, calling him a great candidate who’s “all-in” on the MAGA agenda. As for Ciattarelli, he hasn’t shied away from Trump’s embrace, but there has been some nuance in his positions because he is campaigning in a blue state.
Ciattarelli says he will repeal the state’s board “sanctuary” policy on illegal immigration on Day One, but he also indicated that whatever it is the local “mayor and police chief decide to do to keep their community safe,” he’d be on board with.
Major issues: Economic issues are top of mind for New Jersey voters. GOP activist Scott Presler <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-is-100-in-play-scott-presler-on-the-cycles-most-interesting-election">told</a> The Daily Wire that this race is “100% in play” and he called this an “economic election.” Presler said New Jersey voters “are being crushed by property taxes” and “electricity taxes,” in particular. Ciattarelli has really focused on those issues and criticized Democrats for their energy policies. 
Cultural issues and parental rights are also playing a factor. Sherrill took some heat for saying she would mandate an LGBTQ curriculum in public schools and suggesting that parents don’t have a right to opt out of that.
She is also facing negative press over a reported $7 million in profits from stock trades while in Congress. She was fined for violating the STOCK Act. There’s also a cheating scandal from 1994 during her Naval Academy days.
<h2 style="text-align: center;">The Impact Of A Mamdani Win</h2>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-995583" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Mamdanis-New-York-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Mamdanis-New-York-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Mamdanis-New-York-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Mamdanis-New-York-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Mamdanis-New-York-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/11/Mamdanis-New-York.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Topline: Polls are open this morning in New York City, and Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, appears poised to win the mayoral race.
Mamdani’s chances: Most of the major polling shows margins range from 10 to 25 points in Mamdani&#8217;s favor. He’s winning between 44% and 50% support compared to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who’s getting around 25% to 34% and Republican Curtis Sliwa is pulling about 15% to 21%.
A new poll out yesterday from Atlas-Intel did show a tighter race though, giving Mamdani only a 6.6% lead over Cuomo. But the betting markets are tilted heavily toward Mamdani. Polymarket has Mamdani at a 95% chance of victory.
President Trump on Monday urged voters in New York City to back Cuomo over “communist” Mamdani.
What Mamdani means: Clearly, the younger generation is much more open to socialism than older generations. According to a recent survey, only 31% of young Democrats today have a positive view of capitalism, a 23-point drop since 2010. Mamdani is running on rent freezes, free city buses and free childcare, even government-owned grocery stores with fixed prices.
Another point to take is how immigration is impacting the political landscape. Polling data shows that the bulk of Mamdani’s support is coming from foreign-born voters. For New York voters born outside the U.S., Mamdani draws 62%. Cuomo only gets 24%, and Sliwa receives 12%.
For American-born New Yorkers, we see something of an inverse of these numbers. With them, Cuomo holds an eight-point lead over Mamdani.
Worth noting also that Mamdani would be New York’s first Muslim mayor and his positions on Israel have concerned many Jewish Americans. He’s refused to recognize Israel as a Jewish state and to condemn the phrase &#8220;globalize the intifada.&#8221;
Many are concerned that he represents a growing acceptance of antisemitism on the political Left.
Democrats are wary: Major Democratic party figures are sending mixed messages on Mamdani. Obama, the ultimate Democratic figurehead, called Mamdani personally and offered to be a “sounding board” for him. But never officially endorsed him.
Most other national Democrats seem to be splitting the difference in messaging somewhat, too. Mamdani has won some key endorsements from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). But Jeffries only endorsed at the last minute and said he doesn’t believe Mamdani represents the Democrats&#8217; future.

MRN_251104_V2

Morning Brief: Your Election Day Guide, A New Jersey Spotlight, & The Stakes In New York City

Morning Brief: Your Election Day Guide, A New Jersey Spotlight, And The Stakes In New York City

Andrew Cuomo

The biggest question facing election analysts in Tuesday’s contests in New Jersey and Virginia is whether or not the “ticked-off, younger, diverse working class voters” for President Donald Trump in 2024 show up for Republicans again, according to polling expert Brent Buchanan.
Buchanan, president of the polling group Cygnal, told Morning Wire in an interview ahead of Tuesday&#8217;s elections that Republicans face an uphill battle to win the governors’ seats in New Jersey and Virginia, but the fight is winnable.
In New Jersey, Republican Jack Ciattarelli is running against Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill. While Sherrill has led in the polls, the latest data <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/general/2025/new-jersey/sherrill-vs-ciattarelli" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shows</a> the race is neck-and-neck. An Atlas Intel poll released on Saturday shows Sherrill up over Ciattarelli by just one point, 50 to 49.
The New Jersey race will come down to the unknown: whether or not Trump’s coalition of voters will return to the polls to vote Republican again. While Trump lost the state by six points in 2024, the margin was a massive improvement from the 16-point loss he suffered in 2020.
“The more Hispanic areas, the non-white, working-class areas of the state that made New Jersey a purple state during the 2024 presidential election,” need to show up <a href="https://newjerseymonitor.com/2024/12/20/final-election-results-show-scope-of-trumps-success-with-n-j-latino-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">again</a> for Republicans, said Buchanan.
“The challenge that we&#8217;re seeing in polling right now in both New Jersey and Virginia is that that coalition of the ticked-off, younger, diverse, working class voters … they&#8217;re still pretty ticked off, and so does that mean that they show up and reluctantly vote Republican? Or do they stay home out of protest?” the pollster said.
The Virginia gubernatorial race, as reflected in polling, is a much more challenging situation for the Republican, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Democratic former Rep. Abigail Spanberger led Sears by between seven and 15 points in a slate of polls released on Monday. Across each poll, Spanberger’s level of support never dipped below 50%, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/governor/general/2025/virginia/spanberger-vs-earle-sears">RealClear Polling</a>.
For Sears to win, “a lot of pieces have to fall into place,” Buchanan said.
“The southwest, which is the more rural Republican parts, have to come out in droves” beyond what they did for Trump in 2024, he said. Sears also needs to keep pace in Virginia’s Hampton Roads region in the state’s east along the shore.
“The Election Day turnout in the suburbs and urban areas of the state have to be pretty darn low,” Buchanan said.
The Virginia races have been affected by the scandals of the Democratic nominee for state attorney general, Jay Jones. Jones’ support by polling has taken a meaningful hit since he was revealed to have sent text messages in 2022 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-them-virginia-dem-sent-shocking-texts-about-killing-gop-leader-pissing-on-graves">wishing</a> harm against then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, and his children, saying that, “Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
Spanberger has largely brushed off the scandals plaguing the Democratic attorney general nominee, refusing to pull her endorsement for the embattled Jones. The scandal appeared to drag down the gubernatorial nominee in polling, as well. Spanberger has contained the damage with an overwhelming money advantage over Sears and with the help of a media climate that has largely stopped covering Jones’ texts, according to Buchanan.
“There&#8217;s more than a two-to-one spending advantage, Spanberger over Sears. And at some point, it&#8217;s just hard to come back from that amount of political spending differential,” the pollster said.
According to Buchanan, Republican candidates in both states will continue to have a shot at winning as long as Republicans show up to vote, no matter what polls suggest.
“Republicans can win when we actually go out and vote,” said Buchanan. “I think that&#8217;s one of the things that our voters do wrong. They see a poll that shows, well, maybe we don&#8217;t have a chance and so they don&#8217;t go vote. Democrats don&#8217;t act like that. They show up regardless. And if we adopt that attitude, we can win some of these really tough elections, too.”

Jack Ciattarelli, Winsome Earle-Sears

Election Expert Unpacks The Keys To GOP Success In NJ, Virginia – With One Big Unknown

Election Expert Breaks Down The Keys To GOP Success In NJ, VA – With One Big Unknown

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