Election Day in Virginia: State’s first female leader to be selected

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump features prominently in state and local elections happening Tuesday, a year after he retook the White House. These elections are the first general contests of his second term. The results could either support or challenge his agenda. Key races include the governor’s seats in Virginia and New Jersey, the New York City mayoral race, and a California proposition on redistricting. More than half of the states have contests. The outcomes could indicate voter sentiment toward Trump’s presidency and influence future political strategies.
In Virginia, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger look to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. While Spanberger has made some efforts to focus on topics other than Trump in stump speeches, the president remained a major topic of conversation throughout the campaign, from comments Earle-Sears made about him in 2022 to some of his more polarizing policies, such as the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill tax and spending cut measure and the widespread dismissal of federal workers, many of whom live in northern Virginia.

(IMAGE: Pexels / Tara Winstead)