California turnout and other Election Day things to watch

Selasa, 04 November 2025

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A voter fills out their ballot while squatting against a wall at a polling site on Election Day in Brooklyn, New York.

Photo by Angelina Katsanis/Reuters

It's Tuesday, the traditional day for elections and for our pause-and-consider newsletter on politics and policy. We think of it as a mini-magazine in your inbox.

3 THINGS TO WATCH IN TODAY'S ELECTIONS
By Lisa Desjardins, @LisaDNews
Correspondent

In the club of off-year elections, 2025 has some swagger.

There are just two gubernatorial races, but the political gods have found a way to make things exciting and extra meaningful for control of Congress.

First, the key races:

Virginia: Governor and attorney general are on tap, along with House districts 21 and 22, which could determine control of Virginia's House of Delegates. Live results here.
Pennsylvania: Three state Supreme Court justices are on the ballot, an opening for changing the balance of the court. Live results here.
New Jersey: The bid for governor could be a close race. Live results here.
New York City: This mayor's race has made national headlines with New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (Democrat), former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (independent) and Republican Curtis Sliwa on the ballot. Live results here.
Maine: Voters are weighing a statewide vote on a red flag gun measure.
California: Proposition 50 would redraw congressional district maps. Live results here.

Now, here are three more specific things we are watching in the results tonight.

1. Northern Virginia

Let me acknowledge my bias. I am a Northern Virginia girl. My current house is on my high school bus route. (I was actually horrified on behalf of my high school self when I pieced that together. Now I like it quite a lot.)

But setting that aside, as a political correspondent, I can tell you to watch the returns in Northern Virginia.

Many know the suburbs outside of Washington, D.C., as a blue spot in the state. That is true in many places, BUT Northern Virginia is also where President Donald Trump gained ground in 2024. I highly recommend this piece by the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, which found the suburban and exurban counties in Northern Virginia swung 8 points to the right in 2024.

Back then, Trump was on the ballot. Now that he is in the White House, do the numbers swing again?

In addition, watch for any separation, especially in Northern Virginia, between Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones.

Jones has been enmeshed in a scandal surrounding text messages he sent in 2022 in which he explicitly suggested a political rival should be shot.

This is a test for Democrats in Northern Virginia. Do they vote for the party, given that recent development of three-year-old texts? Or does the state closest to the Jan. 6 attack decide things have gone too far?

Live Results: Virginia 2025 gubernatorial election

2. California turnout

An oversized VOTE HERE sign is seen above as a pair of voters carry their Proposition 50 ballots to the Registrar of Voters in San Diego.

Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters

Of course, watch for the results of Proposition 50, which could allow Democrats to pick up as many as five congressional seats in the state via remapping of district lines.

But in that contest, pay close attention to turnout.

This ballot measure has attracted at least $100 million — and perhaps $200 million by San Francisco Examiner's count — in campaign spending.

How motivated are Democrats in the state, not only to vote but to vote against their previous commitment to nonpartisan maps?

Live Results: California 2025 election on Proposition 50

3. Hispanic areas in Virginia and New Jersey

This one is also relatively simple. Both parties understand that Hispanic voters are one of the fastest-growing parts of the population. Democrats and progressives want to regain their footing here.

Thus, watch for results from some of the areas with the largest Hispanic populations.

In Virginia: Prince William County.

In New Jersey: Passaic and Hudson Counties.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!

Liz Landers and I will be co-hosting a live conversation at 11 a.m. EST Wednesday to break down the election results and take viewer questions. Watch us here.

More on politics from our coverage:

Watch: How a Mamdani win could change New York City and the Democratic Party.
One Big Question: Today marks the first major elections after the 2024 presidential election. What to expect from Tuesday's big races? NPR's Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report with Amy Walter discuss.
A Closer Look: What the food benefit cuts mean for state aid systems.
Perspectives: How SNAP reductions are affecting local food banks.

THIS WEEK'S TRIVIA QUESTION

Watch the 2013 PBS News interview with former Vice President Dick Cheney in the player above. Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

By Joshua Barajas
Senior Editor, Digital

Dick Cheney, the former vice president who strongly pushed for the 2003 invasion of Iraq, died Monday at age 84.

A Republican stalwart and Washington insider, Cheney served under two Bush administrations. He was defense secretary under President George H.W. Bush, but later made an indelible mark as George W. Bush's vice president.

In that role, Cheney demonstrated how the vice presidential office could develop its own sphere of influence. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Cheney was a driving force behind several major administration policies and actions, including the invasion of Iraq, which he defended even after justifications for the attacks were disproven.

In a statement, George W. Bush called Cheney a "calm and steady presence" in the White House.

"I counted on him for his honest, forthright counsel, and he never failed to give his best," the former president added.

Before working under the Bushes and being a Wyoming congressman for a decade, Cheney was a deputy assistant to President Gerald Ford. He then got a promotion in 1975.

Our question: Which position was Cheney appointed to in the Ford administration, making him the youngest person at the time to hold the job?

Send your answers to NewsHourPolitics@newshour.org or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shoutout next week.

Last week, we asked: According to the administration's guidance for the new test for U.S. citizenship, what would be the second reason a U.S. president has a two-term limit?

The answer: To keep the president from becoming too powerful. The exact question listed as No. 37 out of a possible 128 questions for the test is: "The President of the United States can serve only two terms. Why?" The 22nd Amendment is listed as the first reason.

Congratulations to our winners: Carrie Rasmussen and Amber Crafton!

Thank you all for reading and watching. We'll drop into your inbox next week.

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