on tuesday elections proved to be not only great victories for Democratic candidates in many races, but he also made history in several cases.
Here’s a look at the history of the 2025 election.
New York City elects its first Muslim and South Asian mayor
Democratic New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani takes the stage after winning the 2025 New York City mayoral race, at an election night rally in Brooklyn, New York, on November 4, 2025.
Jeenah Luna/Reuters
Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani His projected victory in the New York City mayoral election will make him the city’s leader. first Muslim and South Asian mayor.
Born in Uganda, Mamdani is a Muslim of Indian descent who has lived in the United States since he was 7 years old, becoming a naturalized citizen in 2018.
At 34, Mamdani will become the youngest mayor of New York City in more than a century.
The election that propelled him to victory also made history, with 2 million voters turned out in New York City on Tuesday, the first time a mayoral election crossed the 2 million voter threshold since 1969.
Virginia elects its first female governor
Democrat Abigail Spanberger speaks on stage after being declared the winner of the Virginia gubernatorial race during an election night watch party, Nov. 4, 2025, in Richmond, Virginia.
Stephanie Scarbrough/AP
Democrat Abigail Spanberger’s victory Tuesday over Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears makes her the first woman elected governor of Virginia.
Spanberger, 46, is a former United States representative and former CIA intelligence officer.
She is also a mother of three children, and in her election night victory speech she reflected on the moment her husband told their three daughters that their mother would be the next governor of Virginia.
“And I can guarantee that those words have never been spoken in Virginia before,” he said. “It is very important that the girls and young women I have met during the election campaign now know with certainty that they can achieve anything.”
Virginia also elected state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi as lieutenant governor on Tuesday, making her the first Muslim woman to win state office in any U.S. state, according to her campaign.
Women break record for majority of governors
Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat who cattle The New Jersey gubernatorial election made history as both governors won on Tuesday.
When the two women take office in January, there will be 14 women simultaneously serving as governors, a record number. according the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers, State University of New Jersey.
New Jersey elects same governor from same party
Representative Mikie Sherrill, Democratic candidate for governor of New Jersey, reacts on stage at her election night rally in East Brunswick, New Jersey, on November 4, 2025.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Sherrill’s victory on Tuesday marks the first time In more than 60 years, New Jersey has elected a governor from the same party three cycles in a row.
It is also the second time a woman has been elected governor of New Jersey, following in the footsteps of Christine Todd Whitman, who served from 1994 to 2001.
