A Navy veteran, an ex-member of Congress and a self-avowed democratic socialist received resounding victories in high-profile races on Tuesday – all carrying the banner of the Democratic get together and every addressing widespread concern about affordability.
Regardless of diversified biographies, top-of-the-ballot Democrats throughout New Jersey, Virginia and New York Metropolis every prevailed in contests earlier than electorates who ranked the economic system or price of residing as a high situation, based on exit polls carried out by ABC Information.
The bread-and-butter benefit amongst Democratic nominees marked a pointy turnabout from the presidential election a yr in the past, when widespread discontent over inflation helped gas the success of President Donald Trump and the Republican management of Congress.
Roughly half of Virginia voters on Tuesday mentioned that the economic system was crucial situation going through the commonwealth, they usually supported Democrat Abigail Spanberger by greater than 24 share factors, based on ABC Information exit polling.
In the meantime, greater than half of New York Metropolis voters mentioned price of residing was crucial situation going through town, dwarfing the opposite points measured in ABC Information exit polling – and round two-thirds of these voters solid ballots for Democrat Zohran Mamdani.
Taxes and the economic system tallied as the 2 high points amongst voters in New Jersey, and comparable shares of tax-focused voters supported Republican Jack Ciattarelli whereas economy-focused voters supported Democrat Mikie Sherrill, ABC Information exit polling confirmed.
Though every candidate has completely different proposals to decrease prices — with Mamdani being essentially the most vocal about elevating the tax fee on the wealthiest to pay for companies similar to baby care — voters in big numbers had been drawn to their messages.
An individual retailers at a grocery retailer, Oct. 31, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV/AP
Chatting with ABC Information’s “Good Morning America” on Wednesday, Mamdani mentioned he noticed his election victory as a “mandate” to pursue the “most bold” affordability agenda for New Yorkers in many years.
He described the primary steps towards funding that agenda as pushing to boost taxes on the wealthiest New Yorkers — together with elevating company taxes to 11.5% from its present stage at about 7.25%.
“This stuff collectively increase about $9 billion,” Mamdani, a 34-year-old member of the state meeting who identifies as a democratic socialist, instructed ABC Information, noting such income “greater than pays for the financial agenda and likewise begins to Trump-proof our metropolis.”
The outcomes on Tuesday distinction sharply with the end result of nationwide elections a yr in the past this November, when Trump swept all seven swing states en path to a decisive electoral-vote victory over Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
Again then, about two-thirds of voters mentioned the economic system was in dangerous form, based on the outcomes of the ABC Information exit ballot. Forty-seven % of voters mentioned their very own monetary state of affairs was worse than it had been 4 years earlier, which exceeded the share who held that view within the rapid wake of the Nice Recession in 2008.
Inflation and the economic system persistently ranked as a high concern amongst voters in polls carried out forward of final yr’s presidential election.
Worth will increase slowed earlier this yr however they’ve picked up in latest months, arriving on the similar stage registered in January on the time Trump took workplace. In the meantime, hiring has slowed in latest months, posing a danger of an financial double-whammy generally known as “stagflation.”
In a publish on X on Wednesday, Vice President J.D. Vance downplayed the importance of the elections a day earlier, however he additionally acknowledged the significance of voters’ monetary worries.
“I believe it is idiotic to overreact to a few elections in blue states,” Vance mentioned.
He added: “The president has executed lots that has already paid off in decrease rates of interest and decrease inflation, however we inherited a catastrophe from Joe Biden and Rome wasn’t in-built a day.”
“We will carry on working to make a good life reasonably priced on this nation, and that is the metric by which we’ll in the end be judged in 2026 and past,” Vance mentioned.
ABC Information’ Ivan Pereira and David Brennan contributed to this report.
