Here’s what you need to know.<\/p>\n
Why are Americans voting today?<\/p>\n
The November 4 elections only took place in a few states, including New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Maine and Texas.<\/p>\n
In New Jersey and Virginia, Americans were voting for who would be their next governor, the person in charge of the state.<\/p>\n
Those in Virginia also voted for a lieutenant governor and attorney-general.<\/p>\n
New York City was one of seven cities across the country to hold a mayoral election, with voters heading to the polls in Jersey City, \u00a0Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Atlanta, Detroit and Minneapolis.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Californians went to the polls to vote on a ballot measure. (AP: Scott Strazzante\/San Francisco Chronicle)<\/p>\n
On the opposite side of the country, in California, voters were not electing representatives.<\/p>\n
Instead, they were deciding whether to keep the state’s existing congressional boundaries or have new ones drawn up.<\/p>\n
Ballot measures also went to the polls in Texas, Maine and Colorado.<\/p>\n
That’s a lot of elections, but to keep things simple we’re focusing on the major results.<\/p>\n
Abigail Spanberger makes history in Virginia<\/p>\n
Democrat Abigail Spanberger was declared the winner of the Virginia governor’s race. (AP: Stephanie Scarbrough)<\/p>\n
Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race on Tuesday, defeating Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and making history as the first woman ever to lead the state.<\/p>\n
Her win also gives the Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections.<\/p>\n
Ms Spanberger’s victory will flip partisan control of the governor’s office when she succeeds outgoing Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin.<\/p>\n
“We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, a message to our neighbours and our fellow Americans across the country,” Ms Spanberger told cheering supporters on Tuesday night in Richmond.<\/p>\n
“We sent a message to the whole world that, in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our commonwealth over chaos.”<\/p>\n
Mikie Sherrill beats Trump-backed opponent in New Jersey<\/p>\n
New Jersey Democratic Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill celebrated with Lieutenant Governor-elect Dale Caldwell in East Brunswick. (AP: Matt Rourke)<\/p>\n
US Representative Mikie Sherrill has defeated Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by US President Donald Trump, in New Jersey’s race for governor.<\/p>\n
Ms Sherrill’s election highlighted Republican vulnerabilities after there had been signs of a rightward shift in recent years in what has been a reliably blue state.<\/p>\n
Ms Sherrill quickly cast her victory late Tuesday as a referendum on the Republican president and some of his policies \u2014 from health care to immigration and the economy.<\/p>\n
“We here in New Jersey are bound to fight for a different future for our children,” Ms Sherrill told the supporters who gathered to celebrate her victory.<\/p>\n
“We see how clearly important liberty is. We know that no one in our great state is safe when our neighbours are targeted, ignoring the law and the Constitution.”<\/p>\n
She was joined on stage by her husband and children.<\/p>\n
California has a new congressional map<\/p>\n
Gavin Newsom wanted people living in California to vote yes on Proposition 50. (AP: Jeff Chiu)<\/p>\n
Californians have voted in favour of Proposition 50, a ballot measure to adopt new congressional maps for the next three election cycles.<\/p>\n