Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, criticized the legitimacy of New York City’s election system as voters prepared to head to the polls.
Musk shared a photograph of New York City’s ballot on Nov. 4, Election Day. “The New York City ballot form is a scam! No ID is required. Other mayoral candidates appear twice. (Andrew) Cuomo’s name is last in bottom right,” wrote Musk, who supports Cuomo over Democratic frontrunner Zohran Mamdani and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa. Other X users made similar points in other posts.
New York doesn’t require voters to present IDs at their polling place on Election Day, beyond first-time voters who did not present ID at the time they registered. For all other voters, poll workers confirm identity by matching their signature to official records. People are required to present ID when they register to vote.
As for Cuomo’s ballot placement, the former New York governor lost the Democratic primary and created his own independent party to allow him to run in the general election. According to election rules, that meant the placement for Cuomo and his new party was further down the ballot than longer-established parties.
What about candidates appearing twice? There’s nothing fishy about that: It’s part of New York’s long tradition of fusion voting, in which multiple parties can nominate the same candidate.
Having a candidate appear on the ballot twice is “not a scam at all,” said Jerry H. Goldfeder, senior counsel at the law firm Cozen O’Connor. “New York has had fusion voting for many, many years.”
How does fusion voting work?
If a candidate receives more than one party nomination, voters must choose not only the candidate they prefer but also the party they want those votes to count for.
In the 2025 mayoral election, both Mamdani and one of his opponents, Sliwa, secured nominations of two parties, so they are listed twice on the ballot.
Mamdani won nominations from the Democratic Party and the left-wing Working Families Party. (On Election Day, Mamdani said he voted for himself on the Working Families Party line.)
Sliwa won the nomination of the Republican Party and a party he created called the Protect Animals Party. (Sliwa has attracted notice for having 16 cats in his 320-square-foot studio apartment, and he’s made animal welfare a key campaign issue.)
Any votes for a candidate, regardless of the party line the vote is cast under, counts toward that candidate’s total. “Although candidates may appear on more than one party’s line, voters can only vote for them once,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a Rutgers University public policy professor.
So why would voters support a prominent candidate on a minor-party line?
They might want to send a message about the importance of that party’s positions. They also might want to ensure that the smaller party continues to win enough votes to secure a ballot spot in future elections.
By allowing cross-party alliances, a fusion system allows smaller parties to be more than just a “wasted vote” or a self-defeating “spoiler,” said Dan Cantor, who co-founded the Working Families Party and now heads the Center for Ballot Freedom, which supports fusion voting.
“It allows voters the ability to vote their values and send a message to the candidate that he or she should be attentive to the minor party’s concerns,” Cantor said.
Fusion voting’s long history
Fusion voting dates to the 19th century, but only New York and Connecticut allow the practice today.
Historically, cross-nominations were used to elevate issues including the abolition of slavery and enhanced political representation into the mainstream, wrote three legal experts for the American Bar Association in 2024.
In the close 1960 presidential election, New York’s 45 electoral votes were crucial. While Richard Nixon received more Republican votes than John F. Kennedy received Democratic votes, “Kennedy’s 6% support on the Liberal Party line delivered him the state and the White House,” the authors wrote. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan also won New York by fusing with minor parties.
Tabatha Abu El-Haj, one of the authors of the American Bar Association paper, said there’s an irony in Musk’s criticism: “Back when Elon Musk threw out the notion of forming a third-party, many commentators noted the only way that party could actually influence the direction of the Republican Party would be if it operated as a fusion party.”
Our ruling
Musk wrote, “The New York City ballot form is a scam” because “mayoral candidates appear twice.”
Mamdani and Sliwa are on the mayoral ballot twice because two separate parties made them their nominees. This is how fusion voting works, and how it has operated in New York since the nineteenth century.
We rate the statement False.
PolitiFact New York Writer Jill Terreri Ramos contributed to this report.
Two special elections in the Minnesota Senate on Tuesday could shift the balance of power in the chamber.
Democrats hold a 33-32 advantage in the state Senate, but the resignation of DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell and the death of Republican Sen. Bruce Anderson have left two spots open. Tuesday’s outcomes could solidify the DFL’s one-seat majority or hand the chamber over to the GOP.
Which Minnesota state senate seats are up for election?
Seats in districts 29 and 47 are on the ballot on Tuesday.
District 29 encompasses Wright County and three communities in neighboring Hennepin and Meeker counties.
District 47 envelops Woodbury and parts of Maplewood.
Why are the two Minnesota state senate seats up for election?
Anderson’s unexpected death at the age of 75 left his seat in District 29 open. Anderson spent more than 30 years in the Minnesota Legislature, serving in the state House before moving to the Senate. He was first elected to District 29 in 2012.
Mitchell resigned in July after being convicted of burglary for breaking into her stepmother’s Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, home. She flipped the district in 2022, defeating Republican Dwight Dorau in the general election. Before that, it had seen Republican representation since redistricting in 2012.
Who is running for the Minnesota state senate seats?
Republican Michael Holmstrom Jr. won a special primary in August and will face off against Democrat Louis McNutt in District 29. McNutt is a mechanic for the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Holmstrom is a small business owner. Both candidates live in Buffalo, Minnesota, and both are married with children.
Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger won the DFL primary in August and will compete with Dorau on the ballot in District 47. Hemmingsen-Jaeger is currently a state representative in District 47A. Dorau is a high school teacher and veteran.
Should Hemmingsen-Jaeger win, a special election would be required to fill her House seat.
Results will also appear as soon as they come in on CBS News Minnesota, and key races will be shown at the bottom of the screen on WCCO-TV later in the evening.
Need help registering to vote, finding your polling place or knowing what’s on your ballot? Check out WCCO’s guide here.
NEW YORK CITY – It’s Election Day in New York City, and here’s where the final polls stand in the mayoral race between Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa.
Cuomo picked up a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump on Monday, as the president warned he may scale back federal funding to New York City if Mamdani wins the race.
“Whether you personally like Andrew Cuomo or not, you really have no choice. You must vote for him, and hope he does a fantastic job. He is capable of it, Mamdani is not!” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.
What they’re saying:
“In these final days, what was rumored, what was feared, has become naked and unabashed,” Mamdani said. “The MAGA movement’s embrace of Andrew Cuomo is reflective of Donald Trump’s understanding that this would be the best mayor for him. Not the best mayor for New York City, not the best mayor for New Yorkers, but the best mayor for Donald Trump as his administration.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 03: New York Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani attends a campaign event at Dutch Kills Playground on November 03, 2025 in the Astoria neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. On the eve of Election Day, Mamdan
“President Trump doesn’t support me,” Cuomo said. “He opposes, Mamdani, right? He believes that Mamdani is an existential threat to New York. He believes he’s a communist. He believes he’ll bankrupt New York. So, he opposes Mamdani. He doesn’t support me. He’s not endorsing me.”
Andrew Cuomo, New York City mayoral candidate, speaks during a campaign event at the Tilden Senior Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. New York voters are turning out early in high numbers for a mayoral race that’
“The people will determine who the next mayor is,” Sliwa said. “Not the millionaires, not the influencers, not the insiders, and not the political elite.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 2: Republican candidate for mayor of New York City, Curtis Sliwa, campaigns on November 2, 2025 in the Manhattan borough in New York City. A few days before the mayoral election, Sliwa is trailing behind Democrat running
What time do polls close in NY?
What’s next:
Polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
You can check your registration status online here.
Political analyst Zach Fink said Monday on Good Day New York that “I think we’re going to know pretty soon how this shakes out for both cases.”
By the numbers:
Here’s a look at some of the latest polls in the race for NYC mayor:
AtlasIntel: The poll, conducted between Oct. 24 – Nov. 2, shows Mamdani at 44%, Cuomo at 39% and Sliwa at 16%.
Fox News: The poll, conducted between Oct. 24–28, shows Mamdani at 47%, Cuomo at 31% and Sliwa at 15%.
Emerson College Polling/PIX11/The Hill: The poll, conducted between Oct. 25-27, found Mamdani with a 25-point lead over Cuomo – 50% to 25% – with 21% support for Sliwa; 4% were undecided.
Marist Poll: The poll, conducted between Oct. 24–28, shows Mamdani at 48%, Cuomo at 32%, Sliwa at 16% and 3% undecided.
Quinnipiac University: The poll, released on Oct. 29, shows Mamdani with 46% support among likely voters, Cuomo with 33% support, and Sliwa with 15% support; 3% were undecided and 2% refused to respond.
Manhattan Institute: The poll, conducted between Oct. 22–26, has Mamdani up 15% points over Cuomo. Sliwa remains in third with 19%; 8% are undecided.
Suffolk University: The poll shows Mamdani’s lead over Cuomo shrinking to 10 points. The survey shows Mamdani leading Cuomo 44% to 34%.
Victory Insights: The poll has Mamdani at an 18-point lead, while the latest Patriot Polling poll has him at an 11-point lead.
Gotham Polling and the city AARP: The report found 44.6% of New Yorkers would vote for Mamdani if Sliwa quit the race, compared to 40.7% saying they’d back Cuomo – with a margin of error of 4 points that puts Cuomo within striking distance.
Some companies have taken what amounts to bets on the outcome of the NYC mayoral election.
Polymarket: The latest odds from Polymarket have Mamdani at a 91% chance of winning.
Kalshi: The latest odds from Kalshi have Mamdani at a 89% chance of winning.
Where are the candidates on Tuesday?
Zohran Mamdani
8:00 a.m. – Holds media availability after voting.
9:00 a.m. – Appears on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
9:35 a.m. – Appears on Hot 97’s Ebro in the Morning.
10 a.m. – Appears on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show.
Andrew Cuomo
8:45 a.m. – A guest on Fox and Friends on Fox News.
Around 10 a.m. – Votes in Manhattan.
11 a.m. – 9 p.m. – Greets voters.
Curtis Sliwa
9:00 a.m. – Nancy Sliwa Votes – 72nd Street between Broadway and West End, press availability with Curtis and Nancy, with Nancy voting on the Protect Animals line, joined by special friends.
10:07 a.m. – WNYC, Brian Lehrer Show, Curtis calls in live.
11:00 a.m. – Columbus High School with Councilmember Kristy Marmorato, Christopher Columbus High School, 925 Astor Ave, Bronx.
Noon – P.S. 193Q Alfred J. Kennedy, 152-20 11th Ave, Whitestone.
1:00 p.m. – With City Council candidate Alicia Vaichunas and Queens County GOP Chairman Tony Nunziato, P.S. 049 Dorothy Bonawit Kole, 63-60 80th St, Middle Village.
2:00 p.m. – With Minority Leader Joann Ariola, P.S. 207 Rockwood Park, 159-15 88th St, Howard Beach.
3:00 p.m. – With Chairman Nunziato, Public School 114, 4-00 Beach 135th St, Belle Harbor.
4:00 p.m. – Staten Island activities, beginning at PS 55 (54 Osborne Street), and continuing later at PS 4 (200 Nedra Lane).
6:00 p.m. – St. Dominick’s School with State Sen. Steve Chan, 2001 Bay Ridge Parkway.
7:00 p.m. – With George Sarantopoulos, PS 264 Bay Ridge Elementary School for the Arts, 371 89th St, Brooklyn.
How to track election results
What you can do:
Bookmark FOX 5 NY’s election results page to track results in real time when polls close on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Meet the candidates
Curtis Sliwa – Republican
The backstory:
Returning to the mayoral race after his 2021 defeat to New York City Mayor Eric Adams, Curtis Sliwa brings his tough-on-crime message back to the Republican forefront. The Guardian Angels founder and outspoken radio host is banking on his core base in conservative outer-borough neighborhoods.
He has focused his campaign on public order and community-focused housing.
Andrew Cuomo – Independent
After conceding defeat in the Democratic primary, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has officially qualified to run as an independent in the general election, staging a late comeback that could reshape the race. Cuomo is presenting himself as a steady hand with deep experience, seeking to appeal to moderates, independents and disaffected Democrats wary of both Mamdani’s progressivism and Sliwa’s conservatism.
He has focused his campaign on restoring public safety and affordability. He calls for adding 5,000 officers to the NYPD and increasing patrols in subways and retail corridors.
Zohran Mamdani – Democrat
Zohran Mamdani stands out as a Democratic Socialist and a rising star in New York City politics. As a state assemblyman, Mamdani surged ahead on a fiercely progressive platform promising rent freezes, fare-free public transit, universal childcare, and an unprecedented push for public housing expansion.
His campaign is centered on housing, affordability and equity.
California Democrats’ effort to block President Trump’s agenda by increasing their party’s numbers in Congress was overwhelmingly approved by voters on Tuesday.
The Associated Press called the victory moments after the polls closed Tuesday night.
The statewide ballot measure will reconfigure California’s congressional districts to favor more Democratic candidates. The Democratic-led California Legislature placed the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot, at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s behest, after Trump urged Texas and other GOP-led states to modify their congressional maps to favor their party members, a move designed to keep the U.S. House of Representatives in Republican control during his final two years in office.
Newsom watched the election results from across the country come in from the historic Victorian-style governor’s mansion in Sacramento with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and his political team, his office said.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, the chair of the Democratic Governors Assn., said they were thrilled by the passage of Proposition 50.
“This is a clear victory for Americans who believe we should have fair elections and a major rejection of Donald Trump’s dangerous attempt to rig the midterms,” Kelly said in a statement.
Charles Munger Jr., the chief donor to the anti-Proposition 50 efforts, pledged to continue his work promoting independent redistricting, while lamenting the ballot measure’s success.
“For what looms for the people of California, I am saddened by the passage of Proposition 50,” he said. “But I am content in this, at least: that our campaign educated the people of California so they could make an informed, if in my view unwise, decision about such a technical but critical issue as redistricting reform, a decision forced to be made over such a very short time.”
Proposition 50 was the sole item on the statewide, special election ballot Tuesday. Supporters hope the ballot measure has become a referendum about Trump, who remains extremely unpopular in California, while opponents call Proposition 50 an underhanded power grab by Democrats.
Supporters of the proposal had the edge going into election day. They vastly outraised their rivals, and Proposition 50 led in recent polls.
Elections took place across the nation Tuesday, with Democrats claiming major victories including in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial contests, the New York City mayoral race and Proposition 50.
Supporters celebrate during the election night watch party for Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger.
(Alex Wong / Getty Images)
California voters had been inundated with television ads, mailers and social media posts for weeks about the high-stakes election, so much so that only 2% of the likely voters were undecided, according to a recent UC Berkeley poll co-sponsored by The Times.
“Usually there was always a rule — look at undecideds in late-breaking polls and assume most would vote no,” said Mark DiCamillo, director of the survey by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies. “But this poll shows there are very few of them out there.”
Polls opened at 7 a.m. Tuesday and closed at 8 p.m., although any voter in line at that time was allowed to cast a ballot. The state allows same-day voter registration on election day, permitting Californians to cast a conditional ballot that will be counted if their eligibility is verified.
Minutes after polls opened, Trump posted on Truth Social that “The Unconstitutional Redistricting Vote in California is a GIANT SCAM in that the entire process, in particular the Voting itself, is RIGGED.”
The president, who has not actively campaigned against the proposition aside from a few social media posts, provided no evidence for his allegations. His Department of Justice has said it was sending monitors to polling locations across the state.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber pushed back at Trump’s claims along with similar ones made by the president’s press secretary.
Election workers organize sorted ballots by precinct for the California Statewide Special Election at the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Santa Ana Tuesday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“If there are irregularities, what are they? Why won’t they identify them? Where exactly is this fraud?” Weber said in a statement. “Ramblings don’t equate with fact.”
Voters, some in shorts and flip-flops, waited in line for 30 minutes or more outside a voting center in Huntington Beach on Tuesday afternoon.
“Vote no, don’t ruin Huntington Beach!” one man shouted as he left the center.
If the ballot measure is approved, the conservative seaside city would fall into a new congressional district that includes Long Beach, but no longer keeps some Republican-rich communities to the south. The politically divided district is currently represented by Dave Min (D-Irvine), but is designed to become a safer seat for Democrats under the new districts created by Proposition 50.
Huntington Beach resident Luke Walker, 18, spent time researching the arguments for and against Proposition 50 and came down against it because he believes the redesigned districts will ignore residents’ voices.
“You look at the people who will be voting and I don’t think they’ll be properly represented in the new state lines,” said Walker, who predicted that if the ballot measure passes, it will lead to more division. “It’s going to cause more of a rift in society. People are going to start disliking each other even more.”
Sister Theres Tran, Lovers of the Holy Cross-Los Angeles, votes in the California Statewide Special Election at the Orange County Registrar of Voters in Santa Ana Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
DeAyn Van Eyk, 63, also voted against the proposition on Tuesday, believing that Newsom, who is considering running for president in 2028, is using it to further his own political interests.
“It sounds like it’s good for him,” she said. “I totally dislike Newsom. … I don’t like Trump as a person — I think he can be a good leader.”
Among those who voted for the proposition was Huntington Beach resident Miko Vaughn, 48, who said she wanted Democrats to “level the playing field.”
“It’s a temporary thing, but I think it’s important with the changes in Texas that it stays even,” Vaughn said.
Though some see Proposition 50 as a proxy war between Trump and Newsom, Vaughn views it differently and said it’s just “against Trump.”
“I feel like there’s not much we can do individually, so it does feel good to do something,” Vaughn said, adding that she was impressed to see so many people turn out during a non-presidential election.
Californians have been voting for weeks. Registered voters received mail ballots about a month ago, and early voting centers recently opened across the state.
More than 7.2 million Californians — 31% of the state’s 23 million registered voters — had cast ballots as of Tuesday morning before the polls opened, according to a voting tracker run by Democratic redistricting expert Paul Mitchell, who drew the proposed districts on the ballot. Democrats were outpacing Republicans, though GOP voters were believed to be more likely to vote in person Tuesday.
The gap in early voting alarmed GOP leaders and strategists.
Matthew Harper, former Huntington Beach Mayor and former State Assemblyman, votes in the California Statewide Special Election at the Huntington Beach Central Library in Huntington Beach Tuesday.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“In California, we already know they surrendered,” Steve Bannon, who served as Trump’s chief strategist for several months during his first term in office, said on his podcast over the weekend. “Huntington Beach, California … it is full MAGA, one of the most important parts of Southern California, yet we’re going to get blown out, I don’t know, by 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 points on the massive redistricting Prop. 50.”
Congressional districts traditionally are drawn every decade after the U.S. census. In California, the boundaries are created by an independent commission created by voters in 2010.
But after Trump urged Texas Republicans to alter their House boundaries to boost the number of GOP members in Congress, Newsom and other California Democrats countered by proposing new districts that could add five Democrats to the state’s 52-member delegation.
The high-stakes election attracted tens of millions of dollars and a carousel of prominent politicians, notably former President Obama in support and former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in opposition, who were featured in ads about the ballot measure, including some that aired during the World Series won by the Dodgers.
Democrats who previously championed independent redistricting to remove partisan politics from the process argue that they needed to suspend that political ideal to stop the president from furthering his agenda during his last two years in the White House.
Citing public opposition to immigration raids that began in Los Angeles in June, the military being deployed in American cities, and cuts to nutrition assistance programs for low-income families and healthcare programs for seniors and the disabled, Democrats argue that winning control of Congress in next year’s election is critical to stopping the president’s agenda.
“Republicans want to steal enough seats in Congress to rig the next election and wield unchecked power for two more years,” Obama says in an ad that includes footage of ICE raids. “With Prop. 50, you can stop Republicans in their tracks. Prop. 50 puts our elections back on a level playing field, preserves independent redistricting over the long term, and lets the people decide. Return your ballot today.”
A sign points to a polling station at Culver City City Hall on Tuesday.
(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)
Republicans who oppose the effort countered that Proposition 50 is an affront to the electorate that voted to create an independent redistricting commission.
They want to “take us backwards. This is why it is important for you to vote no on Proposition 50,” Schwarzenegger says in an ad that was filmed when he spoke to USC students. “The Constitution does not start with ‘We, the politicians.’ It starts with ‘We, the people.’ … Democracy — we’ve got to protect it, and we’ve got to go and fight for it.”
Even with passage of the ballot measure, it’s uncertain whether potential Democratic gains in California’s congressional delegation will be enough to offset the number of Republicans elected because of gerrymandering in GOP-led states.
“Politics comes up every day in my practice,” Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist in New York and Washington, D.C., said. “For some, it’s Mamdani or Cuomo. For many, it’s Trump. I’ve had people begin sessions with a kind of ritual rant, unloading the latest headline before we’ve even started.” Every therapist I spoke with mentioned their patients’ tendency to doomscroll, and to bring up specific articles and social-media posts that have agitated them. (One therapist said that some of her patients have fixated on YouTube videos of Mamdani’s early rap career, finding them “very upsetting.” “They’ll say, ‘Have you heard about this? Did you see this? This rap video where he’s saying that he’s in alignment with Hamas?’ ”)
Naturally, these anxieties peak around the time of an election. Jessica January Behr, a licensed psychologist, and the founder and director of Behr Psychology, a practice on the Upper West Side, said that, most of the time, her work is exciting—or, at the very least, unpredictable. “You never know what people are going to come in and talk about,” she said. “Every hour is totally different.” But then an election happens. “It’s a rough week of work for us,” she explained. “It’s, like, ‘Oh, God, I’m about to sit through four days of eight hours of everybody talking about the election.’ ” Post-election, it’s also common for patients to book extra appointments, coming in twice in one week, Schreyer-Hoffman said.
Part of what’s exhausting about these political discussions is that they’re mostly one-sided, as is the nature of therapy. “It’s not really a conversation, right?” Behr said. “You’re in a different position as a therapist.” The result, she said, is a “whiplash of projections,” with patients often assuming that their therapists are in complete agreement with them. Many patients have even begun requesting therapists who have a certain worldview. A recent example of a referral, from a therapist Listserv: “Ideally therapist is Palestinian, but someone aligned with anti-Zionist values could also be a good fit.” Another person, searching for a therapist on behalf of their friend, wrote, “They are only interested in working with someone who identifies as a Republican and is willing to self-disclose about that.” (The person added that it was O.K. for the therapist to be out-of-network.)
Most of the therapists I spoke with said that they take pains to maintain neutrality, even when they actively disagree with what their clients are saying. Alpert takes a different approach: “I always push back,” he told me. “My job isn’t to agree with patients; it’s to hold up a mirror.” He added, “Therapy, when done right, should be one of the few places left where people can safely confront disagreement.”
Over the summer, a patient came into Alpert’s office in Manhattan, after witnessing an assault outside her apartment. “This is why we need Mamdani,” she told Alpert—who then went on to write an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal about how misguided her thinking was. He argued that Mamdani’s public-safety plan, which involves reducing the role of the police and hiring more social workers, would actually contribute to the kind of urban decline that his patient was concerned about. (Schreyer-Hoffman said that crime has become a frequent subject of her sessions, as well: “So many of our patients have had something happen in the street,” she said. “A lot of them feel very unsafe—people who are active users of the subway, who walk around a lot, who have seen the homeless population explode.”)
In his article, Alpert likened Mamdani to a bad therapist—one who offers people comfort rather than actual solutions. (This is notwithstanding the fact that Mamdani’s main appeal is his solutions-oriented approach: freeze the rent, make buses free, provide universal child care.) Alpert said that he’s seen people across the political spectrum consumed with rage in the past several years. “Some of it borders on homicidal,” he said. “I’ve had patients in their twenties and in their seventies openly wish for Trump’s death.” Alpert, who has appeared as a commentator on Fox News, says he’s lost patients for pushing back during sessions. “Some people don’t want therapy,” he told me. “They want affirmation of their politics.” Along those lines, sometimes patients seek validation for their individual choices: “They’ll ask, ‘Should I vote for Mamdani even though his policies scare me?’ or ‘Would voting for Sliwa make me a bad person?’ What they’re really asking is, ‘Can you reassure me that my anxiety means I’m morally right?’ ”
TAMPA, Fla. — The quad of candidates vying to be the next mayor of Lakeland came down to previous political experience.
Sara Roberts McCarley, a city commissioner who was the first candidate to announce a bid, won the mayoral race with 5,970 votes (50.3%). Cedrick Valrie placed second while Kay Klymko and Kaitlin Gracie Kramer placed third and fourth, respectively.
McCarley said she plans to work alongside fellow commissioners to build on efforts toward accessibility, budget transparency and community involvement. Having served on the City Commission since 2019, she says her familiarity with city departments and local partnerships would make for a smooth transition.
In other Polk County races, Sean Levy won the Auburndale City Commission 3 seat. In Fort Meade, the City Commission 3 seat was claimed by Jim Watts and the Seat 5 post went to Candic Filyaw Lott.
Lakeland voters also decided on three charter amendments:
AMENDMENT 1: Proposed charter amendment modifying Commission district boundaries to be as equal in population as practicable. Shall the Lakeland City Charter be amended to modify City Commission district boundaries to be as equal in population as practicable consistent with State law?
AMENDMENT 2: Proposed Charter amendment modifying term limits applicable to City Commissioners and Mayor. Shall the Lakeland City Charter be amended to modify term limits applicable to City Commissioners and Mayor, other than members in office on January 1, 2020, from the current term limits of no more than 3 complete terms in any combination of the positions of Mayor and Commissioner to new term limits of no more than 3 complete terms as a Commissioner and 2 complete terms as Mayor?
AMENDMENT 3: Proposed Charter amendment eliminating obsolete provisions; renumbering sections; amending other miscellaneous provisions. Shall the Lakeland City Charter be amended to eliminate obsolete provisions; specify that mayor or commissioner elected to fill vacancy shall take office upon receiving election certificate; authorize any commissioner to call special commission meeting; require neighborhood posting of special assessment notices rather than newspaper ad; provide that ordinances subject to referendum petition shall not be suspended pending referendum and petitions shall be voted on at regular elections; conforming civil service provisions to current practices?
In Manatee County, voters in the city of Holmes Beach elected Steven Oelfke, Jessical Patel and Terry Schaefer for City Commission.
There are more than 1,000 seats up for election across the state
In addition to voting for elected officials, some will get to vote directly on local legislation through referendums
Polls will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
There are more than 1,000 seats up for election and several referendums to be voted on.
The map of where municipal elections are happening can be accessed online here.
To participate in a municipal election, people have to live and be registered to vote there. People can check their registration status and view more voter details, including jurisdictions, polling place and more, by clicking here.
Voter Requirements
Be a U.S. citizen
Be at least 18 years old by election day
Not serving a felony sentence
People will also be asked to show a photo ID when voting. The list of acceptable IDs can be found here. If someone does not have a photo ID, they can still vote by filling out an ID Exception Form.
More information on what to expect when voting on Election Day, click here.
Here are some elections across the state to look out for:
Mayoral race in Greensboro
After the primary election narrowed the field from four to two candidates, Marikay Abuzuaiter, who secured 39.89% of the primary vote will face Robbie Perkins, who received 32.49%. Abuzuaiter is the current at-large council member and Perkins previously served as Greensboro’s Mayor from 2011 to 2013, prior to the incumbent Nancy Vaughan, who did not run for reelection.
Mayoral race in Durham
Leonardo (Leo) Williams and Anjanée Bell were the top two candidates out of the five that ran in the primary, receiving 55.35% and 29.78% of the vote, respectively.
Williams has been Durham’s mayor since 2023, and Bell is the daughter of William V. “Bill” Bell, who was the city’s longest serving mayor, holding the office from 2001 to 2017.
Cary Town Council race
This year, the at-large representative seat and seats for districts A and C are up for election. The map of the town’s districts can be viewed here.
Jack Smith, the current representative for District C, opted not to run for reelection, leaving Bella Huang and Renee Miller in competition for the seat.
A North Carolina voter fills out her ballot. (Associated Press)
Referendums:
Voters in some municipalities will get the chance to vote on legislation directly. The full list of referendums that will be on this year’s ballots can be viewed here.
Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, proposed a new sales tax that would add one cent to every dollar of local sales. The proceeds from this new tax would go toward paying for public transportation. Eligible voters will be able to mark if they are for or against this tax on their ballots.
Nearby in Union County, residents of Stallings and Indian Trail will get to vote on a new room occupancy tax of up to 5% which if approved, would apply to all guests staying at hotels and other short-term rentals in the towns.
The counties of Cleveland, Columbus and Richmond are considering allowing mixed drinks to be sold in hotels, restaurants, private clubs, community theaters, and convention centers and allowing malt beverages and unfortified wine to be sold in qualifying locations. It will be up to voters to decide whether or not to allow these sales.
The campaigning for mayoral candidates Katie Wilson and incumbent mayor Bruce Harrell continued late into Monday evening, both camps trying their best to win over those last-minute voters before Tuesday’s deadline.
Monday, supporters joined incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell in the Central District with signs in hand, asking voters to re-elect him for a second term.
Bruce Harrell’s camp
What they’re saying:
“We are pretty excited about tomorrow night. We feel really good, and we think our message is resonating with people, and they see the contrast,” said Harrell.
His campaign has been working hard to get out his message after a primary in which the mayor trailed candidate Katie Wilson in votes.
“A lot of attention wasn’t paid to the details during the primary, so we think the message is getting out there. You see, overwhelmingly, all the support we are getting out here even at the last minute,” said Harrell.
Harrell said Monday night that he was focused on talking about what sets him apart from Wilson, including his experience.
“My opponent has no experience in managing a budget and the little tiny budget she’s managed she’s mismanaged, a $200,000 budget that every year, $21,000 last year, $38,000 the year before… completely mismanaged,” said Harrell. “My opponent has never really hired any employees, maybe herself. We have 40,000 employees. My opponent has no experience fighting someone like Trump. She prides herself in being an advocate. We need more than advocacy, we need executive experience.”
Katie Wilson’s side
The other side:
Wilson was quick to respond by touting her own experience in leadership Monday night.
“I led on designing and passing the Jumpstart Payroll Expense tax, which is Seattle’s landmark tax on wealthy corporations. It’s generating almost $400 million a year. So, I have extensive experience with our city budget,” said Wilson. “Honestly, I’ve been concerned with some of the budgeting practices he’s pursued as mayor. We’ve seen a lot of spending. We’ve seen budget deficits growing year by year which hasn’t been tackled.”
Wilson is pictured at left talking to voters in Ballard.
Candidate Katie Wilson spent the evening in Ballard going door-to-door and talking to voters.
“We are getting a really good response on the doors. Tonight I talked to homeowners, I talked to renters, I talked to young people, I talked to older people, and it’s great to talk to someone who didn’t remember that tomorrow is election day and give that nudge that means that their vote will be counted,” said Wilson.
She says she’s been focused on reaching voters who haven’t thought about voting in the final push.
“I think it’s really turnout, right?” said Wilson “I think the polls have been clear if people vote and, especially if young people vote, that’s really going to mean the difference. That’s why we are out knocking on doors.”
Both candidates will be hosting watch parties with supporters in Seattle on Tuesday as results come in and FOX 13 will be there to get reactions from the candidates.
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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Jennifer Dowling.
Tuesday is Election Day and voters will head to the polls to cast their ballots.
While many might consider this an off-election year, many important races will be decided across the state.
Here’s what you need to know about the 2025 Minnesota elections:
Registering to vote
The most important thing you can do before you actually vote is to register. You can fill out a voter registration form by clicking here or you can register at your polling place on Election Day.
Where to find your polling place
Every voter is assigned a specific location to cast their ballot on Election Day. It’s usually it’s near your home address. Click here to find your local polling place.
Note that not all areas of Minnesota will have elections this year.
When are polling places open?
Polling places are typically open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., though you should check your specific polling place’s hours before going to vote. Several polling locations may not open until 10 a.m.
If you are in line by 8 p.m., you will be allowed to vote by law.
What’s on my ballot?
To make sure you know who will be on the ballot before casting your vote, the Secretary of State’s office has put together a sample ballot. Click here to see what is on your ballot.
Key races
Minneapolis incumbent mayor Jacob Frey is running for a third term. He faces opposition from several other mayoral hopefuls, including state Sen. Omar Fateh, Rev. Dewayne Davis and Jazz Hampton. The three have formed a pact to encourage voters to not rank the incumbent and instead rank each other as second- and third-place votes, a strategy that could cost Frey his reelection.
“Here we see really the battle within the Democratic Party over whether it’s going to be a socialist party that is really pushing the edge, challenging the status quo, or if it’s going to try to work within the system and try to provide alternatives, but alternatives that can be broadly appealing,” Larry Jacobs, political science professor with the University of Minnesota, said about the Minneapolis mayoral race.
All 13 city council seats in Minneapolis are also up for reelection.
Melvin Carter, in St. Paul, is seeking his third term, facing a challenge from state Rep. Kaohly Her, who has represented St. Paul in the legislature since 2019. Her worked as a policy director for Carter for nearly four years. Carter earned 62% of first-choice votes when he ran for reelection in 2021.
St. Paul ballot questions
There are two yes/no questions on St. Paul voters’ ballots.
City Question 1 asks voters if the city’s charter should be amended to allow the city council to give out fines for ordinance violations. St. Paul is currently only allowed to pursue criminal charges if an ordinance is violated.
If approved by voters, the city council would be able to implement fines within 90 days and determine the fine for each violation separately.
School District Question 1, if passed by voters, would increase St. Paul Public Schools’ operating levy, generating an additional $37.2 million in revenue for the district annually.
If passed, property tax increases in St. Paul could total 14.2%. Voters can see their estimated tax impact using an online calculator.
School districts ask for funding
Across Minnesota, there are eight dozen referendum requests before voters that include funding measures ranging from money for cybersecurity upgrades to new gymnasiums and fitness centers.
Shakopee, Big Lake, Owatonna, Monticello and roughly three dozen more districts join St. Paul with similar measures seeking to boost help with everyday costs.
St. Michael-Albertville wants approval of a $21 million bond referendum to, among other things, enhance school security systems. A $60 million capital levy request in Roseville would support cybersecurity, software replacement, tech training and more.
Where can I find election results?
You can find the latest election results on WCCO’s Election Results page by checking wcco.com/results.
Voters will now be heading to the polls across the state for California’s Nov. 4 special election on Proposition 50, a measure backed by legislative Democrats and Gov. Gavin Newsom that, if approved, would redraw the state’s congressional districts.
Polling places open statewide at 7 a.m. Tuesday for those casting their ballots in person.
Here’s what California voters should know about Proposition 50.
What is Proposition 50?
Proposition 50 would replace California’s current congressional district maps that were drawn by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission based on the 2020 U.S. Census. If the proposition passes, it would shift five of California’s U.S. House seats to be more favorable to Democrats in the 2026 midterm elections.
What does a “yes” or “no” vote on Proposition 50 mean?
A “yes” vote for Proposition 50 supports California’s use of the new, legislatively drawn congressional district maps beginning in 2026. The maps would be used until the California Citizens Redistricting Commission draws new maps after the 2030 U.S. Census.
A “no” vote opposes implementation of the new maps and instead supports using current congressional district boundaries until new maps are drawn after the 2030 U.S. Census.
Which California congressional districts would change?
California has 52 congressional districts, with Democrats representing 43 of them and Republicans representing nine. The Proposition 50 effort seeks to redraw five districts held by GOP House members to make them more favorable to being won by Democrats, but there is no guarantee that Democrats will win the seats if voters approve the maps.
On the left are Northern California’s proposed congressional districts, and on the right are the current congressional districts.
Legislative Analyst’s Office
On the left are Southern California’s proposed congressional districts, and on the right are the current congressional districts.
Legislative Analyst’s Office
The five Republican-led districts most targeted under Proposition 50 are District 1, represented by Rep. Doug LaMalfa; District 3, represented by Rep. Kevin Kiley; District 22, represented by Rep. David Valadao; District 41, represented by Rep. Ken Calvert; and District 48, represented by Rep. Darrell Issa.
LaMalfa’s district covers a broad area of Northern California, stretching from the Oregon border south through the Sacramento Valley to about the northern end of Sacramento County. The new map would shift the district’s boundaries southward, removing the more conservative areas in the northeast corner of the state to incorporate areas with a stronger Democratic presence.
Kiley’s District 3 would undergo the most change if voters approve the new maps. Currently, the district covers parts of the Sacramento suburbs and Sierra foothills, stretching down the Eastern Sierra and through Death Valley. If Proposition 50 passes, the Eastern Sierra and everything below it — more conservative-leaning areas — would be removed from District 3.
A redrawn District 22 in Central California would be larger in size, stretching north to include parts of Fresno County and exclude parts of Kings County.
Further south, Calvert’s district, which covers a large section of Riverside County, would shrink to become more centered on the urban areas of the county, cutting out Republican-leaning desert communities. Issa’s District 48, which includes parts of San Diego, would see its boundaries moved further inland and as far north as Palm Springs in Riverside County.
In total, more than $167.9 million has been raised in support of Proposition 50 as of Oct. 28, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
According to the Secretary of State’s office, top donors in support include the House Majority PAC for Proposition 50 with $45.9 million in total contributions, and billionaire investor George Soros’ Fund for Policy Reform with $10 million.
In early October, investor and 2020 presidential candidate Tom Steyer launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign in support of Proposition 50.
The top contributors to the committee against Proposition 50 as of Oct. 13 are the Congressional Leadership Fund Super PAC, with more than $43.5 million donated, and Republican political donor Charles Munger Jr., whose contributions total more than $32.7 million, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Other major donors include former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy with $1 million and businessman Thomas M. Siebel — a second cousin of Jennifer Siebel Newsom — also with $1 million.
In total, the campaign opposing Proposition 50 has raised more than $83.5 million as of Oct. 28, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
Republican former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has also been critical of the redistricting initiative, with his remarks having featured prominently in ads opposing Proposition 50.
How do I vote in the Nov. 4 election? What are the dates and deadlines I need to know?
Election officials were required to mail out ballots to registered voters by Oct. 6. Voters who haven’t returned those mail-in ballots can still mail them back, but the ballots need to be postmarked on or before election day and received by the county no later than a week after election day in order for them to count.
Vote-by-mail ballots can also be delivered to any polling place within the state or the office of your county elections official. A number of ballot drop-off locations are also open. Ballots must be deposited by 8 p.m. on Nov. 4.
Voters can authorize someone to return their ballot, but the authorization section on the outside of the ballot’s envelope must be filled out.
The last day to register to vote was Oct. 20. People who haven’t registered to vote or need to change their registration can do so at a county elections office, vote center or polling place.
Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day.
How do I find my vote center if I’m in a Voter’s Choice Act county?
A number of counties across the state have had vote centers open as of Oct. 25 for early in-person voting. Only Voter’s Choice Act counties have opened early voting centers: Alameda, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Merced, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Riverside, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Ventura, and Yolo.
I’ve heard some of the California voter guides are inaccurate. What information was incorrect?
On page 11 of the 2025 voter information guide, a proposed congressional district was mislabeled on a map as District 22 instead of District 27. On page 15, the guide included a separate map that correctly identified District 27.
The California Office of the Secretary of State said a correction postcard was mailed to all voter households that received the mislabeled map.
New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli may have a chance in the race against Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill to win back the governor’s office from Democrats after a surprisingly close election four years ago.
But a national political environment that may serve as a referendum on Republican President Trump’s first year in office could close that window for the GOP.
Mr. Trump has supported Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman, and backed him as he faced a competitive primary, even going as far as to hold a telephone rally for him recently. Ciattarelli is running for governor for a third time, after falling short in a surprisingly close race against Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in 2021.
Sherrill says Ciattarelli has shown “zero signs of standing up” to Trump
On the Democratic side, Sherrill, who represents New Jersey’s 11th District in Congress, has a favorable national political environment, but is contending with potential political fatigue within the state about her party’s back-to-back terms controlling the governor’s office. Sherrill has been adamant about tying Ciattarelli to President Trump and focusing her campaign on affordability.
“He’s shown zero signs of standing up to this president. In fact, the president himself called Jack 100% MAGA,” Sherrill said during a debate.
Ciattarelli faults Democrats for being “out of touch and ruining our state”
Ciattarelli has faulted Sherrill for relying on generalities and platitudes while also centering his argument for change on New Jersey Democrats’ lengthy tenure in control of state government.
“Trenton Democrats: out of touch and ruining our state. They push offshore wind while our electric bills skyrocket. They raise tolls and fees but haven’t fixed our roads and they care more about pronouns than property taxes,” Ciattarelli said in one campaign advertisement. “Had enough? Me too.”
Sherrill was not the most progressive candidate in this year’s New Jersey primary race, and she may also have to contend with the Democratic brand issues that have haunted national Democrats in the wake of 2024, due to her career in Congress.
Democrats’ winning streak in the state could also give Republicans an anti-incumbency argument, and it wasn’t long ago that a Republican led the state. From the 1970s onwards, neither party has been able to win the New Jersey governor’s race three straight times.
The final stretch
Sherrill’s campaign received a boost days before Election Day from former President Barack Obama, who joined her at a rally Saturday.
“You have a candidate worth being excited about,” he told the crowd. Referring to Sherrill as an “inspiration,” the former president told the crowd that “we need that inspiration — because let’s face it, our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now.”
He said of Mr. Trump, “Every day, this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and carelessness and mean spiritedness, and just plain old craziness.”
On the Republican side, Mr. Trump held a tele-rally for Ciattarelli on the eve of the election, as Republicans look to return a GOP candidate to the governor’s office for the first time since Chris Christie led the state.
Back in 2021, Ciattarelli narrowly lost the New Jersey governor’s race to incumbent Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. The race, occurring early in Democratic President Joe Biden’s tenure, was far closer than was expected, given the state’s more reliable Democratic lean, with Murphy winning out over Ciattarelli by around three points.
In a close race, New Jersey’s Latino voters may also play an influential role for either candidate. Democrats have a voter registration advantage over Republicans in the state, although their numbers have dipped as of late. Statistics show that since the start of the year the number of registered Democrats in New Jersey has fallen by more than 12,000 but remains above 2.5 million in the state. Republican voter registration has grown by close to 29,000 but still trails Democrats by more than 855,000, with around 1.67 million registered to the GOP. Unaffiliated voters still make up a larger share of the state’s voters than the GOP and only narrowly trail the Democratic party’s numbers.
This fall’s race for Virginia governor offers Democrats a chance to start recovering from stinging losses in last year’s presidential election.
It also brings the risk that the party could slip further into the doldrums that hurt its brand with voters around the country in 2024.
The Nov. 4 election for governor of Virginia — pitting former Democratic U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger against Republican Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — will serve as one of Democrats’ first major opportunities to rebound from the setbacks they suffered in the 2024 presidential election, when they also lost control of the Senate and failed to retake control of the House.
Spanberger rallies with Obama
Spanberger held a rally with former President Barack Obama on the weekend before Election Day. President Trump, however, has had little involvement as Earle-Sears looks to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin and become the first GOP candidate since 1997 to succeed a fellow Republican as governor of the commonwealth.
Mr. Trump has not formally endorsed Earle-Sears. In a telephone rally on the eve of the election, the president attacked Spanberger and encouraged people to vote for Republicans up and down the ballot, but he didn’t mention Earle-Sears by name.
Under Virginia law, a governor cannot serve for two consecutive terms, which has resulted in open races for the office without the advantage of incumbency. Regardless of who wins between the two in November, Spanberger or Earle-Sears will become the Commonwealth’s first ever female governor.
Candidates for the Virginia governor’s election: Democrat Abigail Spanberger, left, and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.
AP
The Trump administration’s impact on the federal workforce and the ongoing shutdown may also be on voters’ minds in the coming days, as they get their say in a contest that historically has been fraught with prospect of serving as a rebuke to the incumbent in the White House.
“It is because of the trade wars and the retaliatory tariff policies and the attack on Virginia, our economy and our people, that we recognize the possibility of November 4, that we recognize how important it is to have a governor who will stand up for Virginians,” Spanberger said at a recent event.
State of the race
Spanberger headed into the start of early voting in September with a clear advantage in the contest. That momentum threatened to be impacted, however, by a controversy that has made its way through Virginia politics. She has faced difficult political questions in attempting to respond to violent text messages, authored by Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee in the Virginia Attorney General’s race, about a Republican leader.
“I’m asking my opponent to please, ask him to get out of the race,” Earle-Sears said during the lone debate between the two candidates. “Have some political courage. What you have done is you are taking political calculations about your future as governor. Well as governor, you have to make hard choices, and that means telling Jay Jones to leave the race.”
Spanberger has denounced Jones’ words, which were made public after the start of early voting, where he wrote in the past about a fantasy hypothetical situation involving the shooting of a Virginia state House Republican leader.
Jones however has not left the race, and is still running as the Democratic attorney general candidate in the Nov. 4 election.
That dynamic has provided Virginia Republicans with an issue against Democrats that could alienate moderates and independents at a time where concerns about political violence are rampant. Virginia Democrats are also mounting a last-minute effort to redraw congressional districts in the state to help the left counter Mr. Trump’s successful push in a series of red states to undertake an overhaul of district maps in hopes of helping Republicans hold on to the House in next year’s midterm elections.
A conservative Dearborn mayoral candidate who has made “faith, family, and freedom” the centerpiece of his campaign has struggled to pay his own bills, even as he poured more than $50,000 into his race for mayor.
Nagi Almudhegi, a 51-year-old Trump supporter, faces multiple lawsuits over unpaid debts and a recent foreclosure scare on his home, court and tax records show.
LVNV Funding won a civil judgment of $26,811 against him in April for unpaid credit card debt after he failed to pay $26,575 he owed, court records show. A writ of garnishment was issued in August 2025 after non-payment. That same month, Portfolio Recovery Associates sued him in another debt case that remains open.
In 2009, the City of Wooster, Ohio sued Almudhegi for unpaid taxes. And records show he accumulated more than $3,400 in penalties for late property-tax payments on a Toledo business property.
This summer, Almudhegi’s 894-square-foot home was in foreclosure for delinquent taxes, but it’s now current on taxes, according to county records.
Despite those financial troubles, Almudhegi contributed more than $50,000 to his own mayoral campaign in October, a move that raises questions about how he can afford to self-fund while defaulting on past bills.
Almudhegi, who immigrated from Yemen at age 6 and graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in chemical engineering, casts himself as a unifier who will restore “common sense” leadership to Dearborn. But his record tells a different story.
At a 2022 rally outside Dearborn’s Henry Ford Centennial Library, Almudhegi joined protesters demanding the removal of LGBTQ-themed books from public school libraries. He told the crowd that opponents had labeled him and others “religious extremists” but said those who support the books “have to have some mental derangement … to support this kind of stuff.”
He led the audience in chants of “Hell no!” and praised one of the protest’s organizers, declaring, “Right now, Dearborn is in the middle of a great awakening, and it’s long overdue.”
That campaign succeeded in having six books removed and restricted students’ access to the district’s online library system.
Although Dearborn’s crime rate has dropped, Almudhegi insists it’s out of control. His fearmongering rhetoric is similar to the right-wing culture-war politics that helped Donald Trump flip Dearborn red for the first time in two decades. In November, Trump became the first Republican to win Dearborn since George W. Bush in 2000, receiving 42.5% of the vote compared with 36% for Kamala Harris. Green Party candidate Jill Stein received 18.37% of the vote. Harris struggled in Dearborn after Mayor Abdullah Hammoud withheld his endorsement over the Biden administration’s backing of Israel’s war on Gaza.
Almudhegi launched his campaign in February at the Fairlane Club, walking onstage to Trump-rally anthem “God Bless the USA” with GOP figures like Tudor Dixon and Hamtramck Mayor Amer Ghalib in attendance.
He has accused incumbent Hammoud of being “divisive” and “out of touch,” blasting the city’s Democratic leadership for focusing on inclusion initiatives. Hammoud, who is seeking a second term, has defended LGBTQ rights and pointed to falling crime rates and city investments in infrastructure.
Progressive groups have seized on Almudhegi’s record of intolerance as evidence he is unfit to lead one of Michigan’s most diverse cities. The Progressive Michigan Political Action Fund urged voters to back Hammoud, calling him “the most progressive choice in this race.”
Seattle – Sunday night was a night to “Croc the Vote” at the Crocodile in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood.
The music venue partnered up with King County Elections to serve as a temporary ballot drop box location.
Local band Balcony Bridge took to the stage to drop some tunes on Sunday evening, while voters dropped off their ballots in a travel-sized ballot drop box located inside the venue.
What they’re saying:
“We are always excited to vote,” said Tonya, who came down to the Crocodile to listen to music and drop off a ballot Sunday.
Tonya and Alex have lived in Belltown for more than 20 years and say there is no drop box in their neighborhood.
“Ballot boxes are in other neighborhoods. We heard there was a ballot box here in our neighborhood. Make it easy,” said Alex.
“Vote in Belltown!” said Tonya.
“We are rocking the vote. Balcony Bridge came out. We are super excited to have them,” said Crocodile Production Manager Eva Hudak.
Eva helped to coordinate the event at the Crocodile.
“There are no drop boxes currently in downtown. This is just an opportunity for people to come drop off their ballot and listen to some music,” said Eva.
King County Elections Communications Specialist Courtney Hudak was on hand during the event. She says similar-sized ballot boxes are already used at seven county voting centers, but this is the first time one has traveled here for community outreach.
“I wanted to go to a community location,” said Lance Powell, who was dropping off a ballot at Sunday’s event.
Powell says it was also a teachable moment for the next generation.
“I’m here with a child who is now learning about the voting process and how important it is,” said Powell.
“People have to really believe in voting. It does make a difference. Not voting is voting. So, we want everyone to get out the vote,” said Tonya.
“Exercise your franchise. That’s why you have it,” said Alex.
Courtney Hudak says King County Elections is currently projecting a 45% turnout in this year’s November election and reminds everyone that voting ends at 8:00 pm sharp Tuesday.
The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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Tuesday is Election Day in Virginia, New Jersey, New York and California. The races will be early tests of how voters are feeling about President Trump and Democrats fighting his agenda. CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe has the highlights.
In the autumn of 2008, Colin Powell, the former Secretary of State under George W. Bush, broke from the Republican Party and endorsed the Democratic nominee for President, Barack Obama. It had been a brutal summer of electoral warfare. Rumors that Obama was Muslim swirled, becoming a significant aspect of the media coverage of his campaign. A group working with his opponent, John McCain, called people in swing states, planted doubts about Obama’s religious background, and asked how they would vote if they knew that the Democrat was supported by Hamas. McCain’s spokesperson defended the calls, but when a voter later said, in a town hall, that she couldn’t trust Obama, who was “an Arab,” McCain shook his head. “No, ma’am,” he said. Obama was a “decent family man.” The implication that “an Arab” could not possess those qualities was poisonous enough, but it was Powell who tackled the unspoken. On NBC’s “Meet the Press,” he acknowledged that Obama “is not a Muslim. He’s a Christian. He’s always been a Christian.” Nevertheless, Powell went on, what if Obama were Muslim? “Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country?”
Seventeen years later, that question has become central to New York City’s mayoral race, in which Zohran Mamdani, a thirty-four-year-old democratic socialist and a Muslim, has held a solid lead since winning the Democratic primary this past summer. There have been plenty of legitimate attacks on Mamdani’s candidacy, citing his inexperience and interrogating how he will deliver on his promises to make the city more affordable. In recent weeks, though, many critiques have been tinged with specifically anti-Muslim undertones. Ellie Cohanim, a former deputy special envoy to combat antisemitism in the first Trump Administration, posted a photo of the Twin Towers burning, on September 11, 2001, and wrote, “Never Forget. . . . Vote Andrew Cuomo & save our city”; the New York Post has run headlines that link Mamdani to terrorism, such as “WEAPONS OF HAMAS DESTRUCTION.” Cuomo himself, the former governor of New York, who is running against Mamdani as an Independent, recently made remarks about his opponent that garnered wide attention. In an interview with the conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg, Cuomo asked if anyone could “imagine Mamdani in the seat,” if there were another 9/11. When Rosenberg replied, “He’d be cheering,” Cuomo chuckled along and added, “That’s another problem.”
The comment echoed a similar declaration made during another much watched campaign. In November, 2015, Donald Trump, who was then running for President, claimed that he had seen “thousands” of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating during 9/11. A month later, he called for a plan to ban Muslims from entering the country in a bid to keep it safe. After he took office, in January, 2017, the policy went into effect, and hundreds of New Yorkers descended on J.F.K. Airport to protest. Governor Cuomo, in a show of solidarity, declared, “As a New Yorker, I am a Muslim.” It was a politically useful sentiment back then.
Trump’s story was a lie, but it gave voice to long-held suspicions of so-called dual loyalty. After 9/11, authorities rounded up Muslim men across the country and detained them without charge—in some cases, for years—or deported them for minor visa violations. To avoid such fates, many Muslim families fled the U.S., leaving behind neighbors and friends. The New York City Police Department devised a Demographics Unit, whose undercover officers and informants combed through Muslim neighborhoods and hid in bookstores and mosques and restaurants in search of terrorist threats, leaving communities fearful that they were always being watched. The program continued for years and, after being challenged in court, was eventually disbanded.
LOWELL — District races feature candidates representing a particular neighborhood. But the candidates for one of the three at-large seats on the City Council represent the entire city.
In Tuesday’s general election, incumbents Erik Gitschier, Rita Mercier and Vesna Nuon defend their at-large City Council seats against challengers Sixto DeJesus and Emile Kaufman.
Kaufman did not respond to emails or text messages by deadline, and DeJesus declined to participate.
Nuon and DeJesus attended Coalition for a Better Acre’s “Candidating” event at the Lowell Senior Center Aug. 27, and both Nuon and Mercier participated in the “Get to Know Your Candidates” City Council forum held Sept. 29 at Lowell TeleMedia Center in Downtown Lowell.
The incumbents’ responses are unedited. Mercier declined to provide responses beyond the first question.
Q: What are your top 3 priorities for the city?
Gitschier: Public safety, schools, economic development.
Mercier: Continue with our streets and sidewalks to be brought back to the quality and condition they were and should be, continue to watch our finances and spending habits, provide the best constituent service our residents have every right to expect and deserve, even our homeless people.
Nuon: More affordable housing and easing homelessness, business improvement district downtown & vacancy ordinance, sustainability and climate action.
Q: Do you support community benefits agreements for developments in Lowell?
Gitschier: Yes, anytime a negotiation includes the stake holders within our community there can be major benefits. Many of those benefits hold contractors accountable, such as local hiring, environmental impacts, traffic concerns, living wages, and can address many negative impacts to our community.
Nuon: Yes, I do. It offers advantages for the city. It ensures collaboration between developers and community and addresses potential negative consequences. It also ensures that developers align with the needs of the community, especially those most impacted by the development projects.
Q: Energy costs are rising, in part due to AI infrastructure costs like those associated with the Markley Group’s data center in the Sacred Heart neighborhood. What steps will you take to mitigate those impacts on ratepayers in Lowell, especially in environmental justice communities that may also face cuts to LIHEAP and other energy subsidy programs?
Gitschier: As a City Councilor I advocated for the creation of a sustainability department because of rising costs and environmental impacts in our community. The sustainability department has brought in more than 25 million dollars in funding to our community (Environmental Justice Community), assisted many families in our community with their energy usage through neighborhood outreach, one on one communication, and direct communication with local, state, and federal officials.
We need better oversight on programs such as Mass Save, and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). A recently released study by the State Auditor’s Office on Mass Save Programs has pointed out the disparities between Environmental Justice Communities (Gateway Cities) and much wealthier communities. The study showed a skewed distribution of benefits, favoring residents of many high-income communities, and lower income communities picking up the costs. As in the past, I will advocate on the local level to voice our displeasure to our State and Federal elected Officials.
Nuon: The resident of Lowell matter. I believe we need vigilant regulators (who) are willing to put in the time and effort to oppose the deals that pass costs on to the ratepayers.
Q: More than 60% of Lowell residents are renters and half of those are rent burdened. Do you support rent control?
Gitschier: When looking at rent control, I have some concerns with legislative bodies creating policy without fully vetting the effects. Rent control would have a direct impact on the housing supply, new construction, maintenance of rentals, and sources for budgeting.
Nuon: Yes. Tenants should not have to leave their homes because of rent increases.
Q: Do you support by-right zoning and streamlined permitting as the key to building more housing in Lowell?
Gitschier: No, I believe in the need for a discretionary process as a special permit, variance, zoning amendment, or other discretionary zoning approvals. Without the discretionary process neighborhoods would have no voice and community concerns would not be addressed. There would be no need for any negotiations for community benefits agreements if by-right zoning was in place and the stake holders would not have a voice.
Nuon: I fully support by-right zoning. This is one way to work towards solving our housing shortage by streamline permitting for those who want to build. In fact, the City has already had a by-right zoning permitting in and around Downtown near the train station. This process makes it as simple as possible for builder/developers to build.
Polls open at 7 a.m. Nov. 4 and close at 8 p.m. For more voting and election day information, visit lowellma.gov/294/Election-Census.
A demonstration voting machine at the Tarrant County Election Administration displays the screen voters will see after casting their ballot on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, in Fort Worth. The 2025 local runoff election will take place on June 7.
FortWorth
Unless there’s a major swell Tuesday, just a small fraction of Tarrant County’s registered voters will decide the results of Tuesday’s election.
During early voting, 111,291 of Tarrant County’s roughly 1.3 million registered voters cast ballots in person, according to an unofficial tally from the Tarrant County Elections Administration. The in-person early voting period started Oct. 20 and ended Friday.
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years. Support my work with a digital subscription
In the last budget that Gov. Jared Polis will usher through from conception to enactment, the term-limited Democrat hopes to wrestle down ever-rising Medicaid costs, he said Friday in unveiling his proposal.
It’s a plan that proposes clamping down on dental benefits, requiring prior authorization for more services and making payment changes affecting home health services. Elsewhere, Polis hopes to revive his often-proposed — and never accepted by the legislature — idea of privatizing Pinnacol Assurance, the state’s workers’ compensation insurance program, to generate hundreds of millions of dollars.
Medicaid, which provides health insurance to low-income Coloradans, has been gobbling an ever-bigger chunk of the overall state budget for years. It’s growing at a rate that’s double the overall spending growth allowed by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR.
If left unchecked, Medicaid costs could end up dwarfing all other spending in the state in the next 15 years, leaving almost no money for any services that aren’t directly related to education or health care, according to the governor’s office.
“This gets worse if we don’t fix it,” Polis said Friday.
The governor’s overall budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year includes a total spending request of more than $50.6 billion, up from $48 billion in the current fiscal year, which goes through June 30. Most of that is already spoken for as pass-through spending or other obligations.
The general fund, which covers most day-to-day spending, would grow from about $18.2 billion to $18.6 billion under Polis’ proposal.
Polis’ announcement of his proposal represents a starting point for the state’s next spending plan, which will cover July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. He will unveil an amended proposal in January as the state updates economic projections.
Then the legislature will have its say, starting with the powerful Joint Budget Committee.
Four of the committee’s six members are seeking higher office in the 2026 election, making this budget an even more pitched-than-usual declaration of political values. The legislature will vote on the final budget in the spring.
Early forecasts have the body needing to make up a nearly $1 billion gap — again — between planned spending and what the state is allowed to spend under the growth cap set by TABOR. This tight budget year follows an August special session where lawmakers needed to fill a $783 million hole opened up in the current fiscal year by federal tax changes signed into law by President Donald Trump over the summer.
Trying to rein in Medicaid
Polis said a key hope of his budget proposal is to bring growth in Medicaid spending in line with the overall growth in state spending allowed by TABOR. Over the past decade, the state constitution has limited total state spending to growth by an average 4.4% per year.
Medicaid spending has grown at double that rate, 8.8%. In that period, general fund spending on Medicaid has grown from about $2.4 billion $5.5 billion per year.
In his proposal, Polis would increase state Medicaid spending by about $300 million. That increase alone represents more spending than several executive agencies’ combined budgets — but would still be half as steep as Medicaid’s projected growth without changes to the program.
A Medicaid sign is displayed in the hallway at Clinica Family Health on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in Adams County, Colorado. (Photo by Eli Imadali/Special to The Denver Post)
Polis said he wants to lower overall spending on Medicaid services without touching how much individual providers are paid for services. Proposed changes include annual caps of $3,000 on dental benefits, which Polis noted would be double the cap that existed in 2023; adding prior authorization to some services; and changing how payment is calculated for home health nursing and therapy services.
Several of those proposals are extensions of executive orders he issued to help shore up the most recent budget trouble in August.
“There have been a number of benefits that have been added (to Medicaid) in recent years, and some of those are not sustainable over time,” Polis said.
His administration has also been working with national consultants to examine how Colorado’s Medicaid spending has differed from national trends. That report should be available in the New Year.
Pushing to privatize Pinnacol … again
In another key element of his proposal, Polis is looking to restart a fight from last year over converting the state’s quasi-governmental workers’ compensation insurance program to a fully private enterprise.
Polis’ office predicted the Pinnacol Assurance spin-off, if completed, would generate at least $400 million for the state. About half of that would go to pay for the homestead property tax exemption, while the rest would go to state maintenance and to balance the budget.
Pinnacol acts as an “insurer of last resort” for employers in high-risk industries. The firm is generally not allowed to refuse to insure employers or cancel policies, but it can operate only within Colorado’s borders.
Polis restarted the conversation last year with arguments that Pinnacol was hamstrung from competing in today’s markets, where employers are less bound by state borders than ever. Turning the quasi-state agency into a private firm would also equal a payday for a cash-strapped state.
The effort petered out when the idea didn’t win much traction during the legislative session — though Polis hinted later that he hadn’t given up on the effort.
This year, Polis said the money would help the state keep its property tax break for certain long-term homeowners, known as the homestead exemption. The tax break is usually paid for using the state’s TABOR surplus, but the state won’t have one this year, Polis said.
“Nearly every other state has moved in this direction for reasons that are very important to employees and employers,” Polis said. “For Pinnacol to be able to continue to serve as our insurer of last resort, we have to be able to allow them to write interstate business, to take some of the same steps that can reduce overhead and produce better value to employees that other states have done.”
Opponents to the move worry that taking Pinnacol private would weaken protections for workers and employers in the state. The insurer essentially acts as a social safety net for industries that otherwise couldn’t obtain coverage, they argued last year.
This year, opponents are warning that privatizing the insurer and taking a portion of the money — potentially hundreds of millions of dollars — would be unconstitutional because the money isn’t the state’s to take.
“Pinnacol’s assets were built from employer premiums, not tax dollars,” said Stephanie Tucker, an attorney and president of the Workers’ Compensation Education Association, in a statement. “These funds belong to the employers who paid premiums and (to) injured workers, not the state. Privatization without clear legal authority could result in years of litigation and uncertainty for both Pinnacol and the state of Colorado.”
State officials have a different interpretation. The state “has an obligation” to get value for Pinnacol if it’s spun off, Mark Ferrandino, the head of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting, said.
Polis said he’s been briefed on the legal question and his staff classified it as a “very low litigation risk.”
