Economy swayed voters, government shutdown, yodeling

ADVERTISEMENT

View in Browser

Policy changes, but facts endure. AP delivers accurate, fact-based journalism to keep the world informed in every administration. Support independent reporting today. Donate.

By Sarah Naffa

November 05, 2025

By Sarah Naffa

November 05, 2025

 
 

In the news today: Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House; an AP Voter Poll finds that the economy was prioritized above immigration and crime at the ballot box; and the government shutdown becomes the longest on record. Also, yodelers cry out for global recognition.

 
Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party, Tuesday, in New York.

Zohran Mamdani speaks during a victory speech at a mayoral election night watch party, Tuesday, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

POLITICS

Democrats dominate as economic woes take a toll on Trump’s GOP. Takeaways from Election Day 2025

Democrats dominated the first major Election Day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. And while a debate about the future of the Democratic Party may have only just begun, there are signs that the economy — specifically, Trump’s inability to deliver the economic turnaround he promised last fall — may be a real problem for Trump’s GOP heading into next year’s higher-stakes midterm elections. Read more.

Why this matters:

  • A self-described democratic socialist cruised to victory in New York City. Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state legislator who backs radical changes to address economic inequality, will serve as the next mayor of the nation’s largest city. Moderate Democrats on Tuesday won governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the only states electing new chief executives this year. And in California, Gov. Gavin Newsom, frequently mentioned as a 2028 presidential hopeful, led a triumphant charge to redraw congressional maps to give Democrats as many as five more House seats in upcoming elections. 

  • Voters rejected candidates and causes aligned with Trump’s Republican Party from Virginia and Pennsylvania to Maine and New Jersey. It was, in fact, difficult to point to any significant victory for Trump’s party.

  • Trump was largely absent from the campaign trail, but GOP candidates closely aligned themselves with the president, betting that his big win last year could provide a path to victory this time. They were wrong.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • See complete results for the 2025 general election

     

  • Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayor’s race, capping a stunning ascent

     

  • WATCH: Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani celebrates New York's immigrants

     

  • Democrat Mikie Sherrill elected governor of New Jersey, defeating opponent who aligned with Trump

     

  • Abigail Spanberger elected Virginia governor in a historic first that boosts Democrats ahead of 2026

     

  • California voters approve new US House map to boost Democrats in 2026

     

  • Pennsylvania reelects Supreme Court justices, extending a Democratic majority on its highest court

     

  • Maine voters approve red flag gun law after mass shooting that killed 18

     

  • Maine voters reject new GOP-backed voter ID requirement while Texans approve citizenship proposal

     

  • Democrat Jay Jones wins race to be Virginia attorney general despite texts endorsing violence

     

  • City Council President Mary Sheffield wins election to become Detroit’s first female mayor

     

  • Former Gov. Jim McGreevey and James Solomon advance to runoff in race for Jersey City mayor

     

  • AP Race Call: Andre Dickens wins reelection as Atlanta mayor

 

POLITICS

Voters prioritize the economy above immigration and crime, AP Voter Poll finds

The results of the expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggested the public was troubled by an economy that seems trapped by higher prices and fewer job opportunities. Read more.  

What to know:

  • A year after President Donald Trump was brought back to the White House on the promise that he could tame inflation and unleash growth, economic worries were still at the top of voters’ minds. Despite a rising stock market, inflation remains elevated, and hiring has slowed sharply. While Trump has tried to highlight his efforts to deport immigrants in the country illegally and send federal officers and National Guard troops into cities to fight crime, few voters saw these issues as the top concern for the places they live.

  • Voters mostly said their own finances were stable, but the poll results suggested that many feel they cannot get ahead in the current economy. About 6 in 10 voters in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City said their family’s finances were “holding steady,” but relatively few felt they were “getting ahead,” and about one-quarter said they were “falling behind.”

  • The polling found a high level of discontent about America’s direction as a country in several states, a sign that few voters have felt reassured so far by Trump’s return to the White House. About half of California voters described themselves as “angry” about the direction of the country, with another 2 in 10 saying they were “dissatisfied.” About 6 in 10 voters in Virginia and New Jersey said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the country today. Just one-third said they are “enthusiastic” or “satisfied.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Tuesday’s races were a quiet rebuke of Trump for many voters, AP Voter Poll finds

  • Photos of the first general election since Trump’s return

  • Election Night highlights: Democrats notch wins in first major elections since Trump returned to power
 

POLITICS

Government shutdown becomes the longest on record as fallout spreads nationwide

The government shutdown has entered its 36th day, breaking the record as the longest ever and disrupting the lives of millions of Americans with federal program cuts, flight delays and federal workers nationwide left without paychecks. Read more.

Why this matters:

  • President Donald Trump has refused to negotiate with Democrats over their demands to salvage expiring health insurance subsidies until they agree to reopen the government. But skeptical Democrats question whether the Republican president will keep his word, particularly after the administration restricted SNAP food aid, despite court orders to ensure funds are available to prevent hunger.

  • With Trump largely on the sidelines, talks have intensified among a loose coalition of centrist senators trying to negotiate an end to the stalemate. Expectations are high that Tuesday’s election results could help break the logjam.The contests were widely seen as a gauge of voter sentiment over Trump’s second term in the White House.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Trump administration announces 16th deadly strike on an alleged drug boat

     

  • FBI fires additional agents who participated in investigating Trump, AP sources say

     

  • Conservative activist Laura Loomer, a Trump ally, says she has a new Pentagon press pass

     

  • Trump once again nominates tech space traveler Jared Isaacman to serve as NASA administrator

     

  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warns of ‘mass chaos’ in skies if shutdown continues

     

  • The shutdown is hurting schools whose budgets are mostly federal money

     

  • Trump has been silent about Dick Cheney’s death. But on the campaign trail, he railed against him

     

  • Pope Leo calls for ‘deep reflection’ about treatment of detained migrants in the United States

 

ADVERTISEMENT