Early voting starts for New York mayoral and New Jersey gubernatorial races | US politics
Polling places opened Saturday to begin in-person voting for two of the most watched elections of the year: the New York mayoral race and the contest to elect New Jersey’s next governor.
New Yorkers are choosing between Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who is voting as an independent. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is also on the ballot, but dropped out of the race last month and recently threw his support behind Cuomo.
The New Jersey governor’s race includes Republican state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and Democratic U.S. Representative Mikie Sherrill.
New York has allowed early voting since 2019, and it has become relatively popular. About 35% of votes in June’s mayoral primary were cast early and in person, according to the city’s campaign finance board.
New Jersey adopts early voting in 2021.
Off-year elections in neighboring states could be a bellwether for Democratic party leaders trying to decide what kind of candidates might be best to lead their resistance to Donald Trump’s agenda.
Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University in New Jersey, said the races highlight affordability and cost-of-living issues as well as ongoing divisions within the Democratic party.
“While New York City pits the progressive wing in Mamdani and Cuomo against the establishment old guard, New Jersey is counting on moderate candidate Mikie Sherrill to appeal to its broad middle,” he said.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, thrilled liberal voters with her proposals for universal free child care, free busing and a rent freeze for New Yorkers living in nearly 1 million rent-regulated apartments.
Cuomo portrayed Mamdani’s policies as naive and fiscally irresponsible. He appealed to voters to elect him because of his experience as a state governor; He gave up his position in 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.
Cuomo also attacked Mamdani, who will be the city’s first Muslim mayor, for his criticism of Israel.
Mamdani, who was not exposed to anti-Muslim rhetoric during the competition, says Israel’s military actions in Gaza amount to genocide. Cuomo and Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels public safety patrol group, equate Mamdani’s position with antisemitism.
In their final debate earlier this month, New Jersey gubernatorial candidates sparred over the federal government shutdown, Sherrill’s military records, Trump’s policies and the high cost of living in the state. The winner will replace term-limited Democrat Phil Murphy.
Early voting continues in other states.
Voters in Virginia began voting early on September 19. In this closely watched governor’s race, they are choosing between Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former U.S. representative, and Winsome Earle-Sears, a Republican lieutenant governor.
One of these candidates will be Virginia’s first female governor. During their solo debate earlier this month, they clashed over cultural issues such as transgender children’s rights in sports and school restrooms.
Early voting runs through November 1 in Virginia and November 2 in New York City and New Jersey. Polling places in all three states will then be widely opened for election day on November 4.
