Results of Kentucky, Virginia and New York elections
On Tuesday, the state of Virginia flipped blue. Democrats won majorities in both the House of Delegates and Senate. Democrats also hold majorities in the Senate and Congressional delegations as well as all three statewide elected positions. The first Muslim woman elected to the Virginia General Assembly, Ghazala Hashmi, won an election against Republican Glen Sturtevant. This election, along with a couple of others, helped to secure the Democratic majority in the Virginia State Senate. Gun control, abortion, and other policies were all reported by constituents as reasons they decided to vote on Tuesday.
As of writing, Democrat Andy Beshear is projected to win the Kentucky Gubernatorial race against incumbent Matt Bevin. As in Virginia, the major factors of the race were abortion, gun control, and President Trump. Bevin tried to ensure success by sticking close to Trump and emphasizing his opposition to abortion and gun control. Despite these efforts, Beshear is leading Bevin by some five thousand votes. Other statewide elected positions were won by Republicans. Many political experts see the Kentucky gubernatorial race as an evaluation of the Trump administration due to the close relationship that Bevin kept with the President.
Other elections that on Tuesday included the Mississippi general election, which resulted in Republican victories. New Jersey held elections for their State Assembly, which resulted in Democrats keeping their control. Maine held elections for local officials such as mayor and ballot measures involving state infrastructure. Colorado held ballot measures involving sports betting and the allocation of taxes. Pennsylvania held mayoral elections, as well as those for the Pennsylvanian Supreme Court. Finally, New York held elections for local officials. Possibly the most influential New York vote was the amendment of the New York City Charter to allow ranked-choice voting. Ranked-choice voting allows voters to make note of their second or third choice in an election. If a voter’s first-choice candidate does not win, then their vote could still count towards their second choice. The adoption of this method of voting could set a new standard for elections across the country.
Joseph Doner - Political Editor