The election last night certainly made headlines and brought forward all sorts of interesting analysis. Here are 5 takeaways from the election: 

Democrats Win Big:  There is no question that Democrats had a huge night.  Not only did Democrats win, but they did so with significant margins - both the gubernatorial and New York City mayoral elections well outperformed their predecessors. This highlights strong Democratic voter intensity across the board.  

Not an Ideological Win:  One of the more interesting realities of the election was that the Democratic win crossed the party’s ideological spectrum, which included very moderate candidates to very liberal candidates.  This was not a huge push to the left or right within the Democratic Party.  

New Momentum for 2026, but it’s Still Too Early: This election will get pundits talking about 2026, but that election is still a year away.  A lot can happen between now and then, and the trend today could fade very quickly. It’s a bit too early for Democrats to claim victory in 2026, but strong voter intensity and momentum could be helpful next year if the party can continue to build on this win:  

Lots of Factors May Have Contributed to Democratic Win: It would be unfair (and inaccurate) to claim that one issue pushed Democrats over the finish line, but the margins alone were real factors driving voters to support Democrats.  Some of that could be related to the shutdown, concerns about the economy, or even Trump fatigue (which is not abnormal in the second term of a presidency).   

CA Ballot Measure May Boost More Redistricting: Governor Newsom’s ballot measure to redraw districts in California was successful, which officially throws Democrats into the redistricting battle Republicans started.  This could, of course, spur more Democratic states to do the same.