Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gloated over Democratic Party election wins across the country Tuesday night, and in classic “woke” fashion singled out two Democratic women as history makers.
Clinton has not won a general election herself since the 2006 New York Senate campaign, nearly 20 years ago.
“Democratic women made history tonight: Abigail Spanberger will be the first female governor of Virginia. Mikie Sherrill will be the first female Democratic governor of New Jersey. I’m looking forward to seeing these strong, dedicated leaders deliver for their states,” Clinton wrote on social media.
Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger defeated Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Black woman, in the state’s gubernatorial contest.
Spanberger won with 57.5% of the vote to Earle-Sears’ 42.3%, with 96% of votes counted, according to CBS News.
U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey’s governor race. Sherrill led Ciattarelli 56.2% to 43.2% with 95% of votes counted.
Both Spanberger and Sherrill centered their campaigns against President Donald Trump, and rarely on policy. Spanberger, 46, ran on promises to protect Virginia’s economy from federal spending cuts.
NBC News exit polling showed roughly six in 10 Virginia voters said federal government spending reductions affected their family’s finances, and they supported Spanberger over Earle-Sears by about a 2-to-1 margin.
Sherrill, 53, made her election campaign a referendum on Trump in Democrat-controlled New Jersey.
“He’ll do whatever Trump tells him to do, and I will fight anybody to work for you,” Sherrill said in an October debate with Ciattarelli. A majority of New Jersey voters—54%—disapproved of Trump’s job as president, according to NBC News exit polling.
The elections took place during an ongoing government shutdown that entered its 35th day Tuesday, making it the second-longest funding lapse in U.S. history.
In New York City, socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani won the race against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani, a state assemblymember and radical leftist, captured 50.4% of the vote.
“More people voted in New York City’s election this year than they have in 50 years. That’s a win for democracy, and a testament to @ZohranKMamdani’s inspiring campaign. Congratulations to the next mayor of the greatest city in the world,” Clinton wrote on social media.
More than 2 million New Yorkers cast ballots in the mayoral race, according to the city’s Board of Elections. The last time turnout reached that level was in 1969.
Mamdani, 34, ran on an socialist platform that included freezing rent, free bus service, and city-owned grocery stores. Born in Uganda and raised in New York City, Mamdani just became a U.S. citizen in 2018. He will be the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Trump weighed in on the election results, claiming on Truth Social that there were “TWO REASONS” why “REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT”—”TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN.” Trump had endorsed Ciattarelli in New Jersey but did not endorse Earle-Sears in Virginia.
“Last night, it was, you know, not expected to be a victory,” Trump told reporters. “It was very Democrat areas. But I don’t think it was good for Republicans. I’m not sure it was good for anybody. But we had an interesting evening and we learned a lot.”