As Election Day looms, voters in a handful of states will not only shape local leadership but also signal how Americans are responding to President Donald Trump's first year back in office, per the New York Times.

New Jersey's gubernatorial race is shaping up to be a big test for the historically blue state. Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill is facing Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a close contest for governor. Despite Democrats' strong registration advantage, recent polls show the race tightening as both campaigns flood the airwaves with attack ads.

Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by Trump, hopes to ride the wave of GOP momentum seen in the 2024 presidential election. New Jersey hasn’t elected a Republican governor in over two decades, so a Ciattarelli upset could signal erosion in Democratic support among suburban and independent voters ahead of 2026.

In Virginia, former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger (D) is running against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R), who is seeking to become the nation’s first Black female governor. Spanberger has built a commanding fundraising lead and is emphasizing her moderate record, while Earle-Sears has leaned on her conservative credentials and military service.

A Spanberger win would bolster Democrats’ confidence heading into the midterms. However, Earle-Sears' victory may suggest that Trump-aligned Republicans still have appeal in swing states.

Progressive momentum is being put to the test in New York City's mayoral election. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist, is heavily favored in his race against independent Andrew Cuomo, the former governor attempting a political comeback. Mamdani’s win in the primary energized progressives but alarmed moderates who fear his policies could alienate suburban voters.

As the nation’s largest city and a Democratic stronghold, New York’s election could measure how far left the party’s urban base is willing to go and whether progressives can expand influence nationally.

In California, the battle over redistricting is coming to a head with Proposition 50.

Voters will decide whether to let lawmakers draw new congressional maps, instead of the state’s independent commission. The push for Prop 50 comes as a response to GOP-led redistricting efforts nationwide. California’s election will be influential in the fight for control of the House, determining whether Democrats can flip up to five seats in 2026.

In Pennsylvania, three Democratic justices face retention votes that could alter the ideological balance of the state's highest court. The outcome will affect how election laws, abortion rights, and redistricting cases are decided in this key swing state.

Maine voters will decide on a proposal to tighten voting rules, including cutting two days of early absentee voting, requiring photo ID, banning prepaid mail ballot envelopes, and limiting drop boxes.

Backed by a conservative group and the state GOP, supporters say the proposal is about election security. Democrats, however, argue it will suppress turnout, especially among seniors and working-class voters who rely on mail voting. With Democrats casting more mail ballots than Republicans in 2024, the outcome in Maine could signal how receptive voters remain to Trump-era claims of voter fraud and shape similar efforts in other states.

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