FILE-Voters cast their ballots on the first day of early voting at the polling place at the Western Government Center on September 19, 2025 in Henrico, Virginia. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
With Election Day less than three weeks away, here are some of the key races to watch out for ahead of November.
New Jersey, Virginia gubernatorial elections
Here’s what you should know about the New Jersey and Virginia governor races.
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New Jersey
Despite being a reliably blue state in the past, polls show that Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli is running competitively against Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill in the race for governor in New Jersey.
Sherrill was a Naval Academy graduate who flew choppers for the Navy. She went on to work as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey. She first ran for office in 2018, during the midterm election in Trump’s first term, winning in a district that the GOP had controlled for years.
RELATED: What is NJ Republican governor candidate Jack Ciattarelli's platform?
A state Assembly member until 2018 when he stepped down to run for governor, Ciattarelli founded medical publishing company Galen Publishing and held local and county positions in Somerset.
Ciattarelli has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.
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New Jersey has seesawed between the parties in races for governor and what’s more, Trump performed better in New Jersey last year than he did in 2016 or 2020.
Virginia
Abigail Spanberger (Democrat) is up against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (Republican), who has embraced Trump but has not been endorsed by him.
Spanberger is a former CIA case officer and served three terms in Congress, ending this year.
RELATED: Virginia Politics
Earle-Sears is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and the current lieutenant governor of Virginia. She is the first Black woman to be elected to statewide office.
The winner in November will make history as Virginia's first female governor in the commonwealth's four-century-long history. Additionally, if Earle-Sears comes out on top, she will become the nation's first Black woman to win an election as governor.
Why It Matters:
Since the New Jersey and Virginia governor’s races are one of the few major statewide contests in 2025, political parties and experts will be watching both as the results can be an early indicator of how voters will respond in the upcoming midterms.
New York City mayoral election
The New York City mayoral election always grabs outsized attention, especially this year as the city may elect its first Muslim and first millennial mayor.
RELATED: 2025 Election Results: NYC mayor, NJ governor, more
Democratic state lawmaker Zohran Mamdani's victory in June's Democratic Party mayoral primary sent political shock waves across the country. Recently, the 33-year-old has come under attack from Republicans and from his rivals on the ballot over his far-left proposals.
Mamdani is the clear frontrunner in the heavily blue city as he faces off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who came in a distant second in the primary and is now running as an independent candidate.
Why It Matters :
Just like the governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey, the results of New York City’s mayoral race will inform both parties, and political experts, on greater voter trends going into 2026.
New York’s diverse population and reputation as the largest metropolitan city in the U.S., sets a fairly good barometer for what other larger cities will consider important issues ahead of the midterm elections.
California Prop 50
California is set to hold a special election for Proposition 50, a proposal to amend the state constitution regarding how congressional district maps are drawn.
Why It Matters :
The national implications of California’s ballot measure are clear in both the money it has attracted and the figures getting involved.
Tens of millions of dollars are flowing into the race — including a $5 million donation to opponents from the Congressional Leadership Fund, the super PAC tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson.
Former action-movie star and Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has spoken out to oppose it, while former President Barack Obama is in favor, calling it a "smart" approach to counter Republican maneuverings aimed at safeguarding House control.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Democrats currently hold a 5-2 majority on Pennsylvania's highest court.
But three Democrat-leaning justices on the state Supreme Court, following the completion of their 10-year terms, are running to keep their seats in "Yes" or "No" retention elections.
The election could upend the court's composition for the next decade, heavily influence whether Democrats or Republicans have an advantage in the state's congressional delegation and legislature, and impact crucial cases including voting rights and reproductive rights.
Why It Matters :
While state Supreme Court elections typically don't grab much national attention, contests where the balance of a court in a key battleground state is up for grabs have attracted tons of outside money.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by The Associated Press, Axios and FOX News. This story was reported from San Jose.