TRANSCRIPT:
When Donald Trump was re-elected just over a year ago, few had ever even heard the name Zohran Mamdani.
Now, the 34-year old Democratic socialist has been elected as mayor of America's largest city - New York.
The city's youngest mayor in over a century, Mr Mamdani will also be the city's first ever Muslim, South Asian and Democratic socialist mayor.
Distancing himself from the political establishment and predecessors marred by corruption, Zohran Mamdani says he will be a mayor for every New Yorker.
"Thank you to those so often forgotten by politics of our city who made this movement their own. I speak of Yemeni bodega owners and Mexican abuelas, Senegalese taxi drivers and Uzbek nurses,Trinidadian line cooks and Ethiopian aunties. Yes, aunties. To every New Yorker in Kensington and Midwood and Hunt's point, know this: This city is your city. And this democracy is yours too."
With a record turnout at the polls, Mr Mamdani's win marks the first time since 1969 that any N-Y-C mayoral candidate has received over one million votes.
He won 50.4 per cent of the vote, while his opponents, Independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa received 41.6 per cent and 7.1 per cent respectively.
In his victory speech, Mr Mamdani didn't hold back on his feelings about the President.
"After all, if anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him. And if there is any way to terrify a despot, it is by dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power. This is not only how we stop Trump, it's how we stop the next one."
Throughout the campaign, Mr Mamdani's campaign became the target of Republican attacks.
He faced Islamophobia, was falsely branded a communist, and faced threats from the Trump administration that federal funding to New York would be cut should he become mayor.
But, many voters said it was his willingness to stand up to Donald Trump that earned him their vote.
"So Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up."
Critics of Mr Mamdani warned that a Democratic socialist as mayor would alienate businesses and investors from coming to the city.
Eric Gander, Chair of the Department of Communications Studies at Baruch College, says those fears are overblown.
"I think that particular fear, again, the idea that a quote unquote 'democratic socialist mayor' is going to make the city inhospitable for Wall Street, I think that is very much overblown. I think that New York is the financial capital of the world. I think it will remain that way. I think that people who want to invest and want to be here will still come. And I think at the end of the day, if Mamdani is smart, he will try to work with that very important constituency in New York, because that is where a lot of the tax base comes from."
His victory came amid a series of Democratic wins throughout the country, in what some say signals a direct challenge to the President's increasingly overarching powers.
Sweeping the first major elections since Donald Trump returned to the White House, a new generation of Democrats won closely watched contests in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York.
Democrat Abigail Spanberger flipped Virginia's governorship with a double-digit win to become the state's first female governor.
"Virginia, now it is our time to lead. Tonight, it's hard not to reflect on the nearly two-year journey that we've taken together on this campaign. And just a few minutes ago, Adam said to our daughters, your mom's gonna be the Governor of Virginia. (cheers) I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia ever before."
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill won 56.3 per cent of the vote in a resounding victory against Republican nominee Jack Ciattarelli.
“I've spoken with thousands of you over this last year. I know your struggles. I know your hopes. I know your dreams. So serving you is worth any tough fight I have to take on. And I am incredibly honoured to be your next governor.”
In California, voters approved a new congressional map which aims to improve the Democratic odds of winning the U-S House of Representatives next year.
Democrats also saw victories in some lower profile elections in Georgia and Pennsylvania, both key swing states.
Professor of Politics at the University of Virginia Larry Sabato says these results send the Republican Party a very strong message.
"You know, you expect a party to win places where they have a plurality or majority of the electorate when the other party's in control of the White House, but not by this margin. So there's a tremendous signal here for Republicans. They won't get it unless Donald Trump gives them permission to get it."
Speaking after the Democratic sweep, Donald Trump says it was not a good night,
"Exactly one year ago, we had that big, beautiful victory. Exactly one year. Thank you. Last night, it was, you know, not expected to be a victory, it was very Democrat areas. But I don't think it was good for Republicans. I don't think it's good. I'm not sure it was for anybody. But we had an interesting evening and we learned a lot."
According to recent polling done by the Economist, just 39 per cent of surveyed voters approve of how Donald Trump is running the country.
Elected on a wave of economic pessimism, Trump's approval rating on issues like inflation, the economy and spending have suffered the greatest.
With the government shutdown now becoming the longest in U-S history, polls also show that most voters blame Republicans for the failure to resolve it.
Donald Trump blames Democrats for the shutdown, but says the impasse has led to their successes.
"We are in the midst of a disastrous, Democrat-created government shutdown. And it is Democrat- created, but I don't think they're getting really the blame that they should. That's now officially the longest shutdown in American history. The Democrat radicals in the Senate have shown zero interest in reopening the government, and I don't think they'll act so soon. A lot of people disagree."
In one year from these elections, voters across the United States will vote in the 2026 midterms.
Midterm elections happen midway through a President's four year term and give voters the chance to elect which party controls the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Professor Sabato says the Republican Party should take these results seriously if they want to retain the power they currently have in Congress.
"Well, for Republicans, if they dare, if they have the courage, if they can find the courage, they need to counteract Donald Trump's more outrageous actions. They have to insist that he think about the people on the ballot next November, because he clearly didn't this November. He can't do everything he wants to do. He can't post everything he wants to post on Truth Social. There have to be some brakes, and if they can't install the brakes, they need to get ready for another disaster next year."
