Tuesday night was a far cry from the shell-shocked scenes in Democrats' election headquarters a year ago this November.

In three key races, for Virginia governor, New Jersey governor and New York City mayor , the party's nominees drew in huge numbers of the electorate by attacking President Donald Trump and offering plans to tackle what exit polls showed was voters' top concern: affordability.

The Democratic wins come as Trump and Republicans have seen sinking approval ratings 10 months into his second term.

Here are some of the key takeaways from Tuesday's election -- one year to the 2026 midterms:

Democrats turn the tide

The national spotlight was on Abigail Spanberger in Virginia , Mikie Sherrill, in New Jersey and Zohran Mamdani in New York City as the first true tests f

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