This year hasn’t seen much in terms of elections, but as we approach next year’s midterms, it’s clear that the campaign for the 2025 election is ramping up. While less intense than the chaotic 2024 race for the Oval Office and Congress, this year’s off-year elections attracted notable attention and will serve as an important indicator for the 2026 midterms.
Here are five significant events that have steered the direction of the campaign.
5. Trump advocates for congressional redistricting
In June, President Donald Trump proposed a mid-decade congressional redistricting effort, which is rare but not entirely unheard of. His aim is to reverse the losses from his first term, particularly in the wake of the Democrats regaining control of the House in the 2018 midterms. The focus is on red states, hoping to preserve the slim Republican majority in the House for the 2026 elections, which are often challenging for the ruling party.
Texas seems to be Trump’s primary target. A month later, he stated, “Texas is going to be the biggest seat. And it’s going to be five,” when discussing potential expansions of Republican House seats.
His initiative has sparked high-stakes conflicts with Democrats, particularly in Texas, where Republican Governor Greg Abbott called for a special session of the state’s legislature to create new district maps. However, Democrats are pushing back, with state lawmakers having previously fled Texas to stall redistricting efforts, igniting support from the national party.
Governor Gavin Newsom from California has been vocal against Trump’s redistricting plans. In a recent ballot initiative, California voters opted to bypass their bipartisan redistricting commission, granting authority back to the Democratic-controlled legislature to draw congressional maps. This move is expected to create additional Democratic districts in an effort to counter Texas’ redistricting.
Similar initiatives in right-leaning states like Missouri, North Carolina, and Ohio have also been observed as part of Trump’s push.
4. Virginia election scandal affects Democrats
While Democrats appeared to be on their way to a solid victory in Virginia, a scandal involving Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones caused a major disruption. Following the release of controversial text messages where he compared a Republican counterpart to mass murderers and made violent comments, Jones found himself in crisis mode.
The fallout from this revelation led to calls for him to withdraw from the race. Republicans seized upon this opportunity to reinvigorate former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger’s campaign against her rival, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earl Sears, who made a point to connect Jones with Spanberger during a heated gubernatorial debate.
Despite the controversy, Spanberger ultimately won her race by a significant margin, coinciding with a broader Democratic wave in Virginia.
3. Democrats see unexpected electoral success
Just a week after Trump was inaugurated for his second term, Democrats found some good news when Mike Zimmer won a special Senate race in Iowa, recovering a seat that had previously been held by Republicans. This victory spurred a series of Democratic successes in both special and regular elections.
Maintaining a strong focus on affordability, which was a problematic issue for them in 2024, Democrats dominated key gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and made substantial gains in various unnoticed contests.
In 2025, Democrats claimed victory or a leading position in 227 out of 255 significant races—nearly 90% of the contests.
2. Issues facing the Democratic Party
In Tennessee’s special legislative elections, Democrats did well in previously Republican-held seats, though internal disagreements arose regarding the left-leaning stance of candidates. This reflects ongoing tensions within party dynamics as moderate Democrats debate the party’s direction.
1. Zoran Mamdani wins New York mayoral primary
Zoran Mamdani’s triumph in New York City’s Democratic mayoral primary was a significant upheaval. His victory over a powerful candidate and subsequent win in the general election energized the progressive base, but also allowed Republicans to draw connections between him and extreme policies.
President Trump, despite having labeled Mamdani as a “communist,” surprisingly welcomed him to discuss matters in the Oval Office recently, which has added a layer of complexity to the narrative.
