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New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is the new star of the Democrat Party, with 2028 presidential hopeful Gavin Newsom looking like yesterday's man. The Democrats took to social media to celebrate their election night victories after their sweep in the three biggest contested elections across the nation. Mikie Sherrill proved victorious in New Jersey's gubernatorial race and Abigail Spanberger flipped control of the Virginia governorship from the Republicans, making her the state's first female governor. California Governor Gavin Newsom secured a massive win for the party when his state voted overwhelmingly to redraw its electoral districts in favor of new districts designed to help Democrats win five more seats. But despite these monumental wins, the party has seemingly thrown its biggest praises behind self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist Mamdani. The mayor-elect, 34, was featured front and center in the party's 13-second celebratory clip, which it captioned: 'How it's done.' The video montage opened on Mamdani's face, sporting a focused expression, before cutting to a clip of him marching through NYC alongside his supporters with a smile on his face. Sherrill, Spanberger and Newsom - whom the party has framed as a Democrat willing to aggressively confront President Donald Trump - also appeared in the clip, but Mamdani's smiling face dominated. Mamdani, a state lawmaker for New York's Queens borough, is the city's first Muslim mayor and the youngest to serve in more than a century. The Democratic socialist's victory came in the face of fierce attacks on his policies and his Muslim heritage from business elites, conservative media commentators and Trump himself. Mamdani appealed to voters by pledging to tackle the soaring cost of living crisis, offering free city bus travel, childcare and city-run grocery stores. Critics claim he'll drive businesses and wealthy locals out of New York City with planned tax hikes, worsen crime by sending social workers to 911 call outs - and turn buses into homeless shelters on wheels by making them free to ride. Up to 2.2 million residents indicated potential plans to flee if Mamdani won before polling day, with a large section of NYC's sizable Jewish population also spooked by the mayor-elects hardline anti-Israel rhetoric. Zohran focused on living costs facing ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style, social media savvy and a massive canvassing ground game. 'The next and last stop is City Hall,' Mamdani said in a video posted to X after his victory was declared. He'll be sworn in in January. Mamdani was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination over former New York governor Andrew Cuomo. Newsom, eager to raise his national profile, scored a campaign victory Tuesday with Proposition 50 that may help his party in the midterms as he moves toward a White House run. The governor successfully bet he could persuade California voters to throw out independently drawn US House maps in favor of new congressional district boundaries. Republicans have made similar moves in other states in an effort to maintain their grip on power for the remainder of Trump's term. Democrats have too, but they have fewer options. Newsom framed the campaign as a near-existential conflict, arguing that democracy was at risk. The two-month campaign sprint cemented Newsom's status as one of Trump's leading adversaries at a time when even many Democrats described the party as ineffective and weak. 'We stood tall and we stood firm in response to Donald Trump's recklessness,' Newsom said Tuesday. 'After poking the bear, this bear roared.' The election win comes shortly after Newsom last month confirmed for the first time that he is considering running for president in 2028. He told CBS News he'll make a decision after next year's midterms. 'Yeah, I'd be lying otherwise,' Newsom responded when asked if he'd give serious thought to a presidential campaign. Though the next presidential election is three years away, ambitious Democrats are jockeying for an advantage in a crowded primary field that's already taking shape. While Mamdani is seen as the new star of the Democrat party, the chances of him running for president in 2028 appear very slim. But he is already being spoken of by Democrats as a potential future leader. Newsom is nearing his last year in office as California's governor and will likely use that time to continue stoking his national profile by fighting back against Trump. Just over half of California voters said they would not like to see Newsom run for president in 2028, according to the AP Voter Poll, while 45 percent said they would. In New Jersey, Sherrill beat out a Trump-backed businessman and in Virginia Spanberger took back the governor's mansion from the GOP. Both sides wheeled out big guns, with former president Barack Obama rallying support for Spanberger and Sherrill. Trump immediately turned to spin the strong electoral victories by Democrats on Tuesday night far away from himself. 'Trump wasn't on the ballot, and shutdown were the two reasons that Republicans lost elections tonight,' according to Pollsters,' the president posted on social media as he watched the losses for Republicans pile up. And when Mamdani took the stage in Brooklyn to celebrate his historic victory, he made a prominent point to call out Trump by name. 'Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you,' Mamdani noted, before instructing the president to 'turn the volume up' on his speech. Mamdani's direct challenge to the president was a shot down the Acela line, forecasting what he sees as a grueling political battle he is promising not to shrink away from. Mamdani also called out Trump as a former New York City landlord who built his wealth on the backs of the less fortunate. 'The Donald Trumps of our city have grown far too comfortable taking advantage of their tenants,' Mamdani jabbed, before continuing that he 'will put an end to the culture of corruption that has allowed billionaires like Trump to evade taxation and exploit tax breaks.' After Mamdani's win, Trump's Truth social post was short and sweet, with the president ominously writing '…And So It Begins!
