Despite the recent surrender among several democratic senators to end the government shutdown on November 9th, the chattering classes are still abuzz about the political results of November 4. By now, most Americans who are attuned to contemporary politics are astutely aware of the undeniable reality that voters delivered an old-fashioned shellacking to Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Indeed, the results were more impressive than Democrats themselves had likely anticipated. Zohran Mamdani thundered to an impressive victory over the Trump faction and segments of the Democratic-establishment-endorsed Andrew Cuomo to become the first Muslim as well the youngest mayor of New York in quite some time. Additionally, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger won the governors’ races in New Jersey and Virginia by commanding percentages. This marks the first time that Democrats have won three consecutive gubernatorial elections in New Jersey since 1961.

The night only got better. The blue wave continued. Black men, Latino men and women of all groups voted overwhelmingly Democratic. California voters decisively approved new congressional-district boundaries as Democrats seek to halt Republican redistricting efforts ahead of next year’s battle for the House of Representatives. Democrats retained three pivotal seats on the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In Virginia, House Democrats flipped 13 seats for their biggest majority in nearly four decades. Below the Mason–Dixon line in the Deep South, Democrats switched two seats on Georgia’s statewide Public Service Commission by sizable margins, and Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson became the newest members of the state’s five-person public utility regulator after earning roughly 60% of the vote. It’s the first time Democrats have won a nonfederal statewide office there since 2006, soaring energy costs and displeasure with incumbents dominated the race. In ruby-red Mississippi, Democrats switched two seats that had been held by the GOP for decades, another of the many surprising victories for the party up and down the ballot in the handful of races that occurred across the nation.

What was notable was that Mamdani, Spanberger, and Sherrill reigned victorious in three very diverse campaigns. Mamdani defeated an older, flawed opponent in a very blue city. In the Commonwealth of Virginia, Spanberger handily won over an admittedly eccentric, politically problematic Republican candidate in a state that landed in the center of government job cuts. In the Northeast, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill, whose race was supposed to be “close” according to several journalistic sources, emerged the winner by a 15-point margin! To say that November 4, 2025, was a bad night for the Republican Party is an understatement.

Certain right-wing personalities were quick to voice their disdain at fellow conservatives. “We got our a–es handed to us,” said Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in a video on the social platform X, arguing that Republicans need to focus more on affordability and less on identity politics in their messaging. Right-wing provocateur Dinesh D’Souza opined, “A very loud group on the Right said, ‘Indians go home,’ and so many of them did  -  to the Democratic Party.” Conservative commentator and podcaster Tomi Lahren said on X, “I don’t necessarily think these election results are indicative of what’s gonna’ happen next year, but . . . The Republican Party is gonna’ have to learn how to close the gender gap and Republicans are not gonna’ like when I say this but . . . You’re losing with millennial and Gen Z women. I could tell you part of the reason why . . . But you’re not gonna’ like it . . . Stop lecturing women on how they should stay home and be wives and mothers. It’s not your business. Focus on what women VOTERS actually care about, the economy and safety.”

Unsurprisingly, high-profile Republicans such as US House Speaker Mike Johnson and right-wing media outlets like Fox News, Newsmax, and others attempted to minimize sweeping Democratic victories in significant elections held on Tuesday, despite the reality that many of the party’s victories occurred in places that are not traditional Democratic terrain.

Speaking in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday morning, the House speaker dismissed the Democratic wins as entirely predictable. “There’s no surprises. What happened last night was blue states and blue cities voted blue. We all saw that coming. And no one should read too much into last night’s election results. Off-year elections are not indicative of what’s to come; that’s what history teaches us . . . I think people are frustrated and angry as we are. I am. The president is, and we express that in different ways,” Johnson said. “But we’re looking forward to a great election, running on our record, and we’re going to get all of our incumbents reelected, and we’re going to add to the number here.”

Although there is little to no dispute that Johnson is correct that many voters across the political spectrum are highly angry, intensely and deeply resentful at the seemingly callous shenanigans and indifference that appear to have captured, saturated, and paralyzed the government (largely due to the actions of Republicans), this has rendered the legislative body impotent in its ability to assist the millions of Americans who are in desperate need of help. That indisputable reality aside, California is a reliably blue state. Nonetheless, the truth is that Viriginia, New Jersey, and Georgia are not solidly blue states. Indeed, each would be considered a purple state because the vast majority of rural areas in each state are predominantly red. Moreover, Mississippi is about as politically rock-ribbed, ruby-red Republican as they come. Thus, the speaker is likely in a deep case of willful denial on this matter. Notably, President Trump acknowledged the election results, claiming the shutdown was partly to blame for Republicans’ losses.

Another factor that solidified every victory was the Democratic candidates’ ability to turn the issue of affordability into a major source of concern against the current president, dissolving a November 2024 Republican advantage into a 2025 liability. New York Times columnist Shane Goldmacher argued: “Democratic victories in New Jersey and Virginia were built on promises to address the sky-high cost of living in those states while blaming Mr. Trump and his allies for all that ails those places. In New York City, the sudden rise of Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist with an ambitious agenda to lower the cost of living, put a punctuation mark on affordability as a political force in 2025.”

Indeed, the results were in part a referendum on Trump, whose approval rating has never been lower. His authoritarian grandstanding is a show of weakness rather than strength. From ICE raids to frustratingly high grocery prices, tariffs, stubborn inflation, and other anxiety-inducing factors, including the $300m White House ballroom and Trump arrogantly hosting Gilded Age/Great-Gatsbyesque parties, recent developments demonstrate a searing level of tone deafness on his part. To put it bluntly, his presidency is immensely unpopular. Such a resentful climate does not bode well for Republicans in 2026.

Positive political results aside, Democrats would be wise not to overrate November 4. Historically speaking, the party out of power always tends to be more literally politically inspired. And although Democrats have done well in special elections all year, the party still faces considerable challenges. A Washington Post–ABC News–Ipsos opinion poll conducted in late October revealed that 68% of Americans think Democrats are out of touch. This means that there is a serious disconnect between party operatives and the public at large. These are issues that can, must, and will likely be addressed. Regardless, for the time being, Democrats have good reason to delight in a very impressive triumph. Well done.