First Exit Poll Results In Races Test Trump’s Pull

23:56You know, we're hearing so many things, you know, and while we're sitting here struggling and worried, they're building a ballroom. Right. Right. Well, so there you have it, Jake. That's part of the concern of at least one voter, David, here. Why he came out to vote for Mikey Sherrill in this New Jersey governor's race, Jake. All right. Interesting stuff. Vox Populi. Let's go to CNN's David Chalian, who has some exit polls. David. Yeah, Jake, we're going to take a look at some New York City residents and voters today and what's on their minds. Take a look here. How long have you lived in New York City?

24:26This is kind of the makeup of the electorate in New York City. Less than five years, 6 percent, five to 10 years, 8 percent. The bulk here of voters in New York City, look at that, 48 percent born in New York City. Do you own or rent the place you live in? 57 % of voters in New York City are renters. That speaks directly to Zora Mamdani's e-promise to freeze the rent for a portion of them. 39 % say they own their home in New York City. Do you consider yourself a Democratic socialist like the Democratic nominee? 26 % say yes. 69 % say no. And is this the first time you have voted for mayor in New York City?

25:0817 % of voters in this election, according to these preliminary exit poll results, say they are first-time voters, Jake. And I will say, usually, first-time voters, a big chunk of them, are younger voters because they're new to the electorate. Four years ago in the mayor's race, it was only 9 % of young voters in the electorate. It'll be curious to see if this is a big youth surge with all this first-time voting in the New York City mayor's race. All right, interesting stuff. I'm here now with John King at the Magic Wall. John, what are you going to be looking for when the results come in in New York?

25:38So let's start with where David just was going through some of the demographics of New York. Are you a new voter a lot? One of my big questions tonight is Donald Trump had a lot of wows when he won re-election in 2024, even in places where he lost, like New York, Virginia and New Jersey. One of the wows was Donald Trump's growing support among men of color. In New York, five very distinct boroughs. Yes, it's a blue city, but five very distinct boroughs. The Bronx is majority Latino. That's where Donald Trump made huge gains. and I was just there, and you feel it and you see it. A lot of them, Donald Trump voters, think they're gonna vote for Cuomo in this race.

26:07Why do I say this? So look, this is the Bronx. Let's go back to the 2024 presidential election. You say, oh, why are you worried about this? Harris won 72 to 27. That's a blowout. Yeah, that's 2024. But go back just four years. Donald Trump only got 16%. He rose 11 points in four years in the Bronx County. Why? Men of color, particularly Latinos there. So do they stay as Republicans or were they just Trump voters? Was it just because of the cost of living issues in 2024 or have they moved over to Donald Trump and will they vote for other Republicans? This is a mayor's race there, but it's a theme that we'll watch elsewhere as we come through.

26:41Let's come back to 2025 and come back to these governor's races because, you know, Danny Freeman is in Passaic County, right? Passaic County is plurality Latino, right? This is we're waiting for votes tonight. So it's blank. But you go back to the 2024 election. Donald Trump won this county now just barely. But what happened? Men of color moving toward Donald Trump, particularly Latino men. Look at 2024. Go back just four years. This is the same county, the same people. Joe Biden won it by 16 points. So there was a huge movement, even in states Donald Trump lost, like New Jersey, but by a closer margin, like New York, by a closer margin, and like Virginia.

27:17So we're going to watch this throughout. It's in New York. It's in Virginia. It's just one of the questions. is that those voters that Donald Trump brought to him in 2024, was that just for one election? Was it just for Donald Trump? Or are they Republicans? Well, we'll get some answers tonight. Yeah, and those trends beyond tonight, beyond the mayor's race, could hold nationally. Voters are still casting their ballots in key races across the country, including in New York City. So what will President Trump be watching tonight? Well, we're going to go live to the White House next.

27:50podcast. Nelson Dallas is a six-time U.S. memory champion who not only trained his brain to work better, but he also wrote about it for his new book called Everyday Genius. You know, the message is, is that everybody, no matter where you are in life, what you think your memory currently is capable of, we all can transform our brain. The mind and memory is just like any other skill that you can learn, and it's not a fixed thing. Listen to Chasing Life, streaming now, wherever you get your podcasts.

28:50Sunday at 10 on HGTV. And we're back with a live look at voters in New York City as Americans coast to coast cast their ballots in key races. It's a big night for Democrats and Republicans, but it also is a big night for President Donald Trump as the results tonight will stand as his biggest electoral test of his second term so far. CNN's Caitlin Collins is at the White House for us. And Caitlin, what is President Trump going to be looking for tonight? Well, Jake, the White House is not casting it as a test of President Trump's first nine months in office and what voters think of that. Instead, they're more in wait and see mode to see what the results are tonight and whether or not they want to tie it anywhere near the president and what he's done in office so far and what voters think of what the president has done so far.

29:33Of course, this is the first time, the first major election since Donald Trump has been back in the Oval Office, though, so we will be looking for any of those clues tonight. And the president has been weighing in on these races. He did two teller rallies last night, one for Virginia, one in New Jersey. He He was just posting a few moments ago, telling people in New Jersey to get out and vote for the Republican candidate in that governor's race, Jack Cittarelli. But overall, Jake, it's been a relatively muted response from the president when it comes to these races. We've seen in the past where he's gotten quite involved before, and we have not seen that yet with tonight's races.

30:06And really, Jake, that has to do with the president's political aides and advisers behind the scenes. They've been looking at their own data. They're not expecting any major Republican victories tonight. tonight, maybe New Jersey being the one that they are the most hopeful about. So they are kind of sitting back and waiting and watching, and Jake, before they go anywhere near tying the president to these results or saying that it serves as a referendum on his first several months in office. I will say, Jake, obviously the one race of the president, with that exception, has been the most closely paying attention to is the New York City mayor's race.

30:37He has been weighing in on it constantly, including with that late endorsement of Andrew Cuomo yesterday. And I've been told that privately, when it comes to the mayor's race in New York City and the governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey. Far and away, the president has been talking way more about the Zoran Mamdani race with Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa than any of the others. All right, Caitlin Collins, thanks so much. I'm back with my panel. We also have with us Republican Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio. He's the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Thanks for being here tonight, sir.

31:04Let's talk about the government shutdown, because as of tomorrow, it will be the longest in American history. The House has not been in session for six weeks. Well, we've done our work. Well, shouldn't you all, well, you passed the clean government resolution, clean funding resolution, but obviously there are negotiations to be had. I would argue not just we've done our work and we passed it. We passed what they all agreed to, what the Democrats all agreed to six months ago. So that to me is like, that's why the speaker said we've passed it now 14 times. They've tried to pass it in the Senate.

31:37and unfortunately they're not listening to John Fetterman. Senator Fetterman said, we should pass this. We should move on. This is ridiculous. So, but I've also been back in town the last three weeks. Well, last four weeks. I come in every week and do work that I think is important for the folks in the fourth district, important for the country, namely some of the oversight duties we have as members of Congress. But obviously though, there are disagreements that Democrats want some changes to healthcare policy in terms of extending the Obamacare subsidies, et cetera, isn't part of the job, not necessarily just you, but all members of Congress to be negotiating and figuring out a path out of this?

32:12Everyone's been clear on our side. Look, open the government. We'll be happy to talk about that. I think it's kind of strange that they brought it up. They won't vote for what they voted for before. And they bring this up and say, oh, we want to - It's not exactly the same thing as it was before. It's a continued resolution, which means you continue the exact funding level you were at, that they all voted for. That's why they called it a continuing resolution. But you made major changes to health care policy in the intervening times with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That's what Democrats are objective.

32:41They set down the government because they're concerned about a policy that doesn't kick in until the end of the year. We're saying keep the government open. Don't jeopardize our pay for our folks in uniform. We serve our country and defend our country. Don't jeopardize the pay of air traffic controllers and hurt Americans who are getting close to the travel season. Don't jeopardize payments to people in the SNAP program. all that we say, like, just get the government open and we'll talk about it. But again, they picked an issue where Obamacare, where they extended the subsidy, they set the deadline for this.

33:09They're the ones who extended this subsidy. Now they want to do it again for Obamacare, which is something everything they told us about turned out not to be true. Like your plan, keep your plan, like your doctor, keep your doctor. Premiums will go down. President Obama said premiums will go down on average$1 ,500 per family. Wow, I feel like it's like 10 years ago. 15 years ago. I feel like I'm in a time warp. That's what they're trying to do. It is a time because none of that's changed, facts are facts. Except they were the ones shutting down the government then. Well, I just mean about the minister doctor.

33:33Yeah, exactly. Can we talk about the elections? Sure. It is an election day. It is an election day. And I have not talked to one Republican who has been bullish about how Republicans are going to fare from coast to coast, from California to New Jersey, maybe the attorney general race in Virginia. As somebody who has a gavel, What are you looking at when you think about 26? I do feel good about the attorney general's race here in Virginia. I think Jack Cittarelli's run a good campaign. We'll see what happens in New Jersey. I think he's got a real chance. But the context is three blue states and a real blue city.

34:10And you're all saying, oh, this will be a mandate against the Republicans and president. Are you kidding me? Like Kamala Harris won. My guess is she won all four jurisdictions. I bet she won New York City. I know she won New Jersey. I know she won Virginia. I know she won California. So three blue states and one really blue city. Yeah, that's somehow somehow it's going to be a Republicans have a bad night if we don't win. Purplish. But I take your point, though. There are pockets within each state, particularly in New Jersey, where Donald Trump did so much better in 24 than he did in 2020. So are you looking at that as particularly with demographics, younger people, Latinos, to see how that could fare when he's not on the ballot and you are?

34:53I think there's likely to be one big takeaway from today's election, from tonight's election and the results. And that's the mayor of New York. I mean, I do like it's a socialist. They're going to elect a socialist. I mean, I was telling someone earlier today, I remember like 30 some years ago, I was I competed in what was then the Soviet Union. Tell people you go to places like that. You thank the good Lord you live here. And I remember walking into store. First, I remember Moscow. We were there in February. Moscow in February. Not a political competition. I understand. But it's like. No, I just want you to clarify.

35:23when you say competed. What's that? You said you competed in the Soviet Union. You were for athletics. Oh, no, no. We're running for office. Exactly. I just want to make sure that our audience understands what you mean. I don't think they... I was wrestling there. But you walk into a store, there's nothing on the shelf. And he's... That's what Mondani is promising. We're going to have government-run stores in New York City. I don't think... That's their guy. That's the guy that the party is now embracing. But Kuro is your guy. Well, that's how... Should the president have endorsed Cuomo? That's how crazy the world's become.

35:56That this guy is so bad that we're now for the former governor in New York who shut down the whole state during COVID. And we criticize. I mean, that's how ridiculous it is because so far left, the Democrat Party. Didn't House Republicans refer Cuomo to the U.S. attorney's office here in D.C.? I can't remember, but I remember he came in and we asked him some questions in a hearing. I was on that committee. Yeah, you're on the COVID committee. You referred Cuomo to the U.S. attorney's office. I think it came from Mr. from Chairman Comer, if I remember right. Well, a slightly different tone I'm saying today.

36:26Anyway, thank you so much, Chairman. Appreciate it. We're monitoring voters across the country in our key races. Virginia, New York, California, New Jersey. We're a little more than an hour away from our very first poll closing of the night. That's in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Stick with us. We'll be right back.

36:42The Santa Ana winds are blowing at the polling location we're showing you right now in California, a traditionally red area in a blue state. Democrats are hoping to pass newly drawn congressional maps that would give Democrats an additional five seats in the 2026 midterm election. CNN's anchor Alex Michelson is with us tonight at California Democrats campaign headquarters in the state capital of Sacramento. Alex, what are you hearing from Governor Newsom this evening? Well, the Newsom team is feeling confident. He's expected to speak here behind me at some point later on tonight. But there's a lot of spinning going on as that voting is underway.

37:26President Trump posting on True Social today that the California vote is a scam and that it's rigged. He didn't really post a lot of evidence of how exactly it was rigged. Governor Newsom just posting himself on social media saying that President Trump is trying to suppress the vote. He is pointing to the fact that there were border patrol and ICE agents reportedly showing up to stage outside Dodger Stadium today. He says that's an example of an intimidation tactic. We don't have any evidence of those officers actually interacting with voters. Again, we don't have any evidence of any widespread fraud in California.

38:05Clearly, we do have evidence of a lot of spinning going on. And from the beginning, Jake, this campaign, President Trump and Newsom have been going at it. Newsom has tried to make this a referendum on Trump. If he's able to do that in deep blue California, he probably wins. All right, Alex, thanks so much. I want to hand things over now to CNN's Erin Burnett in New York, New York. All right. So here we are. Anybody who's been watching knows that you wanted to get in as we were ending. So you're getting to start here on this panel. Yeah, but I have short term memory loss. I forgot what I was so angry about.

38:37And we're moving on to California. But as Alex is saying, right, this whole ballot initiative, you know, and then there's been the fight between Schwarzenegger and Newsom on whether to do it. And then it seems to be metastasizing across the country. What do you think happens in California? Oh, I think Governor Newsom comes out today as a big winner, gets the map. He's going to get five districts for the Democrats. And this is a big win for him. And it's a big win for the Democrats in that effort as we go through the stupidity of redistricting mid-cycle and across. I want to say one thing for the Democrats, although there's a big win for Governor Newsom, no doubt.

39:12This is a losing game. When you look at what they're doing in Texas, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, we don't have a capacity to do this. Democrats should come out across the board, get rid of the primaries and go to rank voting across the board. It would open up a massive amount of districts that would become competitive. And members of Congress. I know why you're saying no. Members of Congress would have to compete for more voters than primary voters. This is a losing structure for the Democrats. Now, I'm for what Governor Newsom just did, and I'm for what we're going to do in Illinois, but it's not a winning game long term.

39:47Yeah, this is the first time I heard ranked choice voting dragged in here. I mean, NAACP leaders all over the country hate it because it disenfranchises people. You want actual disenfranchisement. That second ballot wipes thousands of people out of elections, And it's phenomenally confusing. It's easy enough for people who game in politics all day long in their whole lives. That doesn't work for regular Americans. And it's a disaster. This whole dynamic is a is a downward spiral. OK, New York did mutually assured destruction. That's exactly what's happening. By the way, over over three decades ago, there were over 100 competitive seats.

40:26Last November, 35 seats were decided by five points or less. You do mid-decade redistricting all over the country, it's going to be even less than that. Let me just make one point. New York did mid-decade redistricting last year. They picked up four seats in New York. So this whole notion that it just started with Texas, this has been happening for decades. Eric Holder, the former attorney general under Barack Obama, went and headed up the National Democratic Redistricting Committee because he was intent on gerrymandering the maps all across the country. I'm sure you look at your home state of Illinois, three Republicans, despite the fact that Republicans get 40 plus percent of the vote in the state.

41:05It's absurd. We're getting rid of. We need. Yeah, I know you are. We need independent redistricting. I've been against gerrymandering no matter who does it, because it's a disaster for the country. That I'm 100 percent for. Go to a court or a commission like system that California had. We did it in New York. But you have to would end up here. I'm for Governor Newsom's going to be a winner. We had to do it based on Texas, but this is not good for the country. It's not good for the party. But saying you're going to, OK, New York and Texas is just going to stop there is not how it goes. Also, let's talk about the politics of what's happening in California, what it means for 26 and 28.

41:38Gavin Newsom, to his great credit, showed tremendous aggressive leadership is what Democrats wanted. I mean, this is this is the big story. Remember how many, many Democrats were concerned about Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries seeming to accommodate Trump at the beginning of the Trump administration. Right. Sending strongly worded letters. Yes. What Newsom did, and it surprised me, honestly, because you'll remember he was doing his podcast and one thing or another looked like maybe he was trying to test that kind of accommodationist approach as well. Instead, he ended up being the most aggressive, the most aggressive, forceful Democratic leader out there.

42:12And what I think it's doing is giving heart to Democrats, especially after the wins tonight, that were on the offensive again. Unfortunately, it's been tough. Let's be blunt. The first months of the Trump administration, Democrats were really back on their heels trying to figure their way in the wilderness. After tonight, I think we see something very different and knew some benefits from the fact that he took this uncompromising line and sort of said, damn the torpedoes. And I think a lot of other Democrats are going to follow. He started doing all caps. He started. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

42:41I mean, post through it. I get it. I think it's also redistricting is the kind of issue as a reporter. You try and tell people about it and their eyes glaze over. And yet somehow they were able to make this into the conversation about democracy that the Biden administration struggled to convey towards the end and create some kind of stakes. Now, obviously, in California, you have a they're pretty primed to feel picked on by Trump and to feel like they're going to make a statement here. But I think the question is they've now created a dynamic where if you talk about these things to the average person, they somehow get a picture in their mind about what that means.

43:15and they start talking about if it's fair or not fair because they can't talk about it the way you guys do, right? Like, they just don't have the facility with it. So I think that's the message from this is, like, there is a way to talk about these issues. I'm going to, although he's a friend. It's going to happen again, so you've got to go fast. I'm disagreeing with Bill on this point. Fighting, finding Donald Trump has X amount of energy. By 2027, it's going to be fighting for America, not just Donald Trump. All right. And CNN's election night 2025 continues right now.

43:49Right now, voters coast to coast are racing to cast their ballots on the first big election night of Donald Trump's second term. Welcome to CNN's Election Night 2025. I'm Jake Tapper here in Washington, D.C., our nation's capital. We're less than an hour away from our first poll closing of the night in the Commonwealth of Virginia, which will make history, no matter who wins, by electing its first woman governor tonight. Former Democratic Congresswoman and CIA case officer Abigail Spanberger is pitted against former Marine and the Commonwealth's sitting Lieutenant Governor, Republican Winsome Earl Sears.

44:22It's a race that is centered on affordability and culture war issues. The other pivotal governor's race tonight is in the Garden State of New Jersey, where Democratic Congresswoman and former Navy helicopter pilot Mikey Sherrill is squaring off against former Republican State Assemblyman Jack Cittarelli. Donald Trump might not be on the ballot in New Jersey, but he has been central to the fight for the New Jersey governor's mansion and a potentially historic night is coming in New York City this evening as Democratic Socialist Zoran Mamdani is looking to become the city's youngest mayor in a century as well as its first Muslim mayor.

44:58He's aiming to defeat former New York Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo who's running as an independent after losing in the Democratic primary and also long shot Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani has galvanized a new base of Democratic voters with a progressive and populist campaign focused on lowering everyday costs. Plus, it's a huge night for Democrats and California Governor Gavin Newsom out west, as Californians will be making their final decision on whether to accept a newly drawn congressional district map, which could help Democrats win an additional five U.S. House seats in next year's midterm elections.

45:35We're also watching half a dozen other mayoral races unfolding across the country as city leaders find themselves more and more in the national spotlight. We have reporters spread out at campaign headquarters and key voting locations across the country ready to report on the winners and the losers as the actual voting results come in this evening. Let's go now to CNN's Jason Carroll, who's at a voting location in New York City. And Jason, you're on the Upper West Side of Manhattan talking to voters. very very uh busy polling location on the upper west side jake it's been busy out here all day we've been speaking to voters here throughout the day this race this mayoral race has really come down to a contrast between the candidate who represents experience to some of the voters versus the candidate who is representing progressive ideas to some of the voters i want to bring in valerie kennedy now we were speaking a little bit earlier you were sort of maybe on the fence about who you're going to vote for, and then it was your son, you said, who convinced you to vote for Mamdani.

46:38He showed me his social postings, and I was very impressed. You were impressed with Mamdani's social media. Yes, I thought it was very clever. And I felt the time had come for young people to be, you know, running the place and was really had a lot of faith in him. And what were your thoughts about Cuomo initially going into the race? I really liked Cuomo so much during COVID. I thought he was amazing. And gave me such confidence, thought, those poor states who don't have Cuomo. But then I got very deluged, you know, at the end. And I felt he was sort of, he didn't want this job as much as a man in the army.

47:37And then another thing, when I found out that he went to Bang Street School for Children, where I went, my alma mater. That did it for you? It did it, yes. All right. Thank you very much, Valerie. We really appreciate it. Jake, now, thank you very much, Valerie. Now, what is interesting also, Jake, is so many people who we spoke to actually wanted to talk about the race. But they say the race has become so divisive here in New York City. And there's been so much rhetoric back and forth. Many people said they simply didn't want to go on camera because they were afraid. Once they publicly said who they wanted to vote for, they might lose a friend or get in a fight with a family member over it.

48:15Gives you an idea of just how much interest and just how divisive this race has become. Jake. All right, Jason Carroll in the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Thanks so much. Let's go now to New Jersey. CNN's John Berman is at the Sherrill campaign headquarters in East Brunswick. John, it looks like it's starting to fill up the room. Yeah, the people are just coming in. The doors will open shortly. The polls close in New Jersey at 8 p.m., Jake. And the Mikey Sherrill campaign is very happy right now with how things look for them, they say. I'll give you one city, Jersey City, the second most populous city in the state, has already surpassed the voter turnout from 2021.

48:58That was a race that Phil Murphy won, but by just three points. By about four o 'clock this afternoon, more people had already turned out to vote in that heavily Democratic city than in all of 2021. In New Jersey, you could actually track voter turnout by party registration over the course of the day. And the Sherrill campaign says they feel they're actually running substantially better than former Vice President Kamala Harris did in the presidential election in 2024. Again, she won New Jersey, but by about six points. So the Sherrill campaign feels pretty good about where they are right now. their message, they say, tracks with what David Chalian has been talking about in our exit polls.

49:40Mikey Sherrill has been leaning in to tying Donald Trump to concerns about the economy. It's not just, they say, an anti-Trump message. It's that President Trump has not delivered on the promises he made for the economy and on affordability. So if you listen to any one of Mikey Sherrill's events, she repeats that again and again and again. And they think that is paying dividends. So when you see the numbers in the exit polls, the likes of which David Chalian is showing, it validates what they say. One more point, Bergen County, hometown of Dana Bash, the Mikey Sherrill campaign says that they are winning the election vote there.

50:16At least Democrats are overperforming there based on what they have in the last few campaigns, Jake. All right, Berman. You know, my best friend from high school is from East Brunswick, and I know a great diner with amazing cheese fries. I will hook you up after the election is over. Let's go to CNN's David Chalian. He has new exit poll results, which will give us to give us some insight into what's going on in the New York City mayor's race. I also know that diamond, Jake, and I love it. Yes, in New York City, we are three issues that animated a ton of conversation in this race, especially in those two big mayoral debates that we saw.

50:47First, the importance of the candidates' positions on Israel. Look at this. 38%, the plurality of New York City voters, call the candidates' position on Israel a major factor. 30 % a minor factor, 29 % not a factor at all. Of course, that cuts both ways since there was a real contrast in positions on Israel. How about crime? That was a major issue discussed in this race. 33 % of New York City voters say it's a major problem, but the majority call it a minor problem. 51 % say so. Only 13 % of New York City voters say crime is not a problem at all. housing costs where you live. Look at that number.

51:3072%, nearly three quarters of New York City voters today say that is a major problem. Housing costs. This was critical to Mamdani's message. Only 14 % call it a minor problem. 12%, not a problem at all. Jake. All right. Interesting stuff, David Chalian. And there we go again with another exit poll sign that things could really, well, no matter what happens, the idea that Mamdani is talking about affordability and he's talking about rent. This is what is top of mind of New York voters. It's remarkable and yet totally unremarkable at the same time, because this is why Donald Trump is president. And now it's the albatross around his neck because it hasn't gotten better.

52:14And for some people, it has gotten worse. And that is something that privately Republicans recognize, that Republican candidates in these four places, maybe even five if you count the attorney general in Virginia, are dealing with. And, you know, there's a little bit of worry that when President Trump talked to Nora O'Donnell on 60 Minutes, that it was a there's nothing to see here message on the economy. He denied prices were up when they are. And he told Nora that she was wrong and she wasn't. She was right. It's actually reminded me a bit, Casey, of the previous president when it came to high prices.

52:55Yeah, the thing about denying that prices are high when people that you need to vote for you or support the party that you're a part of, everyone has to buy groceries every week. Right. It's not you can't pretend. And look, this affordability issue, right, when you put those numbers up about how many people think housing is unaffordable in New York. I mean, have you looked at rent in New York lately? Have you looked at housing prices across the country post-COVID? I mean, have you talked to young people about how they feel about their own prospects for doing the things that their parents did relatively easily?

53:32I mean, their parents were able to buy houses. They felt like they could afford to take care of one, two, three or more kids. People, I'm a millennial. I'm not as young as I used to be sitting on a set like this. But let me just tell you that most people do not think that any basic normal life is easy to figure out anymore. It is so incredibly difficult. And frankly, the gerontocracy in Washington just doesn't get it. And I don't think it's particularly new to this election, right? This is, I think, since COVID and since we, like, which disrupted society so much and have come out of that, the record high inflation that we saw in the Biden administration.

54:13This has now been a period of years of real concern about cost and affordability. I know it's been a central theme in the campaigns this year, perhaps in a way that it wasn't before, but I don't think it's new for the American people. So, you know, it's interesting that so four years ago, Glenn Youngkin, the governor, the current governor who was elected four years ago, was he won on in a large part talking about education. And he was criticized, I remember, by Democrats who were like, well, he wasn't talking about that at the beginning of his campaign. And it's true. He wasn't. And then he campaigned and he heard people were talking about it.

54:47Imagine that. He changed. So he changed. He changed what he was talking about. And the same. So Mamdani started out. He came out with that viral video like last December and it was about affordability. So I'm not saying that that that it's the same exact thing. But the idea of, well, this is what people care about. Therefore, I'm going to talk about it. Seems like a pretty basic one. But I have to turn to some breaking news right now. Sources tell CNN that a UPS plane crashed near the Louisville, Kentucky airport this evening. There is a massive boom of black smoke and fire rising not far from the tarmac.

55:18This information is just coming in. Let's turn now to CNN's Pete Muntean, who's in the newsroom. Pete, what do we know right now? Well, the images are sad and they're sobering, Jake. We've just confirmed from the Federal Aviation Administration that UPS Flight 2976 crashed shortly after takeoff from the Louisville Airport, the Muhammad Ali International Airport. That is the main hub for UPS. It's known as Worldport. This plane, an MD-11F, that's a trijet, a wide-body airliner, three engines, not a small airplane. When they were in passenger service, though no airlines use them anymore, they could hold anywhere between 270 and up to 400 people.

55:57You can see the images that show exactly why the fire department in the area has put in place a shelter in place order near the Louisville airport. Initial reports said the shelter in place was for a five mile radius. Investigators really now have their work cut out for them because it does not seem like the images show any apparent parts of airplane. It seems like the National Transportation Safety Board will launch to this investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration also investigating. This flight was bound for Honolulu. This is a large cargo airplane, not a small aircraft. As we are just getting in new details, this is developing all the time.

56:37It has been a tough year for aviation. Not only are there, there are the incidents right now with air traffic controller staffing shortages around the country. There was the midair collision over the Potomac River back in January. And now this. Friends I've been talking to, sources say this is so hard to see. And the image is popping up online. So a very sobering struggle for this plane to get into the air right on takeoff from Louisville, Muhammad Ali International Airport. Very, very sad story developing right now. Very sad indeed. Pete Muntean, thanks so much. We're going to keep following the story.

57:10We're going to squeeze in a quick break. We'll be much we'll bring back a go pump. We'll come back with much more in our election night 2025.

57:19Live look at a polling station in Alley, Virginia, that is home to some of the most closely watched races of the night. Virginia voting for the next governor and attorney general, both of those crucial as we're approaching closing polls. Doesn't look as if there are lines there, so we'll see what happens. But in New York, there have been lines and hours long lines for some of the early voting. Here we are, though in the final hours. Omar Jimenez is at a voting site in Queens, New York. That, of course, is where Mamdani lives and represents that borough as an assembly member right now. So, Omar, long lines, obviously, for days in New York.

57:53What are you seeing now? And I know you're there with a voter right now. Yeah, we have seen a lot of extremely high turnout, even leading up to Election Day itself. And we're continuing to track that enthusiasm over the course of today. And some of it we've seen in voter conversations. I've got one here. Alec, you've lived here in Queens for a while now. You just voted here a little bit earlier. Can you tell me who you voted for and why? Yeah. So I ended up voting for Mom Donnie. The reason why is, you know, I've never I've always been a Democrat my whole life. But I've been kind of frustrated with the direction that some of the more mainstream or establishment Democrats have taken.

58:32I feel like they struggle to really articulate a vision for the society that they'd like to see. But that's not the case with Zoran. I feel like with him, he has a clear vision for the kind of New York that he wants, he imagines. And that's the one that I believe in, too, one that's more equitable, one where, you know, yeah, the rich just don't dominate everything in the city like I feel like they're so used to doing. You've lived here a while now. What do you think is the biggest issue that New Yorkers are facing? Definitely affordability. I mean, that's where Mamdani really just nailed that one.

59:05Just everything in the city is so outrageously expensive that the city's really been in a state of decline for a while. And I like that. I think Mamdani is going to bring us back to being the greatest city in the world. Yeah. All right, Alec, appreciate the time. This is just some of what we've heard from many of the Mamdani supporters, but we've heard a wide range of opinions over the many voters we've spoken to here in Queens, Aaron. We'll see if that translates to results. All right, Omar, thank you very much. Mayor de Blasio, it's interesting what that voter there was saying, right? That they knew what Mamdani stood for.

59:38And we see that. We were all just talking about it when we were off camera, right? The people who were voting for Mamdani, 90 % of them wanted to vote for Mamdani. They were voting for that reason. And understood him as not a Democrat. He made that distinction. And made that distinction. Cuomo, only half of the people voting for him actually were voting for him. Others were maybe voting against Mamdani. But what does that say? You have to articulate a plan. And Mamdani has successfully done that to the people who are voting for him. Affordability, right? Right there you hear it. Affordability, affordability.

1:00:06You know, the voters said something really powerful, I thought, about a vision of where we are going. This is so amazing how rare it is in politics, in elections, to actually have a candidate vividly give you a sense of where we need to go as a society, as a city, as a country. And Mamdani talked, I think in very moral terms, about how the unaffordability was unacceptable, that people literally were struggling to make ends meet all the time, including, again, folks who used to think they were middle class. And that's not the society we signed up for. We need something different. And it's within our reach.

1:00:43When he talks about things like fast free buses, when he talks about things like universal child care, Those are the kind of aspirations that help people see a society they could live more comfortably in. And also acknowledging the pain that they're going through, I think, is a big thing. And then context matters. You know, if you have almost two dozen billionaires put in money into the race against Mamdani, that also sends a message to the voter. It's whose side are you on? And I think for a generation that will use terms like late stage capitalism, they're very much going to. You've heard it.

1:01:18They're very much going to say, well, wait a second. Whose side are you on? And I think one of the things we're underestimating is what does it mean to say you're on someone's side? Even though Spanberger and Mamdani are totally different people, they both talk about affordability. They both talk about being on the side of their constituents in a way that is far more identifiable in some ways. We'll know by the end of the night. The telling lesson between now and 2024. Democrats were all about identity, politics and cultural issues. Today it's about opportunity. Affordability is another word for opportunity.

1:01:52Whether it's pre-K that both of us as mayors worked on and making it universal or daycare or access to free community college if you're on a B average. This is about opportunity and making what used to be you achieved a middle class status. Today is a struggle to maintain. And people do not want an economics or politics where it's a struggle just to stand in place. If you if you look at it at the end of the day, it goes back to what your old friend James Carville said. It's the economy, stupid. If people don't feel like they can afford where they live, they're not going to be happy. and they're not going to be in a position to provide for their families.

1:02:31Donald Trump spoke about that in 2024. Zoran Mandani spoke about it in 2025. It's a big part of the reason why he won the Democratic primary. But I think there's a bigger issue here, okay? Look at New York City. You were mayor for eight years. Eric Adams for four. Democrats have controlled New York City for decades. They controlled the city council a long time. Yet rents continue to skyrocket. Utility costs continue to skyrocket. Taxes keep going up. Spending is out of control. Tens of billions of dollars since you took over as mayor and through Eric Adams. New York State has increased state spending by$100 billion.

1:03:11So, yeah, there's an affordability crisis in New York, but it is primarily driven by the policies that have been enacted. You look at the energy policies in New York. We've shut down natural gas, shut down Indian Point. Utility rates have skyrocketed. The grid has gotten dirtier. You say, though, is last night Zoran Mondani was here and he said that he and Trump have both identified a similar the same problem affordability. OK, that he put it on that they have identified. It's the solutions that are different. But he's the first Democrat that I've heard, Ken, that's come out and said it that way.

1:03:44That he that the two agree on the problem specifically and explicitly and are going to talk about a different solution. I would agree that probably in the last five years, he has done a better job than any other Democrat in the country of prioritizing that approach to his campaign. And I'm reminded 25 years ago of Jim Gilmore running. You ask him any question in the world, and his answer was, I'm going to get rid of the car tax. It was message discipline combined with focusing on the priority of ordinary voters. Now, I don't agree with Mamdani Solutions, and it is that I don't think they'll work.

1:04:23I wish it was as simple as he'd like to think. But nonetheless, his focus on optimistic outcomes that create opportunity and focus on what people are concerned about. We were talking about paycheck to paycheck off camera, and that is a focus. I don't care what party you're in, Republican, Libertarian, Vegetarian, whatever. That is now and over. By the way, I'm going to hit pause on this for one second. We're going to keep them off the ballot. One second. But we've got to come back to this later because you said something really important. You used the word optimism. That's right. Which so few people feel.

1:04:55And that is important. We'll come back to that. But we do have live voting right now. Look at a center in Santa Ana, California. Democrats are hoping to pull off a big win. There's a redistricting issue going on, Prop 90 in California. And you can see the lines there. When we come back, Senator Bernie Sanders will join to discuss.

1:05:16It's election night in America, and we're back with a live look at Aldi, Virginia, as the final voters cast their ballots as polls prepare to close in less than 30 minutes in Virginia. Here to discuss Democrats' hope for a big night tonight, I want to bring in independent Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Senator Sanders, always a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much. If Democrats sweep the big races tonight, Democratic Socialists are on Mamdani in New York, more moderate Democrats, Abigail Spanberger and Mikey Sherrill in Virginia, New Jersey, and then also, obviously, the redistricting measure in California.

1:05:49What is the message for Democrats there? Is it all good? Is there a mixed message because Mamdani and Spanberger Sherrill are kind of different? Very different. But I think the The common message, if all of that happens, if Democrats do well, is that there is a lot of dissatisfaction with Trump's policies. A trillion dollars in tax breaks for the 1 % at the same time. You cut Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act by a trillion dollars. You throw 15 million people off the health care they have. You double premiums for 20 million people in the Affordable Care Act. those are not policies that the American people are supportive of.

1:06:32And I think tonight's election votes may reflect that. But obviously, the Mikey Sheryls and Abigail Spambergers of the world would probably look at the health care challenges facing the United States differently than Zoran Mamdani. In terms of policy direction, what do you think it would suggest? Well, look, I have not been involved in the races in New Jersey or Virginia. I have been heavily involved in the race for Mamdani in New York. And the reason for that is that I think what Zoran understands is that we are living in a moment in American history where we have never seen the people on top doing so very well.

1:07:22Billionaires are doing better than they have ever done. while 60 % of the people in this country are living paycheck to paycheck. They can't afford housing, which is a major part of what Ndani is talking about. They can't afford decent quality food at the grocery store. They can't afford health care. They can't afford to send their kids to college. And what Zaran is doing in New York is putting his race in that context and saying that maybe, just maybe, we should have a government that works for all of us, not just wealthy campaign contributors. And by the way, if he pulls that off in New York City, and I think he will, it will be one of the great political upsets in the modern history of this country.

1:08:02He has taken on the oligarchs in New York who have spent millions and millions of dollars trying to defeat him. He's taken on Donald Trump, who has endorsed Cuomo. He's taking on the Republican establishment. He is taking on the Democratic establishment. And what he has done is created an incredible grassroots movement, Jake. He has some 90 ,000 volunteers, an enormous amount of enthusiasm. So I think this young man deserves an enormous amount of credit for running a brilliant campaign. And what do you make of the fact that, I mean, I hear everything you're saying and the idea that he was laser focused on the message of affordability in New York obviously worked to his advantage.

1:08:43I have to say he ran a rather Sanders-esque campaign in many ways. But Chuck Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader from New York, from New York City, did not endorse him, did not endorse anyone. What does that say? Well, I think it suggests that there is a strong rift between establishment Democrats who collect a whole lot of money from wealthy campaign contributors and people like Zoran who are prepared to run a grassroots campaign. I think that's true in New York City, and I think that's true all over the country. Needless to say, what I believe is at a time when this country faces so many crises above and beyond Trump, before Trump's effort to throw 15 million people off their health care and double premiums for the Affordable Care Act, the health care system in America is completely broken.

1:09:41Everybody knows it. And that is why, as Iran believes, I believe, that we need to move to a Medicare-for-all single-payer system. Healthcare is a human right. We're in a competitive global economy. You know what? We've got to make sure that all of our kids, regardless of income, get the higher education they need. Our childcare system is a disaster. We've got to make sure to do what Iran is doing, making childcare free all over this country. Invest in the future generation of America. So I think the vision is that there are some of us who believe that we need a party, Democratic Party, that stands with the working class, that is prepared to take on the oligarchs.

1:10:23Needless to say, the establishment does not necessarily agree with that assessment. Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, thank you so much. It's always great to have you, sir. Thank you, Jake. Coast to coast, voting centers are still full of Americans casting their ballots. We have new exit poll numbers to bring you next.

1:10:42And we're back with a look at a voting center on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Zoran Mondani is looking to make history as the first Muslim mayor of the largest city in America. I want to go straight now, though, to Brian Todd as we're watching these races coast to coast. He's in Aldi, Virginia, where polls are set to close in less than 20 minutes. Brian, what have you seen in terms of turnout as the day's gone on here and we're about at closing time? As I know you're with a voter.

1:11:10That's right, Aaron. It's been a big day at this precinct. A lot of turnout here, despite a lot of early and mail-in voting here in Virginia. There's been a lot of foot traffic here, and we do have a Republican voter here. We haven't encountered too many Republican voters at this precinct, but we have one here. His name is Roger Rockhill. I've been talking to Roger. One of the big issues that drove him and one of the big issues here in Virginia is the candidacy of Jay Jones, the Democrat running for attorney general, and the violent text that he sent three years ago. That's been a big issue in the campaign.

1:11:38Republicans saying that he's not fit for office. He's apologized for it. Abigail Spanberger has not rescinded her endorsement of him, even though she's condemned the text. Roger is here. Roger, you talked about this and how this was kind of a driving factor. How did that candidacy of Jay Jones and the whole issue of political violence influence your vote tonight? Yeah, I mean, it made me not want to look at any of the Democratic candidates, especially the governor, the person running for governor. So I think that anybody that does it in writing and the person running for governor isn't going to denounce that and ask him to suspend his candidacy is wrong.

1:12:14Roger, thank you for talking to us. We really appreciate it. Good luck. Thank you. So a sampling of one of the big issues here, the government shutdown also, Aaron, a huge issue that's been on the minds of many of the voters driving kind of their anger and angst as they come to the polls tonight. All right. Just minutes away from closing there. Brian, thank you very much. And let's go back to Jake in Washington. Jake. Thanks, Aaron. And let's talk with my panel. And Casey, you have a text chain where you talk to various sources and folks about issues. What did you make about the comment that that voter made about Jay Jones and the attorney general candidate in Virginia?

1:12:48He had sent several years ago some violent text messages talking about harm coming to a fellow member of the House of Delegates, harm to his family. It's really the Republicans have tried to use this to tarnish the entire Democratic ticket. Yeah, they have. And we have been texting with I've been texting throughout the night with sources who've agreed to kind of talk to us, give us their perspective. And Brad Todd, Republican consultant, is actually in Virginia. He's working with Jason Meares, the attorney general candidate. And he says this in Virginia. I'm watching for split ticket voting. He says the Spanberger Meares voter is the most interesting voter anywhere tonight.

1:13:26And Kristen Soltis-Anderson chimes in to say that her polling does show that there actually is likely to be a fair amount of this ticket splitting. You know, the question here is really about the nature of our politics, right? And how are voters feeling about that? And that has come up repeatedly also among my sources. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell has also joined us and given us some of her insights. And she's someone who's really thought a lot about the Democratic Party, their future. She's been on the leading edge sometimes. And she points out that voters are really not inspired by politicians right now.

1:13:59She says they're tired of excuses, negative hits, attacks on their opponents. And, you know, that plays into kind of the big picture question we've talked about, too, with Zoran Mamdani and the type of candidate that he is. Right. I mean, there's obviously Republicans are hitting him on policies, but he's running as a candidate who is inspiring people. He's at clubs. Right. People are cheering. They're excited to see him. is a very different vibe, so to speak. And certainly that also plays into, to circle back around, Jay Jones, the Democrat who was on track to win the attorney general's race.

1:14:33The guy who wrote the text messages. Who wrote these text messages about political violence is really the opposite, I think, of what people are looking for. Virginia has a long history, with only a couple of exceptions, of voting against the party in the White House at its governor's race. So Spanberger has a head start right there. Costs are up. You're in the middle of government shutdown. 150 ,000 federal workers in Virginia. so you think the dynamic goes her way. But to the point that Debbie Dingell makes and others make, is that, you know, how does Trump win after January 6th? How is Mamdani creating a movement?

1:15:00People are looking for people who do things differently, who challenge, kick the can, kick the establishment. And so I do think it's an interesting question. I get it. She might be the next governor. She doesn't want a Republican attorney general who's a friend of Trump, who's allied with conservatives on many of these issues when states are constantly suing the federal government and so on and so forth. I get the politics of it. But I think voters would find it refreshing if you looked up and said that is reprehensible and that person does not belong in our politics because that's reprehensible.

1:15:24I have children and I have to go home to my children and say, never do these things or you will be held accountable. But it goes back to that right and wrong. You will be held accountable versus what we've been talking about. And we will continue to talk about, which is that people can't afford groceries. They can't afford to buy a house. Never mind that. They can't afford rent. And that is the number one thing that is on people's mind, even when you think about democracy or other issues like right now. But this idea that I don't have to address it because I'm going to win anyway, it's going to be fascinating.

1:15:56If she wins and if he squeaks in, the attorney general squeaks in, there's going to be a lot of pressure on her. There's another part of this, though, when it comes to Democrats, which is Democrats perceiving themselves as having always taken the high road. I'm not saying they do, but there is this perception among Democrats that they do. And saying, no more. We're not going to do this anymore. then for that you have Newsom when it comes to the redistricting in California. And we've had Democrats on my show say, OK, he sent some nasty text. What about what Donald Trump tweets or posts on Truth Social every day of the week?

1:16:32Like, why do Democrats have to be held to this standard? So, I mean, I think I think it works both ways when it comes to that. We're just minutes away from our first poll closing of the night. Virginians are set to elect the Commonwealth's very first woman governor, whether the Democrat or the Republican wins. Stay with us.

1:16:52This is CNN meteorologist Derek Van Dam, thrilled to introduce the new CNN Weather app. Be prepared for anything with comprehensive coverage from real experts like me. Download the CNN Weather app on iOS today. Hey, I'm Anderson Cooper. On my podcast, All There Is, we explore grief and loss in all its complexities. Wherever you are in the world and in your grief, I'm glad you're here. My guest is actress, writer, artist Sharon Stone. When you think of grief, what do you think of? I think of the way that I've dealt with it in my life, losing so many members of my immediate family. I think of it with a very open heart.

1:17:34You came very close to dying. Yeah. Yeah, in fact, some would say I did die and was defibrillated and brought back. I had that white light experience, which has stayed upon my shoulder and made me feel quite safe in this continued existence. Talking grief, building community. That's what the podcast is all about. This is all there is. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.