Final hours of voting begin as first polls close on Election Day 2025

During the interview, Martha MacCallum asked Zohran Mamdani if he would apologize for calling the New York City Police Department "racist, anti‑queer & a major threat to public safety" in 2020 on social media, among other insults. 

Mamdani said he has apologized to rank-and-file members of the NYPD behind closed doors, but MacCallum said the officers she spoke to want a broad, public apology. 

"Will you do that right now?" the Fox News host asked. 

HOW TO WATCH 2025 ELECTION DAY COVERAGE LIVE ON FOX NEWS

"Absolutely," Mamdani said, turning to face the camera directly. "I'll apologize to police officers right here, because this is the apology that I've been sharing with many rank-and-file officers. And I apologize because of the fact that I'm looking to work with these officers, and I know that these officers, these men and women who serve in the NYPD, they put their lives on the line every single day. And I will be a mayor."

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Deirdre Heavey.

The 2025 New York City mayoral contest has drawn out the most participation in the city's past 30 years with almost 1.74 million voters having cast a ballot as of 6:00 p.m. ET, according to the Associated Press.

In the last mayoral election held in 2021 the New York City Board of Elections reported barely one million voters participated.

The race between Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, independent candidate Andrew Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa has drawn national attention.

In the wake of a disastrous 2024 Presidential election where Republicans captured the White House, the Senate and maintained control of the House of Representatives, Democrats have searched for a new way to present their message to voters.

While the more centrist figures in the party have struggled to rally around a cohesive brand, progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, D-N.Y., Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., and Mamdani have stolen the spotlight.

The sheer number of voters participating in Tuesday’s election indicates a continued interest — and perhaps concern over — the progressive platform.

Andrew Cuomo attacked Zohran Mamdani's thin resume, saying, "He has no experience."

"This is not a job for someone who has no management experience, to run around 300,000 people, no financial experience to run a $115 billion budget," said the former governor.

"He literally has never had a job. On his resume, it says he interned for his mother. This is not a job for a first timer. Any day you could have a hurricane, God forbid, a 9-11, a health pandemic, if you don't know what you’re doing, people will die."

HOW TO WATCH 2025 ELECTION DAY COVERAGE LIVE ON FOX NEWS

Mamdani immediately shot back, "If we have a health pandemic, then why would New Yorkers turn to the governor who sent seniors to their death in nursing homes? That’s the kind of experience that’s on offer here today."

"What I don’t have in experience I make up for in integrity, and what you don’t have in integrity you could never make up for in experience," he added.

Cuomo dismissed the nursing homes dig as a political investigation that "went nowhere."

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Peter Pinedo.

During the debate, Zohran Mamdani appeared to backtrack on his position about Hamas laying down their arms, saying, "Of course I believe that they should lay down their arms."

Mamdani was responding to a question from a moderator who said his previous answer, which was made to Fox News anchor Martha MacCallum, was "confusing," after he dodged questions when she asked whether he believes Hamas should lay down their weapons and leave leadership in Gaza, according to the cease-fire agreement they entered into.

"I'm proud to be one of the first elected officials in the state who called for a ceasefire," Mamdani said.

"That means all parties have to ceasefire and put down their weapons. And the reason that we call for that is not only for the end of the genocide, but also an unimpeded access of humanitarian aid. I, like many New Yorkers, am hopeful that this ceasefire will hold."

Mamdani was also pressed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo on his refusal to condemn the phrases "from the river to the sea" and "globalize the intifada," both of which are widely seen as calls for the extermination of Jews. Sliwa pressed on this issue as well,  telling Mamdani, "Jews don't trust that you will be there for them when they are victims of antisemitic attacks."

Mamdani answered that he will be a mayor for all New Yorkers, saying, "Jewish New Yorkers who have told me about their fear in living in this city, and I will be a mayor who finally addresses that, not through the theatrics of the politics on the stage, but through action."

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Peter Pinedo.

Fox News Decision Desk projected that Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi is set to become the next lieutenant governor of Virginia, marking the first time a Muslim has been elected to statewide office in the Old Dominion.

Hashmi, who was born in Hyderabad, India, and grew up in Georgia, represented Chesterfield County in the Virginia State Senate.

Her expected victory over conservative talk radio host John Reid will see her preside over the Virginia State Senate, where Democrats control a narrow majority in the upper chamber.

Hashmi's campaign focused on supporting public education, expanding Medicaid and protecting abortion rights, among other priorities. She also leaned into climate change, environmental protection and affordable housing.

It also comes as former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., was projected to capture the governor's mansion in Virginia after toppling outgoing Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Spanberger and Hashmi will take over with a Democratic trifecta in the state.

A conservative policy group is unveiling a new digital archive of democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s political record, aiming to highlight what it calls the New York City mayoral candidate’s "radical agenda" through years of public statements, legislation and campaign pledges.

The website, mamdanifile.appdc.org, was first shared with Fox News Digital ahead of its planned public release. Developed by the American Principles Project (APP), the archive includes 43 entries spanning 2020 to 2025.

APP President Terry Schilling told Fox News Digital the goal is to document Mamdani’s record in his own words.

"Zohran Mamdani’s daily barrage of wild ideas, utterly detached from regular Americans, prompted us to launch the Mamdani Tracker to expose his madness," Schilling said. "His radicalism may get covered up by the complicit left-wing media, but we’re reminding New Yorkers before Election Day of the chaos he’s plotting for NYC — and warning America: This is the Democrats’ agenda at your door. Mamdani’s vision is the Democrat agenda.

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Jasmine Baehr.

The Fox News Decision Desk also believes that in New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill now has a solid lead.

Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval, the Democrat incumbent, won a second term on Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Cory Bowman.

Pureval, a former special assistant U.S. attorney, first claimed the mayor’s office in 2021. He is expected to speak at 9:30 p.m.

Bowman, the half-brother of Vice President JD Vance, has never held public office but was inspired to run after Vance’s inauguration. Vance remained on the sidelines during Bowman's campaign.

Seven-in-ten voters in New Jersey say property taxes are a major problem, and over half of these voters favor Ciatarelli.

Virginia Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger celebrated her election victory in a speech to supporters on Tuesday night.

Spanberger defeated Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who had been the planned successor for Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.

"Tonight, we sent a message," Spanberger told the crowd at her election night rally. "We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth. A message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship."

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens won his re-election race on Tuesday night against three lesser-known candidates, arguing that Atlanta has seen major improvements during his first term in office, Associated Press reported.

Dickens defeated Helmut Domagalski, Kalema Jackson, and Eddie Andrew Meredith. 

While Dickens was an underdog in his 2021 election, he’s in a much more favorable position this year. Atlanta has a long history of awarding mayors second terms if they seek reelection. Former Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms was an exception but she didn’t seek a second term.

Candidates for Atlanta mayor were required to win a majority of votes to be elected. If no one surpassed that threshold, the top two vote getters would have advanced to a runoff election on Dec. 2.

Dickens received national attention earlier this year over his support of city run grocery stores, similar to the promises of New York City socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to major American cities also loomed large over the New York City mayoral debate on October 16.

Candidates were asked about the "threat hanging over the city" of National Guard troops being sent to New York City. All three candidates indicated they would oppose troops being sent to the city.

Zohran Mamdani asserted that "What New Yorkers need is a mayor who can stand up to Donald Trump and actually deliver on that safety."

HOW TO WATCH 2025 ELECTION DAY COVERAGE LIVE ON FOX NEWS

"When Donald Trump sent ICE agents on people in Los Angeles, Andrew Cuomo said that New Yorkers need not overreact. That is the furthest answer that New Yorkers are looking for. They are looking for someone who will lead, someone who will say that they will have their back, someone who will actually fight for the people of this city," said Mamdani.

Cuomo, meanwhile, said that "the answer in the subways is not more National Guard" but rather "more NYPD is the answer."

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Peter Pinedo.

California Governor Gavin Newsom congratulated fellow Democrat Abigail Spanberger on X following her win in Virginia.

"What an incredible win!!! Congratulations to the new Governor-elect @SpanbergerForVA!

Spanberger is the state’s first female governor. She will succeed Republican Glenn Youngkin.

The Fox News Decision Desk can now project that Democratic State Senator Ghazala Hashmi will serve as Virginia’s next Lieutenant Governor.

Hashmi will be the first-ever Muslim woman elected to statewide office. She defeats Republican John Reid.

Twenty-two thousand school board seats are up for election this year, spanning 37 states, according to BallotReady. That means voters will decide who is in charge of public school students’ curriculum, safety and resource allocation.

In Colorado, two dozen school districts are holding board elections. Denver Public Schools alone has four of seven seats open, with one of them being an “at-large seat” that represents the entire city, according to Colorado Newsline.

Nonprofit Denver Families Action says its focuses are “academic achievement, school safety, and student and teacher well-being,” according to an August press release. It also supports funding breakfast and lunch for all Colorado public school students.

“The future of Denver’s schools will be written this November,” Clarence Burton Jr., Denver Families Action CEO, wrote in a Denver Post op-ed published on Oct. 19.

In Texas, nearly $200,000 in campaign cash has been poured into those running to serve in three school board seats in Cy-Fair ISD, which is the state’s third-largest district, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Democrat Abigail Spanberger defeated outgoing Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to become the next governor of Virginia.

Republicans had hoped to replicate the 2021 upset engineered by outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin but now face at least two years without control in Richmond, with both legislative chambers remaining in Democratic hands.

In her campaign ads, Spanberger highlighted her resume as a former federal agent investigating crimes against children and later counter-terrorism with the CIA. She also served as a U.S. Postal Inspector investigating drug trafficking and money laundering before joining Langley.

Spanberger made health care and abortion an issue in her campaign, painting Earle-Sears as radical on the latter — as the Republican previously called for limited exceptions for ending a pregnancy.

She has described herself as a more moderate candidate than Republicans claim, while the GOP highlighted her near-100% voting record in line with then-President Joe Biden while she was in the House as a reason to doubt any claims of pragmatism.

Late in the campaign, Spanberger drew in several Democratic heavy-hitters, including former President Barack Obama and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is seen as a potential 2028 name. Biden, however, was noticeably absent from the trail, and a prior inquiry on that detail with the Delaware Democrat’s team went unanswered.

This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News' Charles Creitz.