Across US, Asian American Mayoral Candidates Make Historic Gains

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As elections took place in states across America on Tuesday, Asian American candidates made history with solidified and projected victories in three major cities.  Mayoral races in Boston, Cincinnati and Seattle drew just as much national attention as the tight gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey. Michelle Wu, the daughter of Taiwanese immigrants, claimed victory in Boston’s mayoral race, as unofficial returns signaled a strong defeat of opponent Annissa Essaibi George, prompting the city councilor to concede. Wu, 36, will now become the first woman, first person of color and first Asian American to serve as Boston’s mayor, breakingmore

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Murphy Narrowly Wins Second Term as New Jersey Governor 

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New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy narrowly won reelection Wednesday, eking out a victory that spared Democrats the loss of a second gubernatorial seat. He’s the state’s first Democratic governor to get a second straight term in 44 years, defeating Republican former New Jersey General Assembly member Jack Ciattarelli.  AP called the race Wednesday evening when a new batch of votes from Republican leaning Monmouth County increased Murphy’s lead and closed the door to a Ciattarelli comeback.  Ballots left Ballots remaining to be counted included a significant number of votes from predominantly Democratic Essex County, along with mail-in votes spreadmore

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Voters Reject Replacing Minneapolis Police Department 

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Sweeping police reforms have been at the center of a debate in the United States since the May 2020 death of African American George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A year-and-a-half later, amid spiking violent crime rates nationwide, voters in the city rejected scrapping its police department and replacing it with a proposed Department of Public Safety.  In the first municipal election since Floyd’s death, voters rejected the referendum, known as Ballot Question 2, by a projected margin of 56% to 44%. The measure was seen as a high-profile test of support for the so-called “defund the police”more

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Divided US Democrats Call for New Strategy After Loss in Virginia 

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A loss in blue-leaning Virginia and a too-close-for-comfort race in New Jersey sent divided Democrats in Washington scrambling for answers Wednesday, and calling for new strategies to unstick a stalled legislative agenda before they sustain more political damage. Republican Glenn Youngkin edged Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the Virginia governor’s race, erasing President Joe Biden’s 10 percentage point margin of victory just a year ago. In New Jersey, heavily favored Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy was neck-and-neck with GOP political newcomer Jack Ciattarelli in a state Biden had carried by 16 percentage points. The results were ominous for Democrats farmore

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Republican Victory in Virginia’s Governor Race Seen as Bad Omen for Democrats

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In an election with implications far beyond its borders, the state of Virginia on Tuesday elected Republican businessman and political neophyte Glenn Youngkin to serve as governor, ending a decade-long trend of Democratic domination of state-wide offices and signaling trouble for that party’s fate in next year’s congressional midterms. “Together we will change the trajectory of this commonwealth,” Youngkin told a crowd of supporters at a victory celebration early Wednesday.    Youngkin took 50.7% of the vote to best Democrat and former Governor Terry McAuliffe, who received only 48.6% in his bid to return to the job he left aftermore

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Boston Elects Wu, First Woman and Asian American as Mayor 

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Boston voters, marking a key milestone in the city’s long political history, for the first time elected a woman and an Asian American as mayor on Tuesday, tapping City Councilor Michelle Wu to serve in the city’s top political office.  Wu’s victory marks a turning point for the city. Boston had only elected white men as mayor before her.  “One of my sons asked me the other night if boys can be elected mayor of Boston,” Wu told supporters. “They have been, and they will again someday, but not tonight.”  The choice of Wu over fellow Boston City Councilor Annissa Essaibimore

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Democrat Eric Adams Wins Race for New York City Mayor

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Democrat Eric Adams has been elected New York City mayor, defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa on Tuesday in a contest far easier than his next task: steering a damaged city through its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. Adams, a former New York City police captain and the Brooklyn borough president, will become the second Black mayor of the nation’s most populous city. David Dinkins, who served from 1990 to 1993, was the first.   “Tonight, New York has chosen one of you — one of our own. I am you. I am you,” Adams told a jubilant crowd at his victorymore

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Republican Elected Virginia Governor as Parties Look to 2022 

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Republican Glenn Youngkin won an election Tuesday to become the next governor of the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia in one of several closely watched races nationally ahead of next year’s midterm congressional elections.  The political newcomer defeated Democrat Terry McAuliffe, a former Virginia governor, capturing 51% of the vote to McAuliffe’s 48% with most ballots counted.  Ahead of Tuesday’s election, both candidates highlighted its importance on the national political scene as one of only two state governor races contested this year and with Democrats and Republicans looking toward the 2022 election that will see all 435 seats in the House of Representatives on the ballot.  Democratsmore

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Democrats Reach Drug Price Deal; Biden Upbeat on Manchin

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Democrats reached agreement Tuesday on a plan to lower prescription drug costs for most older people, capping out-of-pocket Medicare costs at $2,000 and reducing the price of insulin, salvaging a campaign promise as part of President Joe Biden’s $1.75 trillion domestic policy proposal.  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced the deal, which is one of the few remaining provisions that needed to be resolved in Biden’s big package as the party moves closer to wrapping up negotiations. Schumer acknowledged it’s not as sweeping as Democrats had hoped for, but a compromise struck with one key holdout Democrat, Sen. Kyrsten Sinemamore

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