What to watch in the 2025 elections as voters head to the polls

Off-year elections on Tuesday provide the first big chance for voters across several states to make their voices heard this year — and shed early light on some major questions ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

Off-year elections on Tuesday provide the first big chance for voters across several states to make their voices heard this year — and shed early light on some major questions ahead of next year’s midterm elections.

How are voters responding to President Donald Trump’s second term? Can Republicans build on the president’s gains with working-class voters and people of color, and will they be able to keep Trump’s coalition engaged when he isn’t on the ballot?

As for Democrats, how are they regrouping after Trump’s 2024 victory? And how are they juggling the needs of their disaffected base with an attempt to win back voters who drifted away from them in last year’s presidential election?

Marquee gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey will provide some early answers for all those questions, while New York City's mayoral race and California’s redistricting referendum will test the enthusiasm of Democratic voters. And other races will decide local issues that have bubbled into the national consciousness in the past — and probably will again.

Here is a look at the key races up for grabs across the country on Tuesday and the major dynamics shaping them: