Tangle - SPECIAL EDITION: Everything to know about today's elections.

Episode Date: November 4, 2025

The key 2025 races. Today is election day in the United States, with voters in cities and states across the country deciding on a host of key elections and ballot measures. Some races, like the New York City mayoral election, have been in the national spotlight for months; others, like the Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention elections, have flown under the radar but could be nationally impactful for years to come. Today, we’re publishing a special edition exploring these critical elections. We’ll break from our normal format to give each one proper attention — sharing a brief overview of each race, two divergent perspectives on it, and a bit of our own analysis as voters head to the polls. At the end, we’ll also share several important ballot initiatives. Then, tomorrow, we’ll follow up with a breakdown of what happened in each race and the implications of those results. Ad-free podcasts are here!To listen to this podcast ad-free, and to enjoy our subscriber only premium content, go to ReadTangle.com to sign up!You can read today's podcast⁠ ⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠ and today’s “Have a nice day” story ⁠here⁠.You can subscribe to Tangle by clicking here or drop something in our tip jar by clicking here. Our Executive Editor and Founder is Isaac Saul. Our Executive Producer is Jon Lall.This podcast was Written by: Isaac Saul, Will Kaback, Ari Weitzman, Lindsey Knuth, Audrey Moorehead, Russell Nystrom and edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75.Our newsletter is edited by Managing Editor Ari Weitzman, Senior Editor Will Kaback, Lindsey Knuth, Kendall White, Bailey Saul, and Audrey Moorehead. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From executive producer Isaac Saul, this is Tangle. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening, and welcome to a special edition of the Tangle News podcast. It is Tuesday, November 4th. And today we are covering all the elections that are happening today. By the time you're listening to this, some of you may have voted already. Others of you might be headed to the polls after work or in the afternoon if you are out on the West Coast. We're going to break down exactly what's happening in some of the big elections across the country, what the big narratives are.

We're going to share some views, not just from the left and the right, but also some just countervailing counterpart views depending on the race. I think this is a really awesome edition. I'm super excited to publish it. Also, because we covered so much ground, we're splitting up some of the recording duties today on the podcast. You're going to hear from me, from Will, from John, from Ari, from Lindsay, from Audrey. Basically, all hands on deck.

All of us jumped in for some different coverage and took different elections, and we're going to read down our sections today on the show, which I'm super excited about. Before we jump in, I want to give you a quick heads up that if you want live coverage of tonight's elections, you can follow us on Instagram, Tangle News on Instagram. You can follow us on X or on Blue Sky. You can also sign up for our texting service on subtext. You can click a link in the episode description or in today's newsletter. Or you can text Tangle, all caps, Tangle, to 850-338-91. That's 850-338-9163. And once you've signed up, it's totally free. You can just text us Election 25 in all caps to receive updates on the biggest races. We're going to be doing some live coverage all throughout the night tonight. Before we jump in to any of that, let's first head over to John for today's quick hits. Thanks, Isaac. And welcome, everybody. Here are your quick hits for today's. First up, former Vice President Dick Cheney, who served in the George W. Bush administration, died at the age of 84. Cheney's family said his death was the result of complications of pneumonia

and cardiac and vascular disease. Number two, the Trump administration said it will use emergency funds to cover approximately half of the monthly payments for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, which had its funding lapse on Saturday. Number three, two U.S. citizens were arrested in Michigan for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on Halloween. The Justice Department said the two men and three other co-conspirators aimed to carry out an ISIS-style attack, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation said its agents found multiple AR-15-style rifles in the suspect's home. Number four, artificial intelligence company OpenAI announced it will buy $38 billion in cloud computing services from Amazon over the next seven years to help build and deploy its AI products such as ChatGPT.

And number five, a group of state attorneys general sued the Trump administration over its new rule restricting eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. The rule changes the definition of a qualified employer, saying that organizations deemed to engage in unlawful activities such as supporting terrorism and aiding and abetting illegal immigration will not be eligible for the program. Voters across the country heading to the polls in what will amount to the first referendum on Donald Trump's second term. I got a really simple idea. How about we elect the Jersey guy?

Oh, we're going to beat Andrew Cuomo. Your job is to vote tomorrow. Your job is to vote tomorrow. All right. With that, I'm going to jump into a breakdown of, today's main topic, which is the 2025 races. So today is Election Day here in the United States with voters and cities and states across the country deciding on a host of key elections and ballot measures. Some races, like the New York City mayoral race, have been in the national spotlight for months. Others, like the Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention elections, have flown under the radar, but could be nationally impactful for years to come. These elections will not determine

control of Congress. We're still a year out from that, but they do offer the first opportunity to gauge the mood of voters as we near the one-year mark of the second Trump administration. Will the momentum that swept Trump to a decisive victory and Republican control of the House and Senate continue? Or will voters express their dissatisfaction with the state of the country? Well, victories from ascendant progressives like Zohran Mamdani provide Democrats with a sense of direction for the remainder of Trump's term, or will the party continue its struggle to regroup after last year's losses. Today, we're publishing a special edition

exploring those critical elections. We'll break from our normal format to give each one proper attention, sharing a brief overview of each race, two divergent perspectives on it, and a bit of our own analysis as voters head to the polls. At the end, we're also going to share

several important ballot initiatives, and tomorrow we're going to follow up with all of this with a breakdown of what happened in each race and the implications of those results. We'll be right back after this quick break. All right up is the New York City mayoral election. In New York City, State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani is polling ahead of former governor

Andrew Cuomo and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa in the race for mayor. Mamdani, a 34-year-old Democratic Socialist, garnered headlines for winning the Democratic nomination on the backs of a massive social media campaign and a relentless focus on affordability in the city. He campaigned on freezing rent and launching programs for free child care, free city buses, and government-run grocery stores. Cuomo, who lost the Mamdani in the Democratic primary, returned for the general election as an independent candidate. Both Cuomo and Sliwa have centered their campaigns on public safety and criticized Mamdani for making unrealistic promises while accusing him of associating with far-left political groups and Islamic extremism. Current mayor, Eric Adams, suspended his campaign to endorse Cuomo, but dropped out too late to be removed from the ballot. President Trump also endorsed Cuomo on Monday night, saying voters, quote, have no choice but to support him. The latest Atlas poll shows Mamdani at 43.9%, Cuomo at 39.4%, and Sliwa at 15.5%.

We're going to offer two divergent views on this race. So let's start with the New York Post editorial board, which warned against voting for Curtis Sliwa, calling it a vote for Mamdani. The math is ruthlessly clear, the board said. Zoran Mamdani is unlikely to cross the 50% line because most voters disagree with him on all his chief issues. His extreme views appeal only to a band of loud and energized extremists, but ultimately they have a low ceiling of support. If Sliwa voters get behind Andrew Cuomo, they stand an 11th hour fighting chance of preventing the city from being flattened by the oncoming progressive train. Doing nothing is also not an option, the board wrote. Cuomo will need those reluctant to cast him their vote to turn up. Given the margins, he would need every single vote.

Slewa can't win, so the choice is exactly what President does. Donald Trump described Monday night, telling voters they must vote for Cuomo. In a different view, in The Guardian, Margaret Sullivan said it's clear why Zohran Mamdani is leading. Mamdani energizes people, and while some of that reaction is skeptical, a lot of the people I encounter from students to seniors want to give the newcomer a chance, Sullivan said. New York City, after all, is unaffordable for too many, so Mamdani's relentless focus on the cost of rent and groceries has struck a nerve. Momdani's embrace of his Muslim faith, his advocacy for Gaza and his willingness to stand up for immigrants

has solidified his appeal. Governor Kathy Hokel, whose political instincts are well-honed and practical, endorsed Mamdani in late September, despite significant policy differences, Sullivan wrote. She surely has calculated that it wouldn't be a bad thing to have the Democratic mayor of New York City in her corner, and there is little doubt who that will be. As far as what we're watching, Momdani has been in control since winning the Democratic Democratic primary in June, but the race has tightened in recent weeks. The biggest open question is how many Republican-aligned voters in New York will cast a ballot for Sliwa, versus how many will hold their

noses and vote for Cuomo, who oversaw COVID-era lockdowns that made him a pariah on the right. If Mamdani wins, as we expect him to, it'll be interesting to see whether the Democratic establishment embraces him and how much Republicans target his Democratic socialist views at the national level. This is Tango Managing Editor Ari Weizman with the New Jersey gubernatorial election. In New Jersey, Democratic U.S. rep Mikey Chorrell is running against Republican former New Jersey rep, Jack Chitorelli, to succeed term-limited governor, Phil Murphy. Affordability has been a central issue of the race. Chitorelli has campaigned on cutting taxes, and Chirrelle has promised to lower housing, health care, and utility costs.

New Jersey is a traditionally Democratic stronghold, Murphy, the outgoing governor was a Democrat, but strong results for Republicans in 2024 make this race a referendum on national issues and an indicator of the state's political future. The latest polls show Sherell with a four to five point edge over Chattarelli, tightening to within the margin of error. Recently, Sherell has benefited from endorsements and rallies with prominent Democratic leaders, such as former President Barack Obama. Meanwhile, President Trump is virtually stumped for Chattarelli, but he has not tied himself too closely to the Republican's candidacy. Both parties will have collectively spent over $200 million on the race by

election day. Here's one view of the race. In The Washington Post, Karen Tumulty wrote that Sherell points the way for Democrats. No doubt, part of the Democratic resurgence was fueled by record spending by the candidates and outside groups. But Shirel, the only woman running for New Jersey governor in either party, is also a politician of rare talents and with a dazzling life story, Tumulte said. She's a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who, islanded helicopters and missions in Europe and the Middle East and a former federal prosecutor who holds a degree from the London School of Economics. As a gubernatorial candidate, Sherell has focused heavily on making life in New Jersey more affordable, but she rejects the advice from

some that Democrats should be running exclusively on kitchen table issues to multi-rope. Trump will loom heavily in the race. How well Shirell does may also spell what lies in the future for her party. Here's a different view. Writing for nj.com, Tom Bartello predicted. that Jack Chatterrelli will win. Jack Chatterrelli, the Republican candidate for governor, could very well be the guy who brings such unbridled joy to the GOP in New Jersey and across the nation on Tuesday. And nobody would crow more about it than Donald Trump,

Martello said. You can't find anyone in Jersey politics who would dispute this. Take Trump out of the equation and Chatterrelli wins in a landslide. And at least from my perspective, Jack has an X factor that isn't necessarily showing up in the polling and is being undervalued by many pundits. He has been campaigning nonstop for years, said Bartello. Republicans anxious that the poll numbers haven't budged

that still hope all those handshakes and appearances can move the needle just enough in China Rale's favor. In a world where we are so disconnected, will a quick chat with Jack a few months ago persuade voters who can't make heads or tails over all those negative ads. Here's what we're watching. This gubernatorial election is one of only two this cycle, and it will serve as a bellwether for the country's leaning nine months into Trump's presidency.

Vice President Kamala Harris carried New Jersey by six points in 2024, which showed a huge right-word shift from President Joe Biden's 16-point win in 2020. Cheryl continues to hold a polling lead, but if Chattarelli can win this election or even just improve on Trump's 2024 performance, that will provide a strong indicator that the national electorate is shifting rightward. and especially important demographic will be Latino voters who comprise a growing portion of the Garden State's electorate and are showing a conservative lead nationally. That's it for me in the New Jersey race. Now, I'll turn it over to Russell,

who has the info on the races in Virginia. Next up is the Virginia gubernatorial and Attorney General elections. Former Representative Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, will face off against Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earl Sears, a Republican, to become Virginia's first female governor. They seek to replace Republican Governor Glenn Yunkin, who is barred from seeking a consecutive term under Virginia law. No single issue has defined the race,

but important topics have been abortion access, policies affecting transgender youth, and federal workforce cuts. In the blue-shifting former swing state, The party that controls the presidency has only won the governorship once since 1976. A Trends-Banberger hopes to continue. Meanwhile, the Attorney General race between former delegate Jay Jones, a Democrat, and incumbent Attorney General Jason Mierrez, a Republican, has had a clear defining issue. Text messages Jones sent in 2022 about a Republican colleague that were revealed in October.

poll shows Bannberger holding a commanding lead over Earl Sears, with averages putting her up about nine points. The Attorney General Race appears much closer, with Mura's up 1.9 percent in the polling average. Virginia will also hold elections for lieutenant governor in all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates. One view on the race, in Bloomberg, Nia Malika Henderson argued those violent texts won't tilt the top of Virginia's ticket. The race to lead the Commonwealth of Virginia just got a little bit more intense. There's the government shut down, which shows few signs of ending, and there's the disturbing text messages sent by the Democratic candidate for state attorney general, Henderson said. His comments have certainly upended his race, leading to tightening polls in his matchup against Republican incumbent Jason Mioras.

But what about Spanberger? The outlook continues to remain favorable for her for a number of reasons, Henderson wrote. the fundamentals of the race and early voting still give a considerable advantage to Spanberger. The October surprise of Jones's 22 text messages shows that anything can happen to change the trajectory of a political contest. Yet for the GOP at the top of the ticket in Virginia, it is likely too little, too late to try to tie Spanberger to Jones's terrible lapse in judgment. Congressman Morgan Griffith wrote a different view in the Richmond Times Dispatch, calling Winston Earl Sears the epitome of MLK's dream.

Today, Earl Sears is campaigning to be the governor in Richmond. Richmond is not just the capital of Virginia. It was once the capital of the Confederacy, Griffith said. To have a black woman sit as governor in Richmond will be a significant symbol of the defeat of widespread racism in America. There is one more way in which Earl Sears represents the essence of Dr. King's dream, and it is related to her character. Specifically, her calls for nonviolence, Griffith Road.

These past few weeks, as she spoke in public, she talked about the recent murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. She referenced a conversation she had with her own mother years ago when her mother was afraid that she might be the victim of political violence. She told her mother, no, mom, this is America. They don't do that here. What we're watching. While Virginia's gubernatorial election is often considered a referendum on the current president,

plenty of other issues are at play this year. Democrats currently hold a slight majority in the Virginia House of Delegates and just voted to approve a constitutional amendment that would allow the General Assembly to redistrict in 2026. However, under Virginia law, the General Assembly must sign off on the amendment again in early 2026 before it can be put to state. statewide vote. If Democrats hold the Assembly and pass the amendment, they could potentially gain two or three seats in the U.S. House. Additionally, the federal shutdown could greatly impact Virginia's election. The Commonwealth has the second most federal workers of any state in the country, and counties like Fairfax, which has the most federal employees of any county in the

country, are likely to reflect that constituencies dissatisfaction with the Trump administration. We'll be right back after this quick break. All right. Next up is the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election. In Pennsylvania, Democrats hold a five-two advantage on the state's Supreme Court. On Tuesday, Pennsylvania voters will participate in a retention election where they will cast a yes or no ballot indicating whether they want those judges. to serve out another 10-year term. Just three judges are on this year's retention ballot, and all of them are Democrats.

That gives Republicans an opportunity to reshape the court in the usually uneventful down-ballot race. A justice losing their job in these votes is historically rare, but not unheard of. It has happened once since 1968. Polling is shown voters leaning towards retaining all three judges, but enough voters are undecided to swing the result. If all three Democrats are removed,

the court would be in a two-two death. lock until the end of 2027. In that scenario, Pennsylvania's high court would be hard-pressed to reach a majority in its rulings for those two years and would have to defer to lower courts. In one view on the race, the Philadelphia Inquirer editorial board said voters should vote yes to retain the three Supreme Court justices. In recent years, the state Supreme Court has ruled on a variety of high-profile issues, including elections, redistricting, reproductive health, and education, the board said, voters need only to look to Washington, D.C., to see the danger of a politicized conservative majority on the bench

as the U.S. Supreme Court continues to ignore precedent and rubber stamps Donald Trump's abuses of the law. Essentially, Governor Josh Shapiro and the Supreme Court, which has a five to two Democratic majority, are the only bulwarks keeping Trump's MAGA-fueled zealots from seizing total control of Pennsylvania, the board's head. Voting maps would get even more gerrymandered. Voting rights, including mail-in-balloting, would likely get curtailed,

abortion rights would get dramatically rolled back, and pro-business groups, and polluters like gas drillers, would enjoy even less regulation. In a different view, the Wall Street Journal editorial board said the court doesn't so much interpret the law as concocted. In 2020, during the plague election, their judicial rewrite of Pennsylvania's voting laws could have ended in a national nightmare. A month and a half before election day, a 4-3 majority threw out the statutory deadline for mail ballots, the board said. once judges start making up the law, there's no quitting. In an opinion for the court last year, Justice Donahue strongly suggested Pennsylvania's banned on Medicaid funding for abortion is unconstitutional.

This is the kind of stuff that raises the eyebrows of voters who might otherwise sleep through judicial retention election. Also notable is the politics. If any of these jurists aren't retained, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro can nominate someone to fill the vacancy. But his choice also requires two-thirds approval from the GOP state sale. All right. And last but not least, in what we're watching, the most sweeping implication of this race is its impact on future elections. In 2018, the three Democratic justices rejected a redraw of the state's congressional map as an unconstitutional gerrymander. In 2020, they greenlit ballot drop boxes during the pandemic. In 2022, they upheld a universal mail-in voting law. In one of the country's most important swing states, these laws are fertile ground for future fights. And if the

court's make up changes, new lawsuits will arise. Though a vote against retention seems unlikely, millions of dollars have poured into this election, and the outcome now hinges on turnout. Hi, this is Senior Editor Will Kayback. Let's jump into Texas's Congressional District 18 special election. The 18th Congressional District, which comprises much of Houston and the surrounding area is holding a special election to fill the seat held by Representative Sylvester Turner, a Democrat who died in office in March. A replacement cannot be seated until after this November special election, the winner of which will serve the remainder of Turner's term through January 27. 16 candidates are running for the seat, seven Democrats, five Republicans, three

independents, and a Green Party candidate. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the vote, the race will go to a runoff between the top two vote getters. The final polls before the election showed acting Harris County attorney Christian Meneffey and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards, both Democrats, as the leading candidates, with state representative Jolanda Jones, also a Democrat, in third. The boundaries of the 18th District were redrawn as part of Texas's mid-decade redistricting in August, but the special election will use the boundaries of the old map. However, The new district map will be used in the 2026 midterms and going forward, setting up a potential clash between the winner of the special election

and Representative Al Green, a Democrat whose 9th district was gerrymandered to be more favorable to Republicans. Green said he won't run again in his current district and has suggested he will run in the Democratic primary for the new 18th district. Here's one view of the race. The Houston Chronicle editorial board encouraged voters to support county attorney Christian Menefi in the race. The 18th Congressional District is a story district with a rich legacy of trailblazing black Houston leaders from Barbara Jordan to Mickey Leland to Sheila Jackson Lee.

That said, who in their right mind wants the job now? The board asked. After two incumbents in a row died suddenly while in office, Governor Greg Abbott showed just how much he valued the district by slow walking the special election to fill the empty seat until this November. We'll cut to the chase and share our pick. Christian Menofy, the board wrote. The accomplished Harris County attorney has made a name for himself taking on Republican state

leaders. Not only has he challenged Attorney General Ken Paxton and former state comptroller Glenn Higar in court when they wanted to discount thousands of votes or accuse the county of defunding law enforcement, he's won. Here's a different view of the race. In Capital B, Brandon Tensley wrote about the district going months without representation. The district has recently seen a series of Democratic leadership changes. After Jackson Lee's death, her daughter, Erica Lee Carter, held the seat until her mother's term expired in January 2025. Then Sylvester Turner, the former mayor of Houston, represented the district until his death in March of this year, tensely said. After almost eight months without representation, residents in the area are hungry for a

leader who will continue to be an outspoken advocate for them on Capitol Hill. This is even more important to some now because the district has been affected by Texas Republicans' mid-decade redistricting. The new map shifts the boundaries of the district south and east of Houston, diluting Democratic rep Al Green's 9th congressional district, Tensley wrote. It's possible that Texas Republicans attempts to redraw the state's congressional map and take five Democratic seats could reshape the district in the spring of 2026. These actions illustrate the precarious state of black political power in Texas. Now here's what we're watching. Following consecutive deaths of the 18th district's congressional member, this portion of the Houston metropolitan areas eight months without representation are coming to an end.

But more upheaval lies ahead. Whichever candidate wins the seat to serve the remainder of Turner's term seems likely to face Representative Green in the 2026 primary, since Green has said he won't run in his current district under Texas's new gerrymandered map, which puts his home in the 18th District. Now, a Democrat is virtually guaranteed to win this special election, though it will probably go to a runoff, but they will have to work quickly to establish themselves and make a case to their new constituency

that they're a better option than the experienced Green. I'm Lindsay Canuth, Associate Editor, and next up is the California Constitutional Amendment. On Californian's ballots today is the Election Ringing Response Act, or Prop 50, a measure championed by California Governor Gavin Newsom that would authorize the state legislature to redraw its congressional maps ahead of the 2026 midterms. The proposed amendment gives temporary map-making authority to the California legislature,

quote, in response to Texas's partisan redistricting, referencing a recent mid-decade effort in Texas to redraw its map to favor Republican candidates. Currently, maps are drawn after the decennial federal census by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission, or CRC, an independent, nonpartisan group established by voters in 2008. Analysts say Prop 50s map could give California House Democrats as many as five additional seats in 26. If passed, the legislatively drawn map would stay in effect until the CRC creates its scheduled map in 2030 using new census data. Former President Barack Obama representatives Nancy Pelosi and Hakeem Jeffries

and Democratic National Committee Chairman Ken Martin are among the Democratic leaders expressing support for Prop 50. Republicans have altogether criticized the measure as Republican representatives are set to potentially lose their seats under the proposed map. Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who spearheaded the formation of the CRC, also disapproves. The San Francisco Chronicle editorial board endorsed Prop 50,

arguing, quote, Trump's tyranny can't continue to go unchecked. A Democratic-controlled Congress, as Prop 50 attempts to secure, therefore, is one of the few checks and balances left to counter Trump's authoritarian intentions for California and the nation. Democrats have already ceded Trump the judiciary, with decades of abiding by norms and bipartisanship, while Republicans fought dirty, the board said. Prop 50 is no doubt cynical in many respects, but it does contain sufficient checks and balances to temper our worst concerns. To start, it only redraws congressional lines. The work of California's independent commission to establish fair and representative state assembly, Senate, and Board of Equalization districts, will remain, the board wrote. Furthermore, the measure is temporary.

It expires after six years to coincide with the start of the regular 10-year redistricting cycle. A different view comes from Cal Matters, where Gian Raya argued, quote, California voters should reject Prop 50 and stay out of the redistricting wars. She wrote, We've seen for decades how partisan gerrymandering suppresses voters' choice. undermining trust and feeding cynicism. We know that once given power, politicians will fight to retain it with the confidence that a declaration of crisis is all the cover they need. Newsom should look for a different response to redistricting warfare, Raya wrote. U.S. Representative Kevin Kiley, for example,

proposed legislation to ban mid-decade redistricting nationwide. I don't know what brought Kylie, a placer county Republican, to this moment. Newsom says Democrats can take back Congress if the American people are given a fair chance, a voice, and a choice. In California, the people already have that chance, and it's the Independent Redistricting Commission, Raya said. Californians can send a clear message to Newsom and legislative leaders on November 4th to respect the will of the people and not sacrifice the Independent Redistricting Commission, nor the state's limited financial resources for short-term political gain. What we're watching. With Prop 50, Governor Newsom has demonstrated that he can run a campaign that effect

actively energizes the Democratic base by fighting back against President Trump. All signs point to the measure passing with a clean majority. Recent polling shows roughly 60% of voters in favor, thanks in no small part to the nearly $100 million spent by the pro-Prop 50 campaign. The likely success of this blatantly partisan move portends a shift in the way Democrats will approach Trump heading into the 2026 midterms and beyond. California Democrats are notably advocating to temporarily overturn an equitable redistricting system, even if only for federal offices, that they pushed for,

and which has become a standard for independent commissions around the country. Though taking aggressive action to counter Republicans' mid-decade cracking and packing and other states might be justified in the short term, it also begs the question, how far can this go? For our final race that we're spotlighting, let's look at the Minneapolis mayoral election. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey is running for re-election against 14 other candidates in a race that has garnered some comparisons to New York City's mayoral election.

Frey's main opponent is state senator Omar Fate, a Democrat who, like Zeran Mamdani, is Muslim in his 30s and calls himself a democratic socialist. Fata has challenged Frey from the left, arguing that the mayor has failed to implement meaningful police reform in the wake of George Floyd's death and fallen short on addressing homelessness. Minneapolis elections are officially nonpartisan, though candidates can choose a party label to appear below their name. And the city uses ranked choice voting, allowing voters to choose their top three candidates in order of preference. While several prominent Democratic leaders have endorsed Frey, including Minnesota Governor Tim Walls, Fata has joined forces with two other

challengers, attorney and businessman Jazz Hampton, and Minister Dwayne Davis, to encourage voters to vote for all three of them as a quote, Slate for Change. Representative Ilhan Omar of Minnesota has also endorsed Fata. Here's one view of the race. In the Star Tribune, former Minnesota State Senator Patricia Torres-Rae said Omar Fate is the best choice for Minneapolis mayor. Fata came to the Senate determined to represent the voice of working people. He proposed to guarantee minimum wages for Uber and lift drivers who are getting poverty wages to provide University of Minnesota graduate students with stronger union protections, and to make college in Minnesota not just affordable, but free, Ray wrote. Fate worked with determination and strategy on every one of these policies, and today they are

law for all Minnesotans. He wants to raise the minimum wage to $20 by 20, 28, listen to the voters and pass rent stabilization while still exempting new construction and protect renters from eviction. These are real, tangible changes that can ensure families are not forced to choose between paying rent and putting food on the table, Ray said. Fate believes public safety comes from care, not crackdowns. He secured $19 million for Minneapolis for public safety, which has remained untouched by the current administration. Now here's a different view. Also in the Star Tribune, Adam Duinick, president and CEO of the Minneapolis Downtown Council, argued Jacob Frey's critics would rather see him fail than Minneapolis succeed. I've learned how important it is to approach

nuanced and controversial issues with common sense and balance to achieve the best possible result. Duhannick wrote. Frey has demonstrated a similar approach, successfully employing poise, measured action, and ultimately strong leadership to overcome the adversity our city has faced and position it for continued economic recovery. Now is the time to assert that Minneapolis will recover as the cultural soul, the social capital, and the economic engine of the region and the state. And for that, we need leaders who can be resolute.

in their vision for the city and fuel change in these divisive times. Here's what we are watching in the race. The parallels between this race and New York cities are undeniable, but the comparison leaves a lot out. In fact, a better way to think about Minneapolis's mayoral election is through the lens of George Floyd in the summer of 2020. The defining issue of the race is public safety. Freya's promise to implement reforms recommended by the Biden Justice Department after Floyd's death,

but Fata says the incumbent has not done enough to address issues with the city's police. In turn, Frey accuses Fata of supporting policies aligned with defunding the police, a movement that flourished in Minneapolis in 2020, but has since become politically toxic. The election has also garnered national attention due to outcry, mostly from the right, about Fata's campaign events, where he spoke to Somali American crowds in Somali while waving a flag from a region of Somalia and encouraged them to support him. Notably, Mayor Frey has also been running campaign ads in Somali. But if Fate pulls off an upset, expect Republicans and conservative media to elevate him alongside Mamdani and their critiques of the new faces of the Democratic Party.

So those are the seven races that we're highlighting ahead of today's elections. Now let's run through six ballot measures that we're also keeping tabs on. Number one, Coloradoans will vote on Proposition MM, which authorizes the state to raise $95 million to fully fund a program that provides free breakfast and lunch to all public K-12 students in Colorado. If passed, the state would reduce state income tax deductions for taxpayers earning $300,000 or more to raise the additional revenue. Mainers will vote on question one, which would make several changes to the state's election laws. Most notably, it would add photo ID requirements for in-person and absentee voting, with some religious exceptions. Number three, Maynors will also vote on question two, a measure that would establish a process for obtaining an extreme risk protection order, an ERPO, against individuals considered a significant danger of causing physical injury, also known as a red flag law. Once an ERPO is obtained, that person's access to weapons, including firearms, would be restricted.

and the proposal followed a mass shooting in the state in 2023. Number four, New York City residents will vote on Proposal 6, a ballot measure that would move local elections, such as mayor and public advocate, to presidential election years in an attempt to increase voter turnout. Number five, Texans will vote on Proposition 15, a proposal to add language to the state constitution that parents have the right to, quote,

exercise care, custody, and control of the parent's child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child's upbringing, end quote, and their responsibility to, quote, nurture and protect the parent's child. And finally, number six, Texans will also vote on Proposition 16, which would amend the state constitution to state that, quote, persons who are not citizens of the United States cannot vote in Texas. State law already bans non-citizen voting, but this amendment would affirm the requirement. All right, that is it for our Election Day pre-exam.

of you looking forward to being back here tomorrow to break down the results of these races and more. For now, I'm going to send it over to John to read our Have a Nice Day story and take us home and we'll talk to you tomorrow. John, over to you. Thanks, everybody. And last but not least, our Have a Nice Day story. The population of North Atlantic right whales, which are prone to collisions with boats and entanglements with fishing gear, fell by 25% from 2010 to 2020. However, scientists recently measured a small but meaningful uptick in the endangered species. The whales now number an estimated 384, eight more than a year ago. The slight increase in the population estimate, coupled with no detected mortalities and

fewer detected injuries than in the last several years, leaves us cautiously optimistic about the future of North Atlantic Right Whales, Heather Pettis, chair of the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium said, the Associated Press has this story, and there's a link in today's episode description. All right, everybody, that is it for today's episode. As always, if you'd like to support our work, please go to retangle.com, where you can sign up for a newsletter membership,

podcast membership, or a bundled membership that gets you a discount on both. We'll be right back here tomorrow with the election results. For Isaac and the rest of the crew, this is John Law signing off. Have a great day, y'all. Peace.

Our executive editor and founder is me. Isaac Saul, and our executive producer is John Wall. Today's episode was edited and engineered by Dewey Thomas. Our editorial staff is led by managing editor Ari Weitzman with senior editor Will Kayback and associate editors Hunter Casperson, Audrey Moorhead, Bailey Saw, Lindsay Canuth, and Kendall White. Music for the podcast was produced by Diet 75. To learn more about Tangle and to sign up for a membership, please visit our website at reetangle.com.