Chris Cooper Western Carolina Political Science Professor

Zohran Mamdani has been elected mayor of New York City, capping the Democrat’s stunning ascent from little-known state lawmaker just a year ago to one of the most talked-about politicians in the country. Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger has won Virginia’s election for governor. Her win gives Democrats a boost heading into the 2026 midterm elections and compels Republicans to consider how President Donald Trump and his allies might fare in battleground states and districts. Chris Cooper, the author of Anatomy of a Purple State and Western Carolina University Political Science professor, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss the results of Election Night.