EMPIRE STATE RIVALRY: One of the biggest rivalries in politics is set to intensify as Trump and Zohran Mamdani (D) gird themselves to battle each other following Mamdani's win in the New York City mayoral race.
The Hill's Amie Parnes reports that Mamdani's win could escalate an already tense relationship between the president and mayor-elect. Trump has regularly branded Mamdani, a democratic socialist, as a "communist" and threatened to cut off funding to the city if he were to become mayor.
"If you have a communist running New York, all you're doing is wasting the money you're sending there," Trump said in an interview on CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday.
Trump even gave a last-minute endorsement to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, his one-time rival whom he clashed with throughout his first term in the White House, in an effort to block Mamdani's win.
But Mamdani made clear in his victory speech he plans to oppose Trump as necessary, calling out the president by name several times.
"Donald Trump, since I know you're watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up," he said.
Trump has also threatened to deploy the National Guard into the Big Apple, as he has done in a few other Democratic-led cities.
"Trump will no doubt try to punish Mamdani by threatening New York's federal funding, but he should be careful — Mamdani knows how to mobilize young voters, including many who fueled Trump's own coalition last year," Democratic strategist Anthony Coley said, adding he expects it is "going to get nasty."
Republicans have been eager to use Mamdani's win to go after congressional Democrats, with the House GOP quickly releasing an ad tying Democrats in 49 battleground districts to Mamdani and socialism.
The rivalry between Trump and Mamdani also seems natural given the city's status as Trump's former home. And the two of them represent very different generations of New York.
Trump did seem to leave the door open to softening his stance on Mamdani on Wednesday, saying he would work with him "a little bit."
"And we'll help him. We'll help him. We want New York to be successful," Trump said. "We'll help him. A little bit, maybe."
Mamdani's win is also raising questions for what the future holds for the Democratic Party, as competing progressive and moderate wings can point to victories from Tuesday's results, The Hill's Caroline Vakil reports.
While Mamdani energized a young progressive base on his way to an upset victory in the Democratic primary and a win in the general election, moderates also had a strong night as former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) each scored double-digit victories over their Republican opponents in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, respectively.
Democrats said the party should use Tuesday's wins as an impetus to come together and gear up for the midterms. But it likely won't put to bed the internal debate over the party's direction.
▪ The Hill: Why Dems should be hopeful but also cautious.
HISTORIC FIRSTS: The election Tuesday saw several major firsts and history-making results in contests throughout the country.
Mamdani made history as the first Muslim elected as mayor of New York City. He's also the youngest person elected mayor in more than a century.
Spanberger was elected the first female governor of Virginia. The commonwealth was guaranteed to have elected its first female leader as Spanberger faced Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R).
Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D) was the first Muslim woman to be elected to statewide office anywhere in the U.S.
Sherrill is just the second woman to be elected governor of New Jersey, following former Gov. Christine Todd Whitman, who served as a Republican in the 1990s but has since left the party and endorsed Sherrill this year. With Sherrill's win, Democrats prevailed in their third consecutive gubernatorial race in New Jersey for the first time since the 1960s.
And Detroit elected its first female mayor as City Council President Mary Sheffield (D) easily secured victory in the heavily Democratic-leaning city.
WARNING SIGNS BLINKING: Republicans are evaluating what Tuesday's results could mean for the party as it looks ahead to next year's midterms, with some worrying the GOP isn't understanding voters' discontent with the Trump administration.
The Hill's Julia Manchester reports that some Republicans believe their party didn't focus enough on issues like affordability.
"We got our a--es handed to us," said Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in a video on the social platform X, arguing for a greater focus on affordability over identity politics.
Vice President Vance brushed off the results, saying in a post on X that "it's idiotic to overreact to a couple of elections in blue states." But he echoed sentiments that Republicans need to focus on affordability, saying it's "the metric by which we'll ultimately be judged" in 2026.
Still, Republicans said the results are a "wake-up call" before next year's midterms. GOP donor Dan Eberhart called the night a "nuclear disaster" for the party.
Democrats also more directly notched a big win in the battle for the House in 2026, as the ballot measure to allow California to redraw its congressional lines passed with flying colors.
Election handicapper Sabato's Crystal Ball shifted 11 House races in the Golden State toward Democrats after the measure passed, including five seats currently held by Republicans, while one shifted toward the GOP.
But the Democratic push to win back control of the House won't be easy. Republicans still likely have the advantage in the redistricting battle, and Democrats took a big blow on Wednesday when centrist Democratic Rep. Jared Golden announced he won't be seeking another term in office in Maine.
Golden represents a conservative-leaning district that voted for Trump last year, and his retirement will have Republicans eyeing it even more as a pickup opportunity.
▪ ABC News: Elections give Democrats a roadmap, but not a ticket.
GREENE DENIES 2028 SPECULATION: Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) denied reports that she's considering a presidential run in 2028, telling NewsNation that her focus is on her House district.
"The only thing that I'm focused on is being a representative for my district," the Georgia Republican told "The Hill" on NewsNation.
NOTUS reported that Greene has been telling colleagues about her interest in seeking the White House, with one source saying she believes herself to be "real MAGA" while others have strayed. They said Greene believes she has the "national donor network" to win a GOP primary.
But Greene denied the report and allegations from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) that she's on a revenge tour. Ocasio-Cortez alleged that the Georgia Republican wanted to run for Senate next year but Trump told her not to.
"It's not true," Greene said. "I see the Senate as basically where all good things go to die."
Greene has received significant attention in recent weeks for several issues where she has broken with many members of her party, including on the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files and the GOP's handling of the government shutdown. She also notably went on "The View" on Tuesday.
Greene has denied that she's changed, saying she is the same person she was when she was first elected.
HERITAGE PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES: Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts apologized Wednesday to the right-wing think tank's staff for his defense of Tucker Carlson that spurred significant backlash and caused a split in the conservative movement.
Roberts's apology came in an all-staff meeting, video published by the Washington Free Beacon revealed.
The apology is the latest attempt at damage control for the initial controversial video that Roberts posted in which he defended Carlson's decision to interview white nationalist Nick Fuentes, pushing back against those he accused of trying to "cancel" them.
Roberts's statement sparked outrage among Republican politicians, conservative allies and members of Heritage's own staff, who shared their concerns at the all-staff meeting.
Amy Swearer, a senior legal fellow, told Roberts he showed "a stunning lack of both courage and judgement."
"I don't know how I can stand here with a straight face and tell you that I have confidence in your leadership," she said.
Following the meeting, Roberts posted another video on X on Wednesday, saying he would challenge Carlson.
"Everyone has the responsibility to speak up against the scourge of antisemitism, no matter the messenger. Heritage and I will do so, even when my friend Tucker Carlson needs challenging," he said.
Roberts has said he wouldn't resign from his role over the controversy.
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