Articles by Oren Oppenheim

Technology

Virginia 2025 election results: Spanberger, Earle-Sears face off in governor's race

Virginia, one of only two states holding gubernatorial races this November, is hosting a face-off between Republican Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger. The winner is set to be Virginia's first female governor. Republicans have hoped to keep the governorship -- currently held by term-limited Gov. Glenn Youngkin -- in their hands, while Democrats hope to capitalize on backlash to federal government layoffs, which have been deeply felt in Virginia. Both candidates have discussed issues such as energy, education, and immigration enforcement on the trail and during their debate in October. Down the ballot, Republican candidate and radio host John Reid is facing Democratic candidate state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi in the race for lieutenant governor, which is voted on separately from governor. In the race for attorney general, Jason Miyares, the Republican incumbent, is facing off against Democratic candidate and former House of Delegates member Jay Jones. Jones faced calls from Republicans to drop out of the race in October after Jones' recent texting scandal, in which he was revealed to have called for violence against a Republican lawmaker. Jones has apologized for the texts and said he will be "accountable for my mistakes."

Technology

New York City 2025 election results: Mamdani, Cuomo, Sliwa face off

New York City's mayoral race both gives voters a chance to choose between divergent visions for the city, and, to an extent, represents the struggle between the progressive and moderate wings of the Democratic Party. The Democratic nominee, state Assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, is facing off against former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who is running as an independent, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, along with some other independent and third-party candidates. Mamdani, campaigning on a progressive economic platform, has remained the front-runner since clinching the Democratic primary and has notched key endorsements from figures such as Gov. Kathy Hochul. But he has faced some backlash over the feasibility of his proposals and current or former views on issues such as policing. Meanwhile, Cuomo has been attempting a political comeback, after leaving the public eye when he resigned as governor in 2021 amid sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct allegations. He has framed himself as a moderate who can tap into his previous experience as governor to deliver. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, separately, has rebuffed calls to drop out of the race and argued that he's above the fray of the other candidates; he faced off against incumbent Eric Adams in 2021. Adams himself chose not to run in the Democratic primary and initially mounted an independent campaign, but suspended his campaign in late September, saying that media speculation and funds withheld by the city's campaign finance board undermined his ability to fundraise.