Soaring costs of living and the nation’s longest government shutdown have fueled fierce voter backlash against US President Donald Trump with the Democrats being handed sweeping victories in multiple state elections.
Tue 18 Nov 2025 06.00
Photo: Official White House Photo/Patrick Witty
“We are talking era defining election victories at the state level,” said Dr Emma Shortis, Director of International & Security Affairs at the Australia Institute.
New York City, New Jersey and Virginia all delivered a strong message to President Trump at the Republicans, and while considered “small scale races”, Dr Shortis said it shows “how much the political landscape is shifting”.
Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist, romped home to be elected as New York City’s mayor, securing 50% of the vote to become “the first candidate to get more than a million votes since 1969”.
Speaking on the Australia Institute’s After America podcast, Dr Shortis said he’s, “clearly mobilised a mass movement and has a huge amount of enthusiasm behind him.
“Mamdani, while focused on issues of great concern to voters, including Palestine and including things like trans rights, also focused really strongly on cost of living.”
Political commentators have credited the Democrat’s return to “kitchen-table issues” for its “blowout” results.
Former CIA agent Abigail Spanberger made history to became the first female governor in Virginia with a double-digit win, while fellow moderate Mikie Sherrill took New Jersey after campaigning on affordability, including a freeze on utility rate hikes.
Dr Shortis pointed out there’s an ongoing internal battle amongst the Democratic Party about “whether they go woke or whether they focus on the issues that really matter to people like cost of living”.
“I think what these electoral victories show is that it is actually possible to walk and chew gum at the same time.”
She also noted that it “shows what a broad church the Democratic party is” and how it’s “not ideologically united”.
“It is spread across a spectrum and that’s okay. It can do that and still win. It doesn’t only have to pick one lane.”
“In a country as big and diverse as the United States … how could it be any other way?” said Executive Producer and co-host, Angus Blackman. “You’ve got to appeal to different sections of American society.
“Obviously, that’s a political challenge to make sure you’re messaging in North Carolina doesn’t put off voters in New York City. But I mean, that’s the job of politicians, isn’t it?”
Dr Shortis said it’s a strategy that relies on substance.
“It’s entirely possible if you’re doing that in good faith. I think so much of the conversation around this assumes that politics is an exercise in PR and not an exercise in substance.
“What the last week shows is that if there’s substance behind a candidate, if a candidate is authentic and speaking to voters, then it is entirely possible to be locally focused within the umbrella of a national party.”
However, not everyone shares the same cost of living concerns. Zohran Mamdani’s victory has some of the 1% are fearful New York will be turned into a “progressive playground” where the rich are taxed so the city can provide free childcare and public transport.
“Mamdani has clearly mobilised a mass movement and has a huge amount of enthusiasm behind him,” said Dr Shortis, “but that won’t necessarily translate nationally if the Democrats aren’t able to get their shit together, basically”.
While the resounding victories send a clear message to the Republicans, Dr Shortis warned people should never “underestimate Trump’s ability to turn things around”.
“He’s much better at setting the narrative and redirecting blame. We know he’s a master of that,” she said.
“He’s also really good at exploiting a kind of structure within American political culture that punches down, that plays on people’s fears, that people with less than them are coming for them, particularly along racial divides.”
Dr Shortis expects the Trump administration will further double down on claims about immigration and “illegal aliens” taking over American democracy.
“I don’t think we can be cynical enough when it comes to Trump and the Trump administration.”
She pointed to the escalating tensions with Venezuela with the US President this week briefed on “potential military options”.
“To have an American president engage in adventurism abroad in order to consolidate a hold on domestic politics. That’s not an unusual tactic for authoritarians or even consigned just to America.”
It isn’t always easy to keep up with what’s happening in the US. “Shorter America” is a series where Dr Emma Shortis loops you in on what’s going on in America and shares news and analysis that you can trust.
