DemDaily: The Last Elections of 2025!

November 19, 2025

While Democrats celebrate their Sweet Blue Sweep in the November 4 elections, there are still a handful of races remaining that will further test the level of backlash to the Trump administration -- and in traditional GOP territory that has been politically improbable, until now.

Update on the Outstanding
In post-election developments, Arizona's Seventh Congressional District Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva, who won the September 23 special election to succeed her father, the late Raúl Grijalva, was finally sworn into the 119th Congress on November 12 after a seven-week delay -- the longest in congressional history.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) faced widespread criticism and a lawsuit for the delay, which Democrats argued was a political maneuver to prevent Grijalva from providing the decisive 218th signature on a discharge petition to force a House vote on releasing the full Jeffrey Epstein files. Johnson had publicly stated Grijalva could not be sworn in until the government shutdown was over, despite having sworn in Republican members during similar recesses. Grijalva signed the petition immediately after taking oath.

On Tuesday, Congress overwhelmingly passed the "Epstein Files Transparency Act," which now awaits President Donald Trump's signature.

In the Seattle, Washington mayoral race, progressive organizer and political newcomer Katie Wilson unseated fellow Democrat and incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell, a moderate, in the high-turnout election.

Harrell, 43, was ahead by more than 10,000 votes the day after the election, but mail-in ballots counted after November 4 put Wilson in the lead, for a final victory of 50.20%-49.47% November 13. Wilson, a co-founder of the advocacy group Transit Riders Union, focused on the high price of housing in Seattle and affordability, pushing out her message and her candidacy through social media as opposed to Harrell's more traditional campaign.

2025 ELECTION CALENDAR
DECEMBER 2025

December 2: Tennessee Seventh Congressional District Special General Election
In the final congressional special election of 2025, Democratic State Representative Aftyn Behn and Trump-endorsed former Tennessee General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps (R) are facing off in the race to succeed former GOP Congressman Mark Green, who resigned in July 2025 to take a job in the private sector.

Behn, an organizer, social worker and formidable voice in the Republican-dominated Tennessee State House, has become the cause celeb of national Democrats, with the party's progressive wing dubbing her the "AOC of Tennessee."

Although running to the left is counterintuitive to success in a district that voted for Donald Trump by 22% in 2024, Democrats are buoyed by their successful election message on affordability -- the centerpiece of Behn's campaign -- as well as the post-redistricting shift in demographics, voter performance, and the caliber of the candidate.

According to The Tennessean, the "7th District has been represented by Republicans since 1983. But new district boundaries drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature in 2021 moved the district into northern Nashville, adding a significant Democratic population. Since redistricting, Republicans have not won more than 60% of the vote," and in the October 7 special election primary, GOP turnout was down 75%.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report, which gives the district a Partisan Voting Index (PVI) of R+10, moved its rating of the race to “lean Republican” from “solid Republican” last week. Although Republicans have outspent Democrats 3 to 1 in ad spending, Behn's internal polling shows her within “striking distance,” at 8 to 10 points behind Van Epps.

December 2: Jersey City, New Jersey Mayoral General Runoff
Among a field of seven contenders, two-term City Council member James Solomon (29.2%) and former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey (25.1%), both Democrats, advanced to the December 2 runoff.

They are vying to replace three-term Mayor Steve Fulop (D), who waged an unsuccessful bid for the Democratic nomination for governor in June.

McGreevey, who is waging a political comeback, was elected Governor in 2002 with 56% of the vote, but resigned in November 2004 after coming out as a "gay American" and admitting to an extramarital affair with a male employee. He subsequently earned a Master of Divinity degree, ministered to prison inmates, and worked with advocacy and nonprofit organizations related to post-prison reentry programs. His memoir, The Confession. was released in 2006.

December 9: Albuquerque, New Mexico Mayoral General Runoff
Incumbent Democratic Mayor Tim Keller secured 35.6% of the vote, triggering a December 9 runoff with former Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White (R), who garnered 30.9%. The two are waging a hard-hitting ad war. TBD: The endorsement of former US Attorney Alex Uballez (D), who finished third in the October general election with 19% of the vote -- largely with support of younger, progressive voters.

December 9: Miami, Florida Mayoral General Runoff
Miami, Florida: Democratic County Board member Eileen Higgins (35.96%) and Republican former City Manager Emilio T. Gonzalez (19.47%), who was endorsed by Governor Ron DeSantis (R), advanced to the December 9 runoff from a field of 13 candidates.

In the race to succeed outgoing Republican Mayor Francis Suarez, who is term-limited, candidate and former Mayor Xavier Suarez, the father of the current mayor, came in sixth with just 5% of the vote.

Although Miami has not elected a Democrat as its mayor in 28 years, the results bode well for a Democratic flip. Kamala Harris won Miami by around 1,000 votes in 2024, and Democrats hold a 23,000-person registration advantage there.

2025/2026 CALENDAR
January 31, 2026: Texas 18th Congressional District Special General Election Runoff
The Houston-based 18th CD special election to fill the seat of the late Sylvester Turner (D) is going to a January 31, 2026 runoff between Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee (28.9%) and former Houston City Councilmember Amanda Edwards (25.6%), who emerged as the top two finishers in the November 4 special election among a field of 16 candidates.

Related
DemDaily: The Sweet Blue Sweep. Where Else We Won! 11/12/25
DemDaily: The Sweet Blue Sweep! 11/7/25
DemDaily: Early Vote, Election Day: The Status 11/4/25
DemDaily: DemDaily: Battlefield Virginia: The Landscape 10/29/25
DemDaily: No Kings: The Making of a Movement 10/24/25
DemDaily: Fighting Fire With Fire: Prop 50 10/16/25
DemDaily: This Week’s Election Results! Tennessee, North Carolina 10/9/25
DemDaily: The Keystone State’s Consequential Court 10/7/25
DemDaily: No Kings Day! We Chose Democracy 10/3/25
DemDaily: When a Government Shuts Down 10/2/25\

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