Early voting begins in New York City mayor's race and contest to pick New Jersey's next governor

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NEW YORK (AP) — Polling places opened Saturday for the start of in-person voting for two of the year's most closely watched elections: The New York City mayor's race and the contest to pick New Jersey's next governor.

New Yorkers are choosing between Democrat Zohran Mamdani, Republican Curtis Sliwa and former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat on the ballot as an independent. The incumbent mayor, Eric Adams, is also on the ballot but dropped out of the race last month and recently threw his support behind Cuomo.

The New Jersey governor’s race features Republican state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli against Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill.

New York has allowed early voting since 2019, and it has become relatively popular. In June's mayoral primary, about 35% of the ballots were cast early and in person, according to the city's campaign finance board.

New Jersey adopted early voting in 2021.

The off-year elections in neighboring states could be bellwethers for Democratic Party leaders as they try to decide what kinds of candidates might be best to lead their resistance to Republican President Donald Trump ’s agenda.

The races have spotlighted affordability and cost of living issues as well as ongoing divisions within the Democratic Party, said Ashley Koning, director of the Eagleton Center for Public Interest Polling at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

“New York City pits the progressive wing against the establishment old guard in Mamdani versus Cuomo, while New Jersey is banking on moderate candidate Mikie Sherrill to appeal to its broad middle,” she said.

Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has electrified liberal voters, drawn to his proposals for universal, free child care, free buses, and a rent freeze for New Yorkers living in about 1 million rent-regulated apartments.

Cuomo has portrayed Mamdani's policies as naive and financially irresponsible. He has appealed to voters to pick him because of his experience as the state's governor, a position he gave up in 2021 after multiple women accused him of sexual harassment.

Cuomo has also assailed Mamdani, who would be the city's first Muslim mayor, over his criticism of Israel.

Mamdani, who has weathered anti-Muslim rhetoric during the contest, says Israel’s military actions in Gaza have amounted to genocide. Cuomo and Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels public safety patrol group, equate Mamdani's position with antisemitism.

The New Jersey gubernatorial candidates, in their final debate earlier this month, sparred over the federal government shutdown, Sherrill’s military records, Trump's policies and the high cost of living in the state. The winner would succeed Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited.

Early voting is already underway in other states.

In Virginia, voters began casting early ballots on Sept. 19. In that closely-watched governor's race, they're choosing between former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a Democrat, and Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

One of those candidates will become Virginia's first female governor. They clashed over cultural issues such as the rights of transgender children in sports and school bathrooms during their lone debate earlier this month.

Early voting runs through Nov. 1 in Virginia and Nov. 2 in New York City and New Jersey. Polling sites in all three states will then open widely for Election Day on Nov. 4.

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Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo