Audio By Carbonatix

The 3 bellwethers to watch…which, by the way, do you know why it is called a “bellwether?”

A bellwether isn’t about weather at all—it’s about sheep. In a flock, there has to be a lead sheep for the herd to follow. That first one gets a “bell,” the rest just follow the noise. And “wether” refers to a castrated male sheep. Glorious. Somehow that seems to be very on-brand for our current culture–a bunch of sheep following Eustis the Eunich (the mutton with nothing…ahem, well–the least amount of balls in the barn), not because he knows any better but because he is making the most noise. But we will get to the NYC Mayoral election in a minute.

1) Virginia: Governor + House of Delegates

Why it matters: Virginia is the closest thing we get to a real-time national mood check in an off-year. It tests suburban swing voters, education/economy messaging, and the parties’ ground games. Control of the entire House of Delegates (100 seats) is also up, with 51 needed for a majority.

Governor—current polling:
A Washington Post–Schar School survey shows Democrat Abigail Spanberger +12 (55–43) over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears. Which blows my mind because Winsome Earle-Sears is arguably one of the most lovely, competent, qualified candidates we have ever seen–which is why she could never run as a Democrat. Down-ballot, Dems hold small single-digit edges for LG and AG.  I could watch Earle-Sears debate clip asking “Abigail, do you have nothing to say?” on repeat to keep me warm in winter. It was delightful.

What would count as a GOP “win”:

• Flip the Governor’s Mansion (obvious W).
• If the governor’s race falls short, win/hold a majority in the House and keep margins close statewide—proof the party can compete in a Biden-won state’s suburbs. (Dems currently hold 51–48 with one vacancy/shift potential; Republicans need 51 to control.)
• Issue metrics: If late polls tighten to low single digits and GOP improves with independents (economy/schools), that’s a leading indicator for 2026.

Why Dems care: A Spanberger win might woo them back to the far-left from the outter edge of madness left, with a “moderate” win. Which is laughable because even their moderates are radical.

2) New Jersey: Governor + General Assembly

Why it matters: New Jersey is deep blue at the federal level—but the last GOP near-miss (Ciattarelli in 2021) reminded everyone that taxes, schools, and crime can narrow margins fast. All 80 Assembly seats are up (41 for a majority).

Governor—current polling:
A Rutgers-Eagleton/SSRS poll (reported this summer) had Democrat Mikie Sherrill 51% – Republican Jack Ciattarelli 31%—a 20-point lead with 13% undecided. That’s a tough map for a GOP flip unless the gap collapses in the next ten minutes. What happened at the Naval Academy, Mikie?? If only character and legitimate credentials were required to run for office. Speaking of—why in the world would George Santos be pardoned? What goods does he have and on whom warrant a pardon for maybe the strangest fruit in the GOP basket?

What would count as a GOP “win”:

• The grail is an upset governor flip—but realistically, the metric is shrink the statewide margin to single digits and gain Assembly seats out of the current 52–28 Democratic edge. Netting even minimal pick-ups would signal competitive momentum in the Northeast again.

Why Dems care: A comfortable Sherrill win plus holding 50+ Assembly seats would go a long way to squashing the dirty rumor that the GOP is now the party of education and normalcy.

3) New York City: Mayor

Why it matters: Not a partisan flip test (the GOP hasn’t won City Hall in a long while), but a policy signal for big-city governance—crime, affordability, migrant policy, schools. The winner will shape national narratives about urban progressives vs. centrists.

Current polling: Multiple polls show Democrat Zohran Mamdani leading a fractured field (independent Andrew Cuomo, Republican Curtis Sliwa, others). The Hill shows Mamdani 43%, Cuomo 28%, Sliwa 10%, Adams 8%; Slingshot Strategies earlier had Mamdani 35, Cuomo 25, Sliwa 14, Adams 11. Trend: Mamdani by double digits, opposition split. I hate that Sliwa didn’t catch on quick enough, he is actually a pretty great candidate as far as personality and purpose. He has “aura” as the kids say. I mean anyone that survived a Gotti mob hit in a yellow-cab? What could possibly be more New York City?!

What would count as a GOP “win”:

• In practical terms, narrowing the Democratic margin citywide and boosting Republican performance in Queens/ Staten Island precincts that translate to 2026 congressional battlegrounds. Narrowing the margin, would also give one shred of confidence in humanity for not electing a communist. Part of me is okay with NY “fafo-ing” with their darling wannabe dictator but it will be catastrophic to the decent people trapped there.

Why Dems care: A decisive Mamdani win crowns the far-left radicals in the party kingmakers in the nation’s largest city. A surprisingly close finish would encourage moderates to argue for a return to sanity on crime, schools, and spending.

Mind-blowing. They truly are about to elect a communist because no one is curious enough to know what a communist believes.

What signals a GOP “good night”

• Virginia: Win the governor’s race OR hold/flip the House while keeping the statewide margin within ~3–5 points.
• New Jersey: Close the governor margin to single digits and net +5 (or more) Assembly seats. A 40–40 split is fantasy; crossing 35 seats would still be a momentum story.
• NYC Mayor: Not a flip test—measure issue traction and margins. If public-safety/affordability messages move independents, that’s a 2026 preview.

If Republicans win Virginia or bank real seat gains in New Jersey, it’s a green light for a suburban comeback narrative in 2026. If Democrats sweep Virginia statewide, hold NJ comfortably, and win NYC by a big margin, they’ll claim the center of gravity is still with them—especially on competence, schools, and the cost of living.

Goodluck and godspeed! Watch the margins in the meadows, not just the headlines. Ring those bells, baby!