In the breakfast with senators, President Trump calls last night's election "an interesting evening".

"Last night it was, you know, not expected to be a victory," he says.

He says the election was "very democratic", and it wasn't "good for Republicans".

"But we had, an interesting evening and we learned a lot," he says.

"And we're going to talk about that and I'll say a few remarks, and then after that, I'll ask the press to leave."

The president says that, according to the pollsters, the government shutdown was a big negative factor for the Republicans - and that his own name not being on the ballot was "the biggest factor".

• For context, the US government has shut down from 1 October, after Congress was unable to agree to a new funding deal

Image source, White House

Donald Trump is speaking now at a breakfast with senators, talking about the election yesterday.

We’ll bring you the key lines soon - stick with us.

Lola Schroer
Culture reporter

Image source, Getty Images

A notable feature of Zohran Mamdani’s campaign was his use of music, both online and on the dancefloor.

Mamdani, who previously released rap music under the name Mr Cardamom, leaned into his musical past during the final weeks before election day.

Clips of him dancing and rapping in clubs around New York circulated widely on TikTok and Instagram, particularly as younger New Yorkers began sharing them during what some users nicknamed “Halloweekend.”

In one viral video, Mamdani was seen singing along to Kendrick Lamar’s Not Like Us. In others, he appeared in a Brooklyn club performing, word-for-word, to the Jamaican dancehall track Gyal You a Party Animal by Charly Black, as well as joining a crowd sing-along to New York anthem Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay-Z.

The music carried through to election night. Mamdani closed his victory speech with Dhoom Machale, a Bollywood anthem, as his family joined him on stage, a moment that seemed to be a celebratory nod to his heritage.

His live musical appearances turning into viral online moments appear to have helped him connect with younger voters and project a less formal style of political campaigning, one where you might - quite literally - find yourself dancing with the mayor.

For the first time in a very long while, the Democrats are celebrating.

But with suggestions that some party grandees are not entirely behind Zohran Mamdani, the question now is whether the party will try and harness the movement he has put together, says our North America editor Sarah Smith.

You can listen to Sarah's quick take on what lies ahead for Mamdani below.

For a deeper dive on the New York mayoral election - and several other key races overnight - listen to the new episode of Americast over on BBC Sounds.

There were scenes of celebration in New York overnight with people cheering, clapping and chanting: "Zohran, Zohran, Zohran!"

One man tells Reuters news agency he has been in New York for 13 years, and this is the first mayor he is excited to see run the city.

Mamdani's clear campaign messages resonated with him. "I loved his points tonight; I loved that he really stayed on three of them," he says.

"We're going to make the city affordable, we're going to have free buses, we're going to have free childcare."

Image source, Reuters

A woman of around Mamdani's age adds that it's "refreshing" to have a younger mayor, and someone prepared to "stand up to the system and the president".

Image source, Reuters

Another man says: "As an Albanian-American born in this country as a Muslim, it’s satisfying to see someone my age with the same beliefs as me - who wants to make a more affordable NYC."

Image source, Reuters

Trump on Mamdani:

• Endorsing independent Andrew Cuomo in the New York City mayoral race, Trump urged voters not to vote for Mamdani
• During the campaign, Trump referred to Mamdani as a "communist" - a label the mayor-elect rejects - and threatened to cut federal funding to the city should he win
• During Mamdani's victory speech last night, Trump wrote on Truth Social: "…AND SO IT BEGINS!"

Mamdani on Trump:

• Ahead of last night's results, Mamdani called Cuomo a puppet and parrot of Trump who would be a "mirror image" of his presidency in City Hall

• The mayor-elect directly addressed Trump in his victory speech, demanding him to "turn the volume up"
• In the speech, he described landlords and "tax-evading billionaires" as "the Donald Trumps of our city"

It's the morning after the (election) night before on America's east coast, where the Democrats have swept the first major elections of Donald Trump's second term.

Catching up on all the action? Here's what you need to know:

• In New York City, Zohran Mamdani has won the mayoral race, becoming the first Muslim mayor and youngest person in over a century to lead the finance capital of the US. He'll take office on New Year’s Day
• In his victory speech, Mamdani challenged Trump with four words: "Turn the volume up"
• Mamdani has sealed a remarkable victory, but his successes - and failures - will be closely scrutinised, writes Anthony Zurcher

• Over in Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger has won the race for governor - the first woman in the job. Her fellow Democrat, Mikie Sherrill, has also won the governor race in New Jersey. They'll both take office in mid-January
• It's also been a night of celebration for the Democrats on the west coast. In California, voters approved a measure to redraw political lines to favour Democrats. We've broken down what that means

Stay with us for further updates, reaction and analysis from our teams in London, New York and around the world.

What is 'fusion voting'?published at 11:46 GMT 5 November

11:46 GMT 5 November

By Aisha Sembhi

Zohran Mamdani's campaign and this mayoral race was an event that drew the attention of tech billionaire Elon Musk.

Yesterday, in a post on his social media platform X, Musk called the election a “scam” because some candidates' names appeared on the ballot paper twice.

But this is common practice in New York state elections, as part of a system called fusion voting where multiple parties can endorse a single candidate and list them on the ballot.

This was the case during last year’s presidential election, where ballots from several New York counties had frontrunners Donald Trump and Kamala Harris appearing twice.

As you can see in this sample ballot from Madison County below, Trump was listed under both the Republican and Conservative parties and Harris was endorsed by the Democratic and Working Families parties.

Image source, Madison County

Andrew Cuomo, who lost his mayoral bid to Mamdani last night, appeared on four lines in his successful 2018 run for governor of New York.

Musk also pointed out that Cuomo’s name was listed last on yesterday’s ballot as evidence of the “scam”, but this is because he ran as an independent candidate after losing the Democratic nomination to Mamdani.

Image source, Getty Images

Political analysts sometimes call the gubernatorial (governor) elections in New Jersey and Virginia bellwethers for the US midterm elections. These are held every four years, at the half way point of a presidential term.

The next midterms will be held on the 3 November 2026.

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives will be up for election, along with 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate.

The midterms are often described as test of how the sitting president's party is doing.

Looking ahead to the 2026 midterms, there's a lot at stake for US President Donald Trump.

The Repulicans currently control both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but if the Democrats manage to take control of the chambers, the'll be able to stunt Trump's ability to pass legislation for the next two years, and could even initiate impeachment proceedings against him.

Taking control of either chamber would also put the Democratic Party in charge of its congressional oversight committee - there is one for the House and one for the Senate. This comes with powers to launch investigations and force individuals to testify under an order called a subpoena.

Mamdani's win attracts political interest from across Atlanticpublished at 11:09 GMT 5 November

11:09 GMT 5 November

Henry Zeffman
Chief political correspondent

Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York City is attracting political interest in the UK, too.

Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, identified similarities between the two, saying: “New Yorkers faced a clear choice — between hope and fear — and just like we’ve seen in London hope won.” A source close to the mayor also drew comparisons between their shared Muslim faith and some of the attacks both have faced from their political rivals.

At Westminster, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has been the most senior government minister to embrace Mamdani. He wrote on X that Mamdani’s campaign had been “inspirational” and that there were “lessons for progressives the world over”.

Bridget Phillipson, the education secretary, adopted a different tone. Asked by Sky News whether she liked Mamdani, she replied: “I’ll be honest, I don’t follow American politics especially closely”.

Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, said he would adopt “the same relentless focus on inequality” as Mamdani and shared messages on social media comparing the two.

Not everyone in Britain is as eager to look across the Atlantic.

One influential Labour figure said: “I’ll tell you what, I cannot be doing with all the takes we'll get on this New York mayor and what it means for the Labour Party.”

Jake Lapham
Live reporter

Image source, ZohranMamdani/ YouTube

From kebab vans to scavenger hunts, Zohran Mamdani's social media strategy played a part in propelling him to victory in this mayoral election.

His heavily edited videos on TikTok and Instagram have amassed millions of views and arguably helped him transcend politics, becoming both a mayoral candidate and a pop culture figure.

In one of the first clips of his candidacy in October 2024, Mamdani walks down the street telling viewers: "The cost of living is the real crisis." The video features a hip-hop beat, and a retro-style filter - stylistic elements that have since become a hallmark of his social feeds.

His most successful videos are often infused with personality. In a recent TikTok video that amassed more than seven million views, Mamdani attempts to deliver his campaign messages in Spanish, but self-deprecatingly adds: "Together we'll build the city we deserve! And with your help, I'll keep learning Spanish."

Other campaign stunts, like a scavenger hunt across the city, were designed to mobilise Gen Z voters.

Exactly how effective this strategy was in securing him victory is impossible to know. A look at the comments section of his videos will tell you the global nature of his supporter base - many of whom did not vote in Tuesday's election.

There's also the question of whether social media hype can sustain a political movement. Kamala Harris's embrace of Charli xcx's "brat" meme dominated the internet for a time - but failed to deliver meaningful momentum in the US presidential election last year.

In any case, Mamdani's social media strategy will likely be used as a blueprint for some political candidates going forward.

Image source, Getty Images

Born in Uganda, Zohran Mamdani moved to New York with his family aged seven. He also spent some time as a teenager interning at Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper.

Journalist Angelo Izama, who was his assigned mentor there, remembers him as "rather shy" but "boundlessly curious".

Izama tells the BBC World Service's Newsday programme that Mamdani was more interested in sport than politics at the time.

"We had to try and keep him focused on current affairs using creative means. I don't think anyone knew he would be a future mayor."

Izama adds that "there is real excitement for much younger Ugandans" about Mamdani's election win.

Soutik Biswas
India correspondent

Image source, API/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

"A moment comes but rarely in history when we step out from the old to the new," Zohran Mamdani told a jubilant crowd in New York on Wednesday.

He was quoting India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru's midnight speech of 1947, when the country awoke to freedom after nearly two centuries of British rule.

As Mamdani wrapped up his victory speech, the title track from the 2004 Bollywood hit Dhoom rang out across the hall.

Months earlier, Mamdani had turned Bollywood into campaign language. He's recorded several messages in Hindi, often relying on playful imagery and dialogues from popular Bollywood films.

Invoking India's first prime minister on Wednesday was a final flourish.

Decades earlier, in another moment of awakening, Nehru had been evoking something far larger - a nation's rebirth. The roughly 1,600-word speech by India's first prime minister has gone down as one of the most famous speeches in history.

Many believe Mamdani's nod to Nehru's speech held out the promise that something new, untested, and potentially transformative had begun in New York.

The cost of living was a key focus of Mamdani’s campaign - a message that resonated with voters in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Rents are a particular pinch point. The average one-bedroom apartment in the city centre costs $4,143 per month (about £3,180).

Childcare is another challenge.

Isabella Weber, a Mamdani supporter and professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, says people are moving away from the city as a result.

She tells BBC Business Daily that this includes personal friends, who are “high-earning professionals”.

In 2024, the annual cost of privately-provided childcare ranged between $16,900 and $26,000 (£13,000-£20,000) depending on the type of care provided and the population served, according to figures cited by the New York City comptroller, external.

Mamdani has promised affordable housing, rent freezes, free public buses and universal childcare for children under five. He says it will be paid for by new taxes on millionaires and corporations.

Voters in California have approved a measure to redraw political lines to favour Democrats - launching a counterattack against similar efforts by conservative-led states in a nationwide battle for control of the US House of Representatives

In a statewide referendum, voters approved the redistricting measure, called Prop 50.

It is aimed at reconfiguring the state's voting districts to give Democrats better chances at taking five House seats from Republicans during next year's midterm elections.

Whether the measure will tip the balance of power in Washington remains unclear as more Republican-led states are also redrawing their voting lines under pressure from President Donald Trump.

Currently, Republicans hold a small, five-seat majority in the 435-member House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Congress.

If Democrats win a majority in the chamber in the 2026 election, they will be able to stunt Donald Trump's legislative agenda for at least the next two years and also lead congressional oversight of his administration - action that could range from investigations, complete with subpoenas, to impeachment.

A look nationally shows the effort in Democrat-heavy California won't be enough on its own to cancel out gains by Republicans who have also redone voting maps. Four Republican-led states have already redrawn their lines so far this year, giving the party a likely advantage in nine new voting districts.

Image source, Reuters

Zohran Mamdani successfully overcame the hurdle of his identity during the New York City mayoral race, prominent left-wing commentator Hasan Piker tells the BBC.

Piker - described as a "celebrity of the left", who hosted the 34-year-old mayor-elect on his podcast - says Mamdani's Muslim identity played a "negative role in his campaign".

"This is a person who was relentlessly hounded in the last two weeks of his campaign... identity was a hurdle he had to overcome," Piker tells BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Instead, Piker argues that Mamdani's focus on making the city affordable - combined with him centring the working class - is what ultimately made him victorious.

"His charisma definitely played a huge role in being able to reach people... if you don't have good policies that people identify with...then no amount of charisma can overcome that gap," says Piker.

What does Mamdani's win mean for future of Democratic Party?published at 09:31 GMT 5 November

09:31 GMT 5 November

Nada Tawfik
Reporting from New York

Image source, Getty Images

Zohran Mamdani’s stunning rise has forced Democrats into a necessary debate about the future of party, one year out from the midterm elections.

His campaign exposed generational and ideological divides within the base, with very different visions on how to take on President Donald Trump in his norm shattering second term.

Is it best to lean towards moderation? Or is the same anti-establishment, populist message that propelled Trump to victory - only in the left’s image - the antidote to fight back?

In New York, at least, the democratic socialist showed voters are hungry for the latter. But what about the rest of the country?

NYC comptroller and Mamdani ally Brad Lander told me there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution.

But he said the Democratic leadership must acknowledge different things will work in different parts of the country and let the primary process play out.

Meanwhile, Andres Bernal - a former policy adviser to another progressive star, NY Representative Alexandria Ocasio Cortez - says Democrats can learn from Mamdani’s ability to connect with people’s concerns in a way that feels authentic.

Bernal says: "Today’s Republicans shape public discourse and they try to shape political consciousness in this country, while Democrats kind of just assume that people have fixed beliefs. They look at polls and say, 'okay, how do we match what we say to what we think people believe?'"

Zohran Mamdani’s campaign has been compared to Barack Obama’s historic run to become the first black US president.

But could Mamdani follow in those footsteps to the White House? The answer is no.

Mamdani became a naturalised US citizen in 2018 but he was not a citizen at the time of his birth, which is required under current law for a person to become president or vice-president.

Mamdani was born in 1991 in Uganda to Indian parents - neither of whom were US citizens at the time - and moved to the US when he was seven years old.

Image source, Getty Images

There hasn't been a moment like this in US politics since Barack Obama won the presidency, his former deputy national security adviser says of the New York mayoral race.

Ben Rhodes tells Radio 4's Today programme that Mamdani "changed the electorate" by urging young people and immigrants in New York City to vote.

"He most importantly built a movement... he's a unifying figure. He's not as divisive a figure as people portray," Rhodes says.

What's left now is to see if Mamdani can deliver on his pledges, which could impart "huge change" on the city, he adds.

Image source, Getty Images

Trump's former special assistant - and the son of former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani - says he's surprised by Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York.

Andrew Giuliani tells the BBC World Service's Newsday programme: "It's a bit of a shock... to imagine the city of New York, arguably the financial capital of the world.... will now be run by a 34-year-old self-avowed socialist."

While Giuliani says he believes Mamdani will likely deliver more affordable housing in the city, he projects that crime will "increase significantly" because Mamdani is "aggressively anti-police".

"I think you're going to see a lot of people over the coming years here keep a very, very close eye on New York."

• For context: In 2020, after the murder of black man George Floyd by a police officer in Minnesota, Mamdani said the New York City Police Department (NYPD) should be defunded, calling it "racist". He has since apologised and said he no longer holds those views
• During his campaign, Mamdani said he would maintain the current level of NYPD staffing and create a new department of community safety that would deploy mental health care teams instead of armed officers to non-threatening, psychiatric calls