US elections: Women make history with wins in Virginia, Detroit, New Jersey

In landmark results, women won top races in the 2025 US elections - Abigail Spanberger became Virginia's first female governor, Mary Sheffield Detroit's first woman mayor, and Mikie Sherrill New Jers

In a series of historic firsts, women candidates scored major victories in the 2025 US mayoral elections, winning top positions in Virginia, Detroit, and New Jersey. From Virginia’s first female governor to Detroit’s first woman mayor and a former Navy pilot leading New Jersey, the results marked a defining moment in American politics.

Abigail Spanberger wins Virginia governor’s race

Democrat Abigail Spanberger became the first woman governor of Virginia, defeating Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears. According to the Associated Press, her win gives Democrats a key boost ahead of the 2026 midterm elections and ends Republican control of the governor’s office.

 

 

Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA officer, focused her campaign on economic issues, striking chords with both moderates and working-class voters. 

 

Commenting on the win, Spanberger wrote on X: "Thank you, Virginia! It is the honour of my lifetime to be elected your next Governor. Tonight, you chose leadership that will always put you first — and tonight, we turned a page. Let’s put Virginia on a path forward. Let's show the world what we're made of. Let's get to work."

 

In another historic first, Ghazala F Hashmi, also a Democrat, became the first Muslim woman to take the post of Virginia’s lieutenant governor. Meanwhile, Jay Jones won the race for attorney general, becoming the first Black attorney general in Virginia’s history.

Detroit elects its first woman mayor

Detroit voters elected Mary Sheffield as the city’s first female mayor. Sheffield, who previously served as Detroit City Council president, defeated Solomon Kinloch Jr in Tuesday’s election. She replaces three-term mayor Mike Duggan, who chose not to run for reelection. 

 

A member of the Democratic Party, Sheffield, had earlier secured strong support in the all-party municipal primary, where she received more than half of the total votes.

Mikie Sherrill becomes governor of New Jersey

In New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, a Democrat and former Navy helicopter pilot, was elected governor, ensuring continued Democratic leadership in the state.

 

Sherrill, who has served four terms in Congress, defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who had been backed by US President Donald Trump. In her victory speech, Sherrill described her win as a clear message from voters rejecting Trump-era policies on healthcare, immigration, and the economy. 

 

According to the Associated Press, her victory secured New Jersey’s position as a Democratic stronghold, even as the state had recently shown signs of leaning rightward in some local races.

Women and politics

As of February 2025, research by the Centre for American Women and Politics and US Census data show that out of 1,686 mayors and similar officials in American cities and towns with more than 30,000 people, 428 or 25 per cent were women.