The country’s political class likes to make a big deal out of the off-year elections. The battle to determine the next occupants of the governor’s mansions in New Jersey and Virginia are viewed with intrigue. So too is the election to decide the next mayor of New York City.

Much punditry is anchored on the rationale that the outcomes of these elections would be seen as a bellwether for 2026.

Simply put, major victories for GOP candidates in the Big Apple, the Garden State and the Old Dominion could be interpreted as endorsements of Washington’s Republican governing majorities in Congress and the White House. Or, if the trio of contests are won by the Democrats, the political intelligentsia is expected to conclude that Washington Republicans might be losing support from certain constituents.

At George Mason University’s Department of Communication, 15 students in the fall’s political journalism class are monitoring the November elections. With careful attention to Washington’s ruling party — President Donald Trump & co. — central to the class’ focus has been an in-depth evaluation of the incumbency. The New York City, New Jersey and Virginia referenda present the moment’s most ideal metrics for preparing such scholarship.

Since August, the journalism students have crafted candidate-background memoranda and analytical articles. They researched opinion polling and comprehensive campaign finance data and are writing profiles about the candidates, as well as national newsmakers.

Karlos Coria, a senior whose majors include English and secondary education, is monitoring Virginia’s race between Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears: “As a pre-service teacher, the politics surrounding education are particularly important to me. Since I plan to teach in Virginia, the platforms these candidates are running on and the decisions they might take when in office will have direct impacts on my daily life.”

Coria also, as he put it, is keeping an eye on the NYC mayoral race where Democrat Zohran Mamdani is the frontrunner. His challengers include former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. “I find it interesting,” Coria explained, “that although Zohran Mamdani won the primary, there is still a lot of debate between the Democratic candidates. The Democratic Party’s inability to rally behind a single Democratic candidate is interesting—especially their focus on Mamdani’s status as a ‘radical socialist.’ I believe this race is bringing to the forefront how fragmented the Left side of the aisle truly is.”

Alexandra Henriques, a junior communication major with a concentration in journalism, is from New Jersey. As a class assignment, she is tracking the Garden State contest between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli. In addition to monitoring voter-turnout, she explained, “this race is a key to seeing how New Jerseyans feel about President Trump and the current Republican Party. Trump’s endorsement of Republican candidate Ciattarelli, and repeated bashing of Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill (calling her ‘terrible,’ ‘corrupt’ and ‘fake’ in a recent tele-rally) have a major effect on the American people.”

“I am equally as interested,” Henriques went on, “in the candidates’ statements/responses/relationship to the president, such as Sherrill’s response calling out Trump for voter intimidation and weaponizing the [Department of Justice] after they announced they would send election watchers to the state.”

“This is a huge opportunity for people to vote and show their feelings about the current administration. It is a crucial election, and not just for my home state,” she emphasized.

Renata Pernegrova is a sophomore studying government and global affairs. New York’s election specific to the next resident of Gracie Mansion is her area of coverage.

“The New York City mayoral election has reached the national spotlight, and I think rightly so.  The contest is not just about who will lead the city for the next four years – the results are going to have nation-wide consequences, particularly for the Democratic Party,” Pernegrova affirmed, noting myriad political developments during the campaign, such as incumbent Mayor Eric Adams announcement he was dropping out of the race.

Ultimately, she added, “Zohran Mamdani has, in my opinion, done a fantastic job in reaching out to voters, mainly through his youth and social media. Although I might not agree with every one of his policies, I believe his self-described socialist-democratic politics is what the Democratic Party should focus on going forward if it aims at competing with the MAGA movement.”

“The lack of leadership among the Democrats needs to be filled,” Pernegrova continued, “and I think Zohran is their only choice, at least at this moment.”