New York, New York - New Yorkers looked set to elect Zohran Mamdani as mayor Tuesday as voters cast judgment for the first time on Donald Trump's tumultuous second presidency in nationwide local elections.

While the young Muslim leftist's rise has dominated headlines, elections for governor in Virginia and New Jersey could also be revealing gauges of the political mood nearly 10 months since Trump's return to the White House.

Democratic wins in those states may indicate a revived opposition ahead of next year's midterm elections to decide control of Congress.

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In New York, Mamdani, aged just 34, is a self-described democratic socialist who was virtually unknown before his upset victory to secure the Democratic nomination.

He has focused on reducing living costs for ordinary New Yorkers, building support through his informal personal style and social-media-friendly clips of him walking the streets chatting with voters.

Trump on Tuesday slandered Mamdani, who would be New York's first Muslim mayor, as a "Jew hater" after making an unprecedented threat to withhold federal funding from the city if Mamdani wins.

Mamdani was at about 44% in the latest polls, several points ahead of former state governor Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent.

Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels citizen crime patrol group, was on 24% – a margin that could sway the vote if enough of his backers shifted to Cuomo.

Turnout by midday, with nine hours of voting remaining, was 1.195 million, exceeding the total of 1.14 million votes cast in 2021, which saw the election of current Mayor Eric Adams, who bowed out when his re-election campaign was hit by scandals and corruption allegations. He endorsed Cuomo (67).

Denise Gibbs (46), a doctor of physiotherapy, voted at a school in Brooklyn.

"I sure hope it improves the city. I want to see it decrease divisiveness and increase livelihoods of working-class households and services for children," she said, wearing green scrubs.

Polls close at 9:00 PM ET.

The race has centered on the cost of living, crime, and how each candidate would handle Trump.

Syracuse University political science professor Grant Reeher said a Mamdani win would set up a clash with Trump.

"Trump will treat New York City more aggressively," he said. "There will be some kind of political showdown."

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Mamdani's improbable rise highlights the Democratic Party's debate over a centrist or a leftist future.

"I think that this has to be a party that actually allows Americans to see themselves in it," Mamdani said last week.

But Cuomo said there was "a civil war in the Democratic Party."

"You have an extreme radical left that is run by the socialists that is challenging what they would call moderate Democrats. I'm a moderate Democrat," he said after voting.

In New Jersey, Democratic Party candidate Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy helicopter pilot, faces off against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a businessman backed by Trump.

In Virginia's race for governor, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger has been polling ahead of Virginia's Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears.

Both sides wheeled out big guns, with former President Barack Obama rallying support for Spanberger and Sherrill over the weekend and Trump scheduling tele-rallies for both Virginia and New Jersey on the eve of voting.

Obama also reportedly spoke to Mamdani over the weekend, but – reflecting the internal party debate – held off endorsing him.