Don't Get too Excited, Democrats—These Victories are Hardly Newsworthy

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There's all this hype around New York City, Virginia and New Jersey. But folks, hold onto your britches. This isn't the news you were hoping for. Let me explain. New York City hasn't elected a true Republican mayor since Rudy Giuliani left office in 2001. Michael Bloomberg ran as a Republican but later switched to independent—so for all practical purposes, it's been nearly 25 years since the GOP held the office. Okay, now zoom out and the pattern gets more obvious here. Democrats have controlled the New York City mayor's office for 104 years, and the Republicans for 88. It's a blue city. Democratic victories aren't surprising—they're expected. New Jersey offers a more balanced picture. Over the past century it's swung between the parties, but the Democrats have overwhelmingly held the upper hand in recent decades. A Democratic win isn't a shock. It's just the prevailing wind. Virginia's story is similar. Since its founding Democrats have governed for 96 years. Republicans for 48. The math speaks for itself. So, for all the excitement and innuendo as to what this all means, when Democrats win in these places, it's not a plot twist. It's a rerun. The real story that's newsworthy isn't that they won. It's that anyone expected otherwise.