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Assemblyman Schnall thanks everyone who came out to vote for him, as he prepares for his second term in the State Assembly.

Follow live election results here on Matzav.com from across New York and New Jersey as they come in. This stream features real-time vote counts, full candidate speeches and analysis from the Fox, NBC and NY1. Track the NYC mayoral and NJ governor races as the night unfolds, with updates direct from the newsroom and the field.

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BREAKING: Chris Pollak has won a seat on the Jackson Township Council by a razor-thin margin, following a bruising campaign that saw Orthodox Jewish voters overwhelmingly support another candidate, Al Couceiro. Pollak is a proponent of the “Jackson Strong” segment of Jackson society, which routinely blames Orthodox Jews for every conceivable ill in the township. […]

Freshman Assemblyman Avi Schnall, who represents the 30th District in the New Jersey Assembly, won reelection to a second term on Tuesday, thanks to a lopsided vote margin in Lakewood. Assemblyman Schnall, who has made numerous inroads at the state level in his first term – including securing $6 million in additional funding for Lakewood […]

Democrat Abigail Spanberger won the Virginia governor’s race Tuesday, defeating Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears to give Democrats a key victory heading into the 2026 midterm elections and make history as the first woman ever to lead the commonwealth. Spanberger’s victory will flip partisan control of the governor’s office when she succeeds outgoing Republican Gov. […]

Assemblyman Schnall recites Nishmas after winning reelection to the New Jersey State Assembly.

BREAKING: Assemblyman Avi Schnall Wins Reelection For A Second Term In The NJ State Assembly. Freshman Assemblyman Avi Schnall, who represents the 30th District in the New Jersey Assembly, won reelection to a second term on Tuesday, thanks to a lopsided vote margin in Lakewood.

Zohran Mamdani is projected to become the next mayor of New York City, following a decisive victory in one of the most closely watched races in the nation. NewsNation and Decision Desk HQ called the contest Tuesday evening in favor of the 34-year-old Muslim socialist Assemblyman, who entered Election Day as the clear frontrunner.

The race drew national attention as three prominent figures vied for the city’s top job: Democratic Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate and former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and Republican contender Curtis Sliwa. The election capped months of political tension that reflected deep ideological divides within the Democratic Party and across New York’s electorate.

Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, had surged to prominence over the summer after defeating Cuomo in the Democratic primary. His campaign promised to shake up City Hall with an ambitious progressive agenda aimed at addressing what he called “a city that works for the wealthy but fails its workers.”

He vowed to freeze rents on stabilized apartments and provide free, universal child care. He also wants to create city-owned grocery stores to rein in food costs and hike taxes on the wealthiest 1%.

The progressive lawmaker, who represents Queens in the state legislature, ran on a cost-of-living platform that resonated with voters struggling under high housing prices and inflation. His message of economic justice, however, alarmed business leaders and moderates who warned his policies could drive companies and jobs out of the city.

Critics cast Mamdani as an idealistic and inexperienced agitator — someone unlikely to deliver on his most ambitious promises and ill-equipped to oversee the nation’s largest police force and public school system. Billionaire investor Bill Ackman warned Mamdani’s policies would “kill NYC jobs” and “cause companies to flee.” Mamdani also faced scrutiny for earlier calls to defund the police — a position he has since walked back.

As Mamdani’s movement gained traction, Andrew Cuomo attempted a political comeback. Running as an independent, Cuomo campaigned as a centrist with a message focused on safety, stability, and competence. His pitch: that experience, not ideology, should guide the city forward.

Cuomo made public safety the centerpiece of his campaign, pledging to add 5,000 new police officers to the force and boost patrols across the city’s subway system. He pushed for a collaborative, rather than combative, relationship with the city’s business community and opposed Mamdani’s proposed tax increases.

But Cuomo’s long public record — including his tenure as governor from 2011 to 2021 and the sexual misconduct allegations that led to his resignation — proved difficult to overcome. Many voters viewed him as emblematic of the Democratic establishment that Mamdani’s movement sought to replace.

The outgoing mayor, Eric Adams, who had been elected in 2021 as a law-and-order Democrat, dropped out of the race in September after losing support among key constituencies. Adams later endorsed Cuomo, underscoring the deep fractures within the party. The contest came to symbolize the struggle of Democrats to define their post-Trump identity, following President Donald Trump’s 2024 election victory.

Sliwa, the Guardian Angels founder and perennial Republican candidate, ran on a platform centered around public safety and opposition to progressive policies. In a city dominated by Democrats, Sliwa’s campaign faced long odds, but some analysts believed his candidacy could siphon votes away from Cuomo and inadvertently clear the path for Mamdani’s victory.

Sliwa was undeterred, even as Trump reportedly advised him that the numbers weren’t in his favor. Despite his uphill battle, Sliwa continued to draw attention for his outspoken criticism of Mamdani’s agenda and his pledge to “restore sanity” to New York City governance.

Mamdani’s victory was fueled by a wave of endorsements from prominent progressive leaders, including Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gov. Kathy Hochul, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

Cuomo, meanwhile, garnered support from figures tied to the city’s traditional power structure, among them former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, Rep. Tom Suozzi, and former Governor David Paterson.

Sliwa’s campaign drew backing from Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik and ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, though their endorsements were not enough to alter the city’s deeply blue political landscape.

Avi Schnall secured another term in the New Jersey General Assembly on Tuesday night, buoyed by overwhelming support from Lakewood-area residents whose turnout at the polls surpassed expectations.

Long lines formed outside polling sites throughout the day, with voters arriving steadily up to the 8 p.m. closing time. The impressive turnout followed record early voting numbers in Lakewood, ensuring Schnall a clear and decisive victory in the 30th Legislative District.

Schnall first entered office in 2024 and quickly made his mark, directing funding toward projects that tangibly improved life in his district. His legislative accomplishments include securing $6 million in additional state aid for Lakewood Township, $8 million for infertility treatment programs, $1 million for Kupas Yom Tov, and $400,000 to fund a new Hatzolah ambulance.

Beyond funding wins, Schnall has built a strong presence in Trenton through his committee work. He currently serves on the Assembly Education Committee, the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee, and the State and Local Government Committee, positions that enable him to influence policy on schooling, fiscal management, and public services.

Born on July 3, 1984, Schnall brings to the legislature a background steeped in both scholarship and communal leadership. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Talmudic Law from the Talmudic Yeshiva of Philadelphia and a Master’s Degree in Talmudic Law from Beth Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. He has served as the Director of Federal Education Affairs for Agudath Israel of America, working to represent the interests of private and faith-based schools at the national level.

{Matzav.com}

An emotional tefillah gathering was held Tuesday in the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok court in Meah Shearim on behalf of the Toldos Avrohom Yitzchok Rebbe, Rav Shmuel Yaakov ben Yenta, who remains hospitalized at Hadassah Ein Kerem in serious but improving condition. The event was marked by fervent tefillos for the Rebbe’s recovery.

At the request of the Rebbe himself, renowned mashpia Rav Elimelech Biderman addressed the gathering, delivering stirring words of chizuk on the power of tefillah.

In the middle of his address, as the crowd recited selichos with great intensity, the Rebbe’s sons approached Rav Biderman with unexpected news: they had just received a phone call from the hospital reporting a notable improvement in the Rebbe’s condition. According to the doctors, there was hope that the Rebbe might be able to return home for Shabbos.

Rav Biderman immediately shared the uplifting news with the packed audience, which erupted in song and gratitude, breaking into a heartfelt rendition of Mizmor LeTodah.

He added that he had spoken with the rebbe the previous day, who had requested that the tzibbur take on a kabbalah tovah — a personal spiritual commitment — specifically in the areas of tznius and shemiras einayim, as a merit for his recovery.

Rav Biderman urged everyone present to accept upon themselves a practical improvement in these areas, saying it would serve as a powerful zechus for the Rebbe’s continued refuah sheleimah.

{Matzav.com}

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With 95% votes now counted Assemblyman Avi Schnall and Assemblyman Kean remain in the lead though the race has not been called yet.

With 80% votes now counted Assemblyman Avi Schnall and Assemblyman Kean remain in the lead though the race has not been called yet.

Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch convened a high-level meeting Tuesday night with senior Degel HaTorah representatives to deliberate a historic crossroads: whether to support the Israeli government’s proposed draft law or head toward new elections.

The meeting, held at Rav Hirsch’s home on Rechov Harav Sher in Bnei Brak, was attended by MKs Moshe Gafni, Uri Maklev, Yaakov Asher, and former MK Yitzchok Pindrus.

During the discussion, the delegation presented the details of the Bismuth draft framework, reviewing each clause of the proposal.

When asked what message to convey to Prime Minister Binyomin Netanyahu, Rav Hirsch replied, “Tell him that I have heard the proposal and will give my answer later.”

The Rosh Yeshiva emphasized the need for unwavering protection of every bochur in the yeshivos, saying that “not a single hair on the head of any yeshiva student should be harmed,” and stressed that the safeguard must extend to both Sephardic institutions and yeshivos for weaker students.

Political observers described the meeting as a pivotal juncture. If Rav Hirsch ultimately grants his backing to the draft law, the government is expected to pass it within weeks—with Shas’s Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah likely to follow suit once Rav Hirsch approves the wording. Should he oppose it, however, analysts predict the coalition could collapse swiftly.

“Everything now runs through Bnei Brak,” a senior Likud official said. “This is no longer a legal or security matter—it’s a halachic and political question that will determine the government’s future.”

The street outside Rav Hirsch’s modest home was filled with journalists and television crews broadcasting live updates from Rechov Harav Sher 17, where—behind closed doors—the fate of the government may soon be decided: a new draft law, or new elections.

{Matzav.com}

The nation awoke to somber news early Wednesday as the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that the body of abducted IDF soldier Sergeant Itay Chen had been returned to Israel by the Hamas terrorist organization.

“Following the completion of the identification process by the National Center of Forensic Medicine, in coordination with the Israel Police and the Military Rabbinate, IDF representatives informed the family of the abducted fallen soldier, Sergeant Itay Chen, that their loved one has been returned to Israel and positively identified,” the statement read.

The announcement expressed the state’s profound grief and its continuing mission to recover every soldier who has not yet been brought home. “The Government of Israel shares in the deep sorrow of the Chen family and of all the families of the abducted fallen. The government and the entire security and intelligence apparatus of the State of Israel are determined, committed, and working tirelessly to bring all our abducted fallen back for proper burial in their homeland.”

Military officials said that Chen lost his life while fighting bravely in a tank battle near Kibbutz Nir Oz on the morning of October 7, 2023, before being taken by Hamas militants.

Only 19 years old at the time of his death, Itay’s passing was formally confirmed on March 10, 2024. He leaves behind his parents, Ruby and Hagit, and two brothers. Chen was also the final hostage in Gaza who held American citizenship.

Israel believes Hamas is still holding the remains of seven other hostages murdered in captivity.

Earlier in the day, the IDF had confirmed that a coffin containing the remains of a hostage had been handed over by Hamas to the Red Cross, which then transferred it to Israeli authorities.

Upon its arrival, the coffin was received in a solemn military ceremony led by an IDF rabbi before being taken to the Health Ministry’s National Center of Forensic Medicine for identification.

“Hamas is required to uphold the agreement and take the necessary steps to return all the deceased hostages,” the IDF stated.

{Matzav.com}

With 76% of the vote now counted, Assemblyman Schnall and Assemblyman Kean remain the two top vote-getters in the 30th District

Celebrations ongoing at Mikie Sherrill’s Election Night headquarters after defeating Jack Ciattarelli in the New Jersey governor’s race.

New security footage shows UPS Flight 2976 crashing in Louisville, Kentucky.

In a groundbreaking victory, Shmuel “Sam” Ellenbogen of Toms River, NJ has been elected to the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, marking the first time an Orthodox Jew will hold a countywide office in Ocean County’s history.

The win places him on the powerful five-member board that manages the county’s infrastructure, public safety, and social services for nearly 650,000 residents.

Ellenbogen’s election caps years of steady public involvement and bridge-building. A familiar name in local civic circles, he co-founded the Toms River Jewish Community Council (TRJCC) in 2018, creating a platform to strengthen understanding between the rapidly growing Orthodox community and their non-Jewish neighbors. The council’s work—ranging from public safety education to interfaith dialogue and community relations—earned him widespread respect across the political and religious spectrum.

His first official government appointment came in 2021 when he joined the Ocean County Utilities Authority, where he eventually became treasurer. In that role, Ellenbogen helped oversee large-scale infrastructure expansion to meet the region’s explosive population growth, particularly in areas like Toms River, Lakewood, and Jackson.

{Matzav.com}

UPDATE: With 66% of the votes counted, Assemblyman Schnall continues to have the most votes.