Voters head to polls in Virginia, New Jersey and New York
US voters will decide elections in New Jersey, New York City, Virginia and elsewhere
New York City will choose a successor to three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent.
Tuesday's races are seen as an early test of the Republican and Democratic Parties' strengths ahead of next year's critical congressional elections.
New York mayor
de Blasio is seen as one of the most left-wing mayoral candidates in decades
In New York City, Democratic mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio
has taken a commanding lead in opinion polls over Republican Joe Lhota, a
former senior official in the mayoral administrations of Mr Bloomberg
and his predecessor Rudolph Giuliani.
Mr De Blasio, the city's public advocate, ran Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. He is seen as one of the most liberal mayoral candidates in decades.
Under Mr Bloomberg, Mr Lhota ran the city's public transport authority. He was lauded for quickly getting the city's vast subway system running again after a terrible storm flooded large swathes of the city last year.
New Jersey governor
Christie has been touted for his party's presidential nomination in 2016
In New Jersey, incumbent Republican Governor Chris Christie is expected to win re-election handily.
His Democratic challenger, State Senator Barbara Buono, has struggled to gain traction.
Analysts say Mr Christie's popularity with voters in Democratic-leaning New Jersey makes him a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, because it could enable him to claim broad political appeal.
Virginia governor
McAuliffe (left) has garnered support from President Barack Obama
The opponents in the Virginia governor race have drawn on
high-profile supporters in recent weeks as they wrapped up their
campaigns.
President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joseph Biden have campaigned for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Mr McAuliffe is a businessman and veteran Democratic Party fundraiser. He has close ties to former President Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton, serving as chairman of her 2008 presidential campaign.
In that race, Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the Virginia attorney general, has received support from conservative stars Republican Senator Marco Rubio and former Congressman Ron Paul.
Analysts say Mr Cuccinelli is counting on the support of the populist, hardcore conservative Tea Party movement of Republicans.
Mr McAuliffe, who has raised significantly more money, has sought to turn voters away from Mr Cuccinelli by tying him to last month's partial shutdown of the federal government, which was pushed by Republicans in Washington DC.
Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli is appealing to conservative voters in the race for Virginia governor
Virginia, long a Republican stronghold, has seen a demographic
shift in recent years. Mr Obama, a Democrat, won the state in the 2008
and 2012 presidential elections.
The results of Tuesday's elections could prove an early measure of the parties' support in 2014, in which voters will decide the make-up of the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and the governorships in more than half the states.
In Washington, Mr Obama's Democratic Party controls the Senate, while the Republicans control the House of Representatives. Now in his second term, Mr Obama will vacate the presidency in 2017.
US voters will decide elections in New Jersey, New York City, Virginia and elsewhere
Voters
in the US are heading to the polls in the first major round of
elections since President Barack Obama won a second term one year ago.
In New Jersey and Virginia, voters will elect governors.New York City will choose a successor to three-term Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Republican-turned-independent.
Tuesday's races are seen as an early test of the Republican and Democratic Parties' strengths ahead of next year's critical congressional elections.
New York mayor
de Blasio is seen as one of the most left-wing mayoral candidates in decades
Mr De Blasio, the city's public advocate, ran Hillary Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. He is seen as one of the most liberal mayoral candidates in decades.
Under Mr Bloomberg, Mr Lhota ran the city's public transport authority. He was lauded for quickly getting the city's vast subway system running again after a terrible storm flooded large swathes of the city last year.
New Jersey governor
Christie has been touted for his party's presidential nomination in 2016
His Democratic challenger, State Senator Barbara Buono, has struggled to gain traction.
Analysts say Mr Christie's popularity with voters in Democratic-leaning New Jersey makes him a contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, because it could enable him to claim broad political appeal.
Virginia governor
McAuliffe (left) has garnered support from President Barack Obama
President Barack Obama and Vice-President Joseph Biden have campaigned for Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe.
Mr McAuliffe is a businessman and veteran Democratic Party fundraiser. He has close ties to former President Bill Clinton and Mrs Clinton, serving as chairman of her 2008 presidential campaign.
In that race, Republican Ken Cuccinelli, the Virginia attorney general, has received support from conservative stars Republican Senator Marco Rubio and former Congressman Ron Paul.
Analysts say Mr Cuccinelli is counting on the support of the populist, hardcore conservative Tea Party movement of Republicans.
Mr McAuliffe, who has raised significantly more money, has sought to turn voters away from Mr Cuccinelli by tying him to last month's partial shutdown of the federal government, which was pushed by Republicans in Washington DC.
Republican candidate Ken Cuccinelli is appealing to conservative voters in the race for Virginia governor
The results of Tuesday's elections could prove an early measure of the parties' support in 2014, in which voters will decide the make-up of the House of Representatives, one-third of the Senate, and the governorships in more than half the states.
In Washington, Mr Obama's Democratic Party controls the Senate, while the Republicans control the House of Representatives. Now in his second term, Mr Obama will vacate the presidency in 2017.
