By Cliff Maloney

Many voters may not have noticed, but several pivotal local elections recently took place, playing a crucial role in advancing the America First agenda. While the mayoral race in New York City, won by Zohran Mamdani, captured the most attention, numerous other elections across the nation were equally significant, though less publicized.

Regrettably, the outcome wasn’t what we had hoped. Apart from a few minor victories, our efforts fell short.

This result felt like a significant setback. We ventured into challenging territories, expecting a tough fight, and supported candidates in difficult regions such as New Jersey, where gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli was in the race. My optimism stemmed from Trump’s overwhelming success in 2024, which I believed would energize Republican voters. His administration’s achievements, like securing the border with substantial deportations, incarcerating criminals instead of coddling them, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to slash $175 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse, were the promises of America First that we vowed to uphold. However, too many supporters stayed home, perhaps feeling complacent or mistakenly assuming that victories would come effortlessly.

On one hand, this was a gut punch. 

We charged into enemy territory, knowing the odds were against us, going into states such as New Jersey to support gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. I was optimistic that Trump’s blowout victory in 2024 would drag Republicans to the polls. His administration’s wins, such as securing the border with millions deported, criminals locked up instead of coddled, DOGE slashing $175 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse, that’s the America First rocket fuel we promised. Yet, too many patriots stayed home, complacent or convinced “easy wins” would fall in our lap.