By JOSH BOAK, LINLEY SANDERS and AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Economic worries were the dominant concern as voters cast ballots for Tuesday’s elections, according to preliminary findings from the AP Voter Poll.

The results of the expansive survey of more than 17,000 voters in New Jersey, Virginia, California and New York City suggested the public was troubled by an economy that seems trapped by higher prices and fewer job opportunities.

And a year after President Donald Trump was brought back to the White House on the promise that he could tame inflation and unleash growth, economic worries were still at the top of voters’ minds. Despite a rising stock market, inflation remains elevated, and hiring has slowed sharply. Since October, a federal government shutdown has only compounded the sense of uncertainty.

While Trump has tried to highlight his efforts to deport immigrants in the country illegally and send federal officers and National Guard troops into cities to fight crime, few voters saw these issues as the top concern for the places they live.

These broader economic anxieties were accompanied by high discontent in some of the off-year elections. More than half of voters in New Jersey and Virginia said they were “angry” or “dissatisfied” with how things were going in the country.

The economic challenges have played out in different ways at the local level. Most New Jersey voters said property taxes were a “major problem,” while most New York City voters said this about the cost of housing. Most Virginia voters said they’ve felt at least some impact from the recent federal government cuts.

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Most voters said they aren’t getting ahead financially

Voters mostly said their own finances were stable, but the poll results suggested that many feel they cannot get ahead in the current economy. That leaves them feeling stuck in place, instead of moving up the financial ladder.

About 6 in 10 voters in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City said their family’s finances were “holding steady,” but relatively few felt they were “getting ahead,” and about one-quarter said they were “falling behind.”

About half of Virginia voters, who were deciding between Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears for governor, said the economy was the most important issue facing their state. Just 2 in 10 pointed to health care, about 1 in 10 named education or immigration, and fewer than that said crime was the top issue facing the commonwealth.

Most New Jersey voters, who were choosing between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill for governor, said either taxes or the economy were the top issue in their state. About one-third of voters named each of these issues, compared to about 2 in 10 who said this about health care. Less than 1 in 10 identified immigration or crime as top issues.

Just over half of New York City voters said the cost of living was the most important issue in the city — as the expense of rent and level of income inequality has climbed in America’s most populated city. Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani is running against Andrew Cuomo, the former New York governor, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. About one-quarter said crime was their major concern. Another 1 in 10 said this of immigration, and less than 1 in 10 pointed to health care or transportation as the top issue.

Dissatisfaction with direction of the country

The polling found a high level of discontent about America’s direction as a country in several states, a sign that few voters have felt reassured so far by Trump’s return to the White House.

Democratic-led California asked its residents to vote Tuesday on a plan to redraw the lines of its congressional districts, after Trump has pushed Republican states such as Texas to amend their district boundaries in hopes of helping GOP candidates in next year’s midterm elections.

About half of California voters described themselves as “angry” about the direction of the country, with another 2 in 10 saying they were “dissatisfied.”

About 6 in 10 voters in Virginia and New Jersey said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way things are going in the country today. Just one-third said they are “enthusiastic” or “satisfied.”

Federal cuts hit Virginia voters, while New Jersey voters worry about taxes

People are stressed about affordability, but that’s manifesting itself in different ways.

In Virginia, federal government layoffs and funding cuts initiated by the Trump administration seemed to be taking a toll. Roughly 6 in 10 voters said federal government cuts this year affected their family’s finances “a lot” or “a little.” Those economic woes could compound if the ongoing government shutdown persists and federal employees and contractors are forced to go without paychecks.

In New Jersey, property taxes and electricity costs were raising alarms. About 7 in 10 New Jersey voters called property tax rates where they live a “major problem” and about 6 in 10 said that about their utility bills. Sherrill, the Democrat, seized on cost-of-living issues to attack Trump, whereas Ciattarelli has suggested that tax cuts would help to provide relief on inflation.

In New York City, about 7 in 10 voters said the cost of housing where they live was “a major problem,” with renters being especially likely to point to this as an issue. Fewer voters called crime “a major problem” in the city.

The 2025 AP Voter Poll, conducted by SSRS from Oct. 22 – Nov. 4, includes representative samples of registered voters in California (4,490), New Jersey (4,244), New York City (4,304) and Virginia (4,215). The AP Voter Poll combines data collected from validated registered voters online and by telephone, with data collected in-person from election day voters at approximately 30 precincts per state or city, excluding California. Respondents can complete the poll in English or Spanish. The overall margin of sampling error for voters, accounting for design effect, is plus or minus 2.0 percentage points in California, 2.1 percentage points in New Jersey, 2.2 percentage points in New York City, and 2.1 percentage points in Virginia.

Don’t call it a rebuild, Derek Shelton said Tuesday.

The Twins might have traded away 10 of their best, most veteran players at the deadline last July, then plummeted in the American League Central Division standings, but that doesn’t mean it’s a gut job, the new Twins manager said.

“I’m not using the term ‘rebuild,’ ” Shelton said. “People are always going to go to a certain term, but I think we’re going to develop young players, and I think we have good young players. So that’s probably not a word you’re going to hear me say.”

Shelton managed a rebuilding club for four-plus seasons in Pittsburgh, finishing with a 306-440 record, before winning the Twins’ opening after a monthlong search.

With the team stuck in place outside the wild card race after the all-star break, the Twins orchestrated a salary dump last July that included sending former building blocks Carlos Correa, Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax and Louie Varland — plus productive veteran rentals Ty France and Harrison Bader — to contenders for prospects.

With a solid rotation led by Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober, the Twins seem dedicated to building around a young core of position players that includes infielders Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee and Luke Keaschall, and outfielders Matt Wallner and Austin Martin.

“I’m excited about this young core,” Shelton said, “and I’m excited about how they’re going to compete, and I think everybody always wants to put a term on something. But I don’t think (calling it a rebuild) is fair.”

Coaching changes

When the Twins fired Rocco Baldelli after the season ended, they held off on the rest of the coaching staff. Their fates will begin to become clear as Shelton starts to build his staff.

Among those waiting on their fates are assistant bench coach Hank Conger — who interviewed for the managerial job — and pitching coach Pete Maki.

“There will be changes with our (coaching) staff, there’s no other way to put it,” team president Derek Falvey said. “Exactly what that change is still remains to be seen.”

Still waiting …

Falvey said he didn’t have any indication of when two minority ownership partners would officially come on board, after which, presumably, he will have more clarity on the team’s financial position heading into free agency.

“I don’t have a timeline right now; some of that is owed to the process of finalizing a deal, so to speak, behind the scenes,” Falvey said. “But at the end of the day, once the Pohlads give me an indication of that, there will be some — subsequent to that — baseball process. That’s a little bit above my pay grade; when they tell me, I’ll know, and at this point we’re just not there.”

Health updates

Falvey said right-handed starters Lopez (forearm) and David Festa (thoracic outlet syndrome) are on track to be ready for spring training.

Lopez, who missed three months with a shoulder injury before injuring his forearm trying to field a grounder in September, is “in full offseason mode at this point.”

Festa, who ended the season on the 60-day injured list, was seen by a specialist in Dallas on the team’s final road trip and is “tracking the way we expected this offseason” and “should track well towards spring training.”

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By PETER SMITH

The top leader of the Anglican Church in North America — a conservative denomination that broke away from the more liberal Episcopal Church about 15 years ago — has taken a leave of absence after facing allegations of sexual and other misconduct, which he denies.

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Archbishop Stephen Wood announced the leave Monday while he awaits the outcome of a church disciplinary process triggered by a formal complaint, called a presentment, of alleged misconduct against him.

The presentment has not yet been made public, but an investigative report by The Washington Post said it alleged Wood tried to kiss a former children’s ministry director at his parish in 2024, shortly before he was elected archbishop. The presentment alleged Wood made other comments and acted in ways that made her uncomfortable since 2021, and made thousands of dollars in payments to her from church funds, the Post said. The presentment also includes allegations that he bullied staffers and plagiarized sermons, the Post reported.

Wood, 62, a married father of four, has denied the allegations.

“I believe the charges against me lack merit, and I categorically and emphatically deny the particular accusation of attempted physical contact made against me by a former St. Andrew’s employee,” Wood said in a statement announcing his leave, during which he will still be paid.

Wood also took leave as bishop of the Diocese of the Carolinas and retired as rector of his parish, St. Andrew’s in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina — roles he had been serving in addition to being archbishop.

The accusations against Wood center on alleged actions while he was bishop but before he also became archbishop, according to the ACNA.

Under the denomination’s rules, when someone submits a presentment, a board of inquiry is appointed to determine whether to send the matter to an ecclesiastical trial. No decision on that has been announced yet. The process typically takes from a few weeks to about three months, the denomination says.

The case is the most high-profile yet for the small denomination, which has had ongoing leadership turmoil in recent years.

Another bishop, Stewart Ruch III of the Diocese of the Upper Midwest, has just undergone a church trial on charges that include alleged abuse of ecclesiastical power, according to the ACNA website. A verdict is pending in the case, which stemmed from scrutiny over how the diocese handled the case of a lay teacher convicted of child sexual abuse. The trial itself saw delays and controversies over procedures and the resignations of two church prosecutors.

A bishop heading the denomination’s military chaplains recently broke with the church after it pursued disciplinary proceedings against him over complaints of alleged “abuse of ecclesiastical power,” the ACNA said.

Last year, a former bishop overseeing a Canadian missionary district was removed from ministry for alleged abuse of power and inappropriate relationships and interactions, the ACNA announced.

In 2020, a bishop of Pittsburgh resigned after his diocese’s governing committee faulted his handling of a case in which a clergy member was accused of sexual misconduct. The ACNA also reported in 2020 it had removed yet another bishop from ministry after it said he admitted to long-term use of pornography.

Wood was installed last year as the third archbishop to lead the ACNA. The denomination was formed in 2009 by conservatives who split from the Episcopal Church in the U.S. and the Anglican Church of Canada. The long-building schism came in the wake of the Episcopal Church’s election of an openly gay bishop in 2003 and others since then. It is part of a wider, ongoing controversy in the global Anglican Communion, which is rooted in the Church of England.

The ACNA reports that it has about 130,000 members in about 1,000 congregations.

Wood recused himself from appointing the board in his own case, delegating it to the dean of the denomination, Bishop Ray Sutton, according to an ACNA statement. Sutton has also been named to assume Wood’s duties as archbishop during his leave.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Ramsey County will provide $450,000 to local food shelves and to buy infant formula as the federal shutdown continues, county officials announced Tuesday.

The one-time funding includes $380,000 to local food shelves for county residents and $70,000 will be reserved to purchase infant formula if there are significant disruptions to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, according to county officials.

“The federal shutdown continues to have the greatest impact on our most vulnerable residents,” said Ramsey County Board of Commissioners Chair Rafael Ortega in a statement. “The recent court decision directing the federal government to continue SNAP benefits is a positive step, though its full impact remains to be seen. Families and children cannot wait — we remain focused on ensuring they have access to food and essential resources right now.”

The city of St. Paul launched a food drive this week to assist SNAP recipients. For more information go to stpaul.gov/news/city-saint-paul-food-drive-2025

Food shelves

Meanwhile, the county’s funding will go to 11 food shelves serving county residents, which were selected from an existing list of contracted providers based on location and number of residents served.

Funds will need to be used by the food shelves by the end of the year.

The 11 food shelves are: Keystone Community Services; Neighborhood House; Open Cupboard; Sanneh Foundation; Merrick Community Services; White Bear Area Food Shelf; Corner Shelf; Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES); Hallie Q. Brown Community Center; Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul-Department of Indian Work; and Vineyard Community Services (VCS).

35,000 Ramsey County households impacted

There are approximately 35,500 households, or 68,500 individuals, in the county that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. Approximately 3,500 county households, or 9,800 individuals, receive food assistance through the federally-funded Minnesota Family Investment Program. Both programs stopped food assistance Nov. 1 due to a lack of funding during the government shutdown.

Last month, some states also warned they only had enough money to operate their food assistance programs until mid-November due to lack of funding during the shutdown. The county plans to allocate the $70,000 reserved for infant formula if the federal shutdown results in a significant disruption to WIC benefits.

WIC recently received $450 million in funding from the Trump administration, a senior administration official told the Associated Press on Monday. More than 17,900 Ramsey County residents currently receive WIC benefits, which provides nutrition education, health referrals and food benefits for pregnant women, mothers, children and infants.

SNAP and MFIP provide approximately $14 million per month in benefits for county residents and recipients receive an average of $170 per month for food through SNAP.

To learn more about current impacts on federal and state funding and to be directed to Ramsey County’s Food Resources page, go to tinyurl.com/2m4jamty.

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