Here are the major 2021 races to watch
CNN
Voters across the country head to the polls Tuesday to decide a series of races that will test the national political landscape and the direction of the Democratic Party a year into Joe Biden's presidency.
In Virginia, Democrats hope to prevent the pendulum of American politics from swinging back in Republicans' favor in a governor's race that will serve as a gauge of the national environment -- both as a referendum on the early stages of Biden's presidency and as a test of whether Democrats' efforts to keep their opposition to former President Donald Trump at the forefront of their campaigns will continue to motivate voters a year after Trump left office.
Meanwhile, in major cities across the country, Democrats will be making decisions about the direction of the party in intra-party mayoral contests that pit progressives against establishment figures.