US election: New Jersey elects its first Sikh mayor in history

Ravi Bhalla beats five other candidates

Victorious Hoboken mayoral candidate Ravi Bhalla (Ravi Bhalla)

A New Jersey town elected the state's first ever Sikh mayor on a night of electoral drama across the US.

Ravi Bhalla, a city council member in Hoboken, beat five other candidates to the town hall top spot, after two-term mayor Dawn Zimmer stepped down in the summer.

After his victory he thanked supporters for their help during a "bruising campaign", NJ.com reported.

Mr Bhalla added: "Thank you for having faith in me, for having faith in our community, faith in our state, and faith in our country; this is what America is all about.

"Now is the time we come together and see who we can work with to bring this city forward."

The victorious candidate retweeted Simran Jeet Singh, an assistant professor of religion at Trinity University, who said: "First transgender woman elected to state assembly. First turbaned Sikh elected as Mayor. African American elected Lt Governor in Virginia. This is the America we know. This is the America we want."

However, Mr Bhalla is not the first turbaned Sikh to win mayoral office in the US. Satyendra Huja served as mayor of Charlottesville, Virginia, from 2012 to 2016.

In Virginia on Tuesday night, Danica Roem became the first transgender person to be elected as a state representative. She beat conservative Bob Marshall, who was the author of a now-void constitutional amendment that defined marriage as between one man and one woman, and who sponsored a bill banning gay people from openly serving in the Virginia National Guard.

In the same state, Democrat Justin Fairfax was elected as lieutenant governor, while Ralph Northam beat Donald Trump favourite Ed Gillespie for the governor's office.

Additional reporting by agencies