Democrats win governor's seats in New Jersey and Virginia
In the first wave of elections in the US since the presidential election a year ago, two Democratic candidates won the gubernatorial elections in the states of New Jersey and Virginia. This casts doubt on President Donald Trump's political strength less than a year into his term.
Trenton/Richmond (dpa/AP) - Two Democratic candidates have won the gubernatorial elections in the US states of New Jersey and Virginia. According to the election authorities, 53-year-old Mikie Sherrill won by a clear margin against Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey. Abigail Spanberger, 46, also won decisively in Virginia against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, becoming the first woman to hold this office.
The victories in both states give the Democrats momentum ahead of the upcoming US Congressional midterm elections in a year's time. For US President Donald Trump and his Republicans, however, the clear victories of the Democrats are a setback. The defeated Republican candidates in both states had clearly backed Trump during the election campaign, casting doubts about President Donald Trump's political strength less than a year into his second White House term.
Former Democratic US President Barack Obama congratulated all Democratic candidates who won in the various elections across the country, including regional and local elections. ‘This is a reminder that when we rally around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about meaningful issues, we can win,’ Obama wrote on Platform X. ‘We still have a lot of work to do, but the future looks a little bit brighter.’
History in Virginia
Spanberger's win was the first in a big night for Democrats in Virginia, also making history as he first woman ever to lead the commonwealth, as Virginia is known.
“We sent a message to every corner of the commonwealth, a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country,” Spanberger told supporters Tuesday night in Richmond. “We sent a message to the whole word that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our commonwealth over chaos.”
Spanberger, 46, a former congresswoman and CIA case officer, won by emphasising economic issues, a strategy that may serve as a model for other Democrats in next year’s elections as they try to break Republicans’ hold on power in Washington and gain ground in statehouses.
Campaigning, Spanberger often sidestepped the historic potential of her candidacy. In victory, she embraced it. “It’s a big deal,” she added, “that the girls and the young women I have met along the campaign trail now know with certainty that they can achieve anything.” Spanberger’s eyes welled up as she told her family she loved them. Her husband and three daughters, standing behind her, wiped tears from their cheeks.
New Jersey chooses moderate Democrat
Further north in New Jersey Representative Mikie Sherrill was elected governor. Sherrill, 53, a former Navy helicopter pilot and four-term member of Congress, defeated Jack Ciattarelli, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and quickly cast her victory late Tuesday as a referendum on the Republican president and some of his policies — from health care to immigration and the economy.
“We here in New Jersey are bound to fight for a different future for our children,” Sherrill told her supporters gathered to celebrate her victory. “We see how clearly important liberty is. We know that no one in our great state is safe when our neighbors are targeted, ignoring the law and the Constitution.” She was joined on stage with her husband and children.
She will be New Jersey’s second female governor, after Republican Christine Todd Whitman, who served between 1994 and 2001. Her victory also gives Democrats three straight gubernatorial election wins in New Jersey, the first time in six decades that either major party has achieved a three-peat.
New Jersey’s odd-year race for governor, one of just two this year along with Virginia, often hinged on local issues such as property taxes. But the campaign also served as a potential gauge of national sentiment, especially how voters are reacting to the president’s second term and Democrats’ messaging ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.