Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger joins former President Barack Obama, throughout a marketing campaign occasion on Nov. 1, 2025, in Norfolk, Virginia.
Steve Helber | AP Picture
Former President Barack Obama is encouraging voters to elect Democrats as governor in Virginia and New Jersey in elections this Tuesday that might sign the nationwide temper 10 months into Donald Trump’s second presidency and a 12 months forward of midterm elections that might reshape it.
Obama’s Saturday appearances for Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill distinction with Trump spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida, leaving Republicans Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia and Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey to marketing campaign for themselves.
On the similar time, California advocates have been making a remaining push forward of a statewide referendum over whether or not to redraw the state’s congressional map in Democrats’ favor. The hassle backed by Gov. Gavin Newsom is a part of a nationwide redistricting battle that started when Trump urged GOP-run states to assist him hold a pleasant Home majority in 2026.
At a day rally in Norfolk, Obama praised Spanberger, a former congresswoman and CIA case officer, as a tough employee who would enhance Virginians’ monetary circumstances and high quality of life. But he targeted a lot of his half-hour-plus on stage lambasting Trump for “lawlessness and recklessness” and “shambolic” financial coverage, whereas urging voters to “set a wonderful instance for the nation” by rebuking Trump and nominees loyal to him.
“The stakes at the moment are clear,” Obama mentioned. “We needn’t speculate concerning the risks to our democracy. We needn’t ask ourselves how rather more coarse and imply our tradition can turn out to be. Elections matter, and so they matter to you.”
Obama was scheduled to look Saturday night in Newark with Sherrill.
Earle-Sears, presently Virginia’s lieutenant governor, and Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, had busy schedules of their very own to counter Democrats’ giant rallies. Ciattarelli’s sharpest closing arguments nodded to Sherrill’s ubiquitous inclusion of her expertise as a Navy helicopter pilot and her frequent assaults on Trump.
“Her disdain for the president. And she will be able to fly a helicopter. Is any of that going to repair New Jersey?” Ciattarelli mentioned Saturday in suburban Westfield.
Trump is not on web site, however he is been within the dialog
Trump endorsed Ciattarelli and has mentioned — with out naming Earle-Sears — that he backs her Virginia bid. The president carried out a cellphone rally for Ciattarelli. He has not campaigned in individual for both nominee.
On Friday night in South Florida, Trump attended a shindig at his resort with the theme “A Little Get together By no means Killed No one.” On Saturday, he headed to Trump Worldwide Palm Seashore in West Palm Seashore, Fla., and is scheduled to attend a dinner for MAGA, Inc., an excellent PAC based by allies. The president is because of return to Washington on Sunday.
That displays Republicans’ tightrope: Trump stays intensely well-liked among the many most conservative voters however has a extra precarious standing with the remainder of the citizens.
Earle-Sears was main GOP turnout rallies Saturday in Republican-rich small cities, first in Abingdon within the southwest nook of Virginia, then in Purcellville, within the state’s northernmost reaches close to the Pennsylvania border.
Ciattarelli was on a bus tour promising to “Repair New Jersey.” In Westfield, Ciattarelli shook voters’ palms and took selfies for about an hour and talked about proposals to decrease vitality prices and property taxes, amongst different concepts. His marketing campaign has additionally focused on his household’s deep roots within the state and argued it is time for a “Jersey man” to guide the state. Sherrill was born in Virginia. A few of the supporters wore pink baseball caps that mentioned “Make New Jersey Nice Once more,” a nod to Trump’s nationwide “MAGA” slogan.
Sherrill and Spanberger have been each among the many center-left Democrats who helped their social gathering win a Home majority in 2018 throughout Trump’s first presidency. Sherrill has been extra pointed in her critiques of Trump this fall, whereas Spanberger has rigorously crafted financial arguments to criticize Trump’s insurance policies. She has been extra circumspect about his strikes to upend democratic norms.
“Virginia voters can and can ship a message amid the recklessness and the heartlessness popping out of Washington,” she mentioned forward of Obama’s handle. She criticized “the political turmoil popping out of Washington proper now” and launched Obama by recalling “a time not that way back … once we had a president … who labored to carry us collectively as a substitute of tearing us aside.”
Nonetheless, in line with AdImpact knowledge, Spanberger’s greatest promoting investments has gone to spots that attempt to tie Earle-Sears to Trump.
Financial system, shutdown overshadow governor’s races
Spanberger and Sherrill have each pledged to deal with rising shopper prices and blasted Trump for failing to cut back costs as he promised within the 2024 marketing campaign. In New Jersey, nonetheless, Ciattarelli has blamed Democrats for greater vitality prices as a result of outgoing Gov. Phil Murphy has been main the state for 2 phrases.
The Democratic candidates have blasted the Republicans’ federal home coverage and tax minimize invoice. In Virginia, Spanberger on Saturday repeated her criticisms of Trump’s Division of Authorities Effectivity and the continuing federal shutdown — each of which have a disproportionate influence in a state that has greater than 300,000 federal workers, in line with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Earle-Sears has tried to pin the shutdown on Spanberger, arguing the previous congresswoman ought to use her leverage with Virginia’s Democratic U.S. senators. Each have voted towards the GOP’s spending extension invoice as Democrats demand Republicans handle looming health-care cuts.
Moreover, the contests might supply some clues as as to if social points carry any much less weight with voters than in earlier elections. Spanberger and Sherrill herald their help for abortion rights, Spanberger doing so within the final Southern state to not impose new restrictions or bans lately. Earle-Sears counters with a concentrate on transgender insurance policies, framing Spanberger as excessive, simply as Trump used the problem towards Democrat Kamala Harris in 2024.
Democrats want robust Black turnout
Obama’s last-minute push affirms how well-liked the 64-year-old stays amongst Democrats greater than eight years faraway from the White Home. But it underscores the truth of Republicans holding all levers of federal energy, whereas a cadre of Democratic governors and lawmakers attempt to turn out to be nationwide figures.
The go to additionally highlights strain on Democrats to maximise their numerous coalition after Trump chipped away in 2024 at Democrats’ benefits amongst Black and Hispanic voters. Each venues on Saturday put the nation’s first Black president in areas the place Black turnout is vital to Democratic victories. Trump misplaced Virginia and New Jersey however narrowed the margins in each states from his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Republicans consider New Jersey, particularly, is ripe to proceed that pattern.
Obama nodded to race Saturday, saying Trump blames range, fairness and inclusion packages for the nation’s ills and believes minority factions “have to be put of their place.”
California can have an instantaneous midterm influence
Whereas leads to Virginia and New Jersey will probably be mere guideposts for the 2026 midterms, California stands to have probably the most fast influence. Voters there are deciding whether or not to override a nonpartisan redistricting fee and approve a brand new congressional map supposed to ship 5 extra Democrats to Washington, countering a brand new Texas map drawn for GOP positive factors.
Different states are pushing new maps, as properly. Republicans started the present Congress with only a 220-215 benefit within the Home, that means a couple of seats might decide whether or not Trump enjoys outright GOP management in Washington throughout his presidency or faces a brand new Democratic majority.