Trump makes last-minute push for Republicans in New Jersey, Virginia governor’s races as Election Day kicks off 

President Donald Trump is making final pushes in a pair of closely-watched governors races – New Jersey and Virginia – as the election gets underway on Tuesday. 

The races are widely seen as a referendum on Trump’s second term and a bellwether for the midterm elections, though the president has not been deeply involved in either race. 

In New Jersey, Republican Jack Ciattarelli, who has received Trump’s endorsement, is facing off against Democrat Mikie Sherrill. In Virginia, Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, who Trump has stopped short of officially endorsing, is up against Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger. 

“Virginia and New Jersey, VOTE REPUBLICAN IF YOU WANT MASSIVE ENERGY COST AND CRIME REDUCTIONS,” Trump wrote on Truth Social hours ahead of the election. “A vote for the Democrats is a DEATH WISH!” 

In another post on Monday, Trump asked why anyone would vote for Democrats Sherrill or Spanberger when “they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World.”  

Trump also touted lower gasoline prices under his presidency, promising it will come down to $2 per gallon “very soon.” Under Democrats, gas will be “$4, $5, and $6 a Gallon, and your Electric and other Energy costs will, likewise, SOAR.” 

On Monday night, Trump also participated in tele-rallies for the two state elections, in a last-minute push to sway voters. In recent days, pro-Trump groups including the Republican National Committee invested millions of dollars into boosting GOP voter turnout in both states, Axios reported. 

Virginia  

Polling in Virginia indicates that Spanberger is poised to flip the state blue after Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who is term-limited, has led the state for the past four years. Spanberger has a consistent lead in the race – ranging from 4 to 15 percentage points – in a series of polls tracked by the New York Times. 

Spanberger, who former President Barack Obama campaigned for over the weekend, has run a race focused on the economy and preserving abortion in the state. Her opponent, Earle-Sears, has called Spanberger out as an abortion extremist, saying Spanberger supports “abortion up until the very hour that the baby could be born, up until the very minute.” Earle-Sears’ campaign has focused on the economy, cost of living, and protecting female sports and spaces from biological males. 

The election comes at a tumultuous time in Virginia, more than a month into the government shutdown. With its proximity to Washington, D.C., and a high concentration of federal workers, the shutdown – along with the Trump administration’s cuts to the federal workforce – has had an outsized impact on the state’s economy. 

New Jersey 

In New Jersey, Democrat and Navy veteran Sherrill appears to hold the edge over Republican businessman Ciattarelli, but polling indicates the race is considerably closer. Sherrill only holds a one or two point lead in several polls, a margin that has tightened in recent weeks.  

Both candidates’ campaigns have also centered on affordability issues and the economy, while Ciattarelli has also zeroed in on school choice, energy policy, and restoring law and order. Sherrill has attempted to paint Ciattarelli as too close to the Trump administration, labeling him the “Trump of Trenton.” 

Trump made massive inroads in New Jersey in last year’s presidential election, narrowing his loss from 16 points in 2020 to just 6 points against Kamala Harris – a dramatic shift in the reliably blue state. The governor’s race is being closely watched to see whether that shift was a one-time phenomenon or if the state is undergoing a true red shift.