(Washington) Democrats in the United States largely won the governor’s seats in Virginia and New Jersey on Tuesday, in elections expected as a barometer of the first turbulent months of Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
Donald Trump assured on his Truth Social network that these electoral setbacks were explained in particular by the endless budgetary blockage in the United States.
“Trump was not on the ballot, and the budgetary paralysis, (these are) the two reasons why the Republicans lost the elections (Tuesday) evening, according to pollsters,” wrote the American president in this reaction.
SCREENSHOT TRUTH SOCIAL
In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger was widely favored in the polls to become the first female governor of this East Coast state, led by Republican Glenn Youngkin for the last four years, but never won by Donald Trump in a presidential election.
According to projections notably from NBC News and CNN, this 46-year-old former CIA agent enjoyed a comfortable lead against Republican Winsome Earle-Sears, after a campaign in which the tenant of the White House occupied the minds.
“Virginia is suffering because of Trump’s policies that Sears supports,” read one of the latest ads launched by Abigail Spanberger’s campaign in recent days.
The dismissal of hundreds of thousands of federal civil servants decided by Donald Trump and his ex-ally Elon Musk particularly affected this state which borders Washington and its departments.
The new governor, classified among the moderate wing of the Democratic Party, said in her victory speech that she wanted to focus on ways to “solve problems, not fuel division.”
“We turned a page tonight,” she said.
Abigail Spanberger faced a Republican candidate who focused her message on “culture war” issues, particularly against the rights of transgender people. Subjects already raised during the victorious campaigns led by Glenn Youngkin in 2021 and by Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
Another Democratic victory in New Jersey
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill also won the election by a large margin and will become the next governor of this East Coast state of more than 9 million inhabitants.
PHOTO MIKE SEGAR, REUTERS
Mikie Sherrill, elected governor of New Jersey
This 53-year-old former helicopter pilot in the US Navy is also classified as a moderate in the Democratic Party.
Mikie Sherrill campaigned on the cost of living, and in particular the rise in electricity prices, while mocking the support given by the Republican president to his opponent, Jack Ciattarelli.
New Jersey had already been led for eight years by a Democrat, Governor Phil Murphy, and had never been won by Donald Trump in a presidential election. But the Republican billionaire had considerably reduced the gap in 2024, particularly among Hispanic voters.
While Donald Trump will celebrate the first anniversary of his presidential victory this Wednesday, the first results of election night sound like a setback for the Republican billionaire at the start of his second term, marked by his desire to push the limits of executive power.
“Democrats are smoking Donald Trump and extremist Republicans across the country,” Democratic tenor Hakeem Jeffries rejoiced on X. “The Democratic Party is back,” added the House minority leader.
