GARFIELD, N.J. — Democrats and Republicans are testing dueling playbooks in fall elections that will decide the leadership of Virginia and New Jersey — and perhaps a new direction for the parties heading into next year's midterms.
In both states, Democratic candidates for governor are distancing themselves from their party's far-left wing — and its most divisive people and priorities — in campaigns focused on rising costs and the economy under President Donald Trump's leadership. The move reflects what some operatives see as a critical lesson from the 2024 national elections, when Democrats faced a backlash for supporting so-called “woke” social policies.
As Democrats race to the center, their GOP opponents in both Democratic-leaning states are largely unwilling to separate themselves from Trump, his controversial policies or his “Make America Great Again” supporters. Trump’s GOP continues to rally around him, shrugging off low approval ratings and opposition to his federal workforce cuts that have especially affected Virginia. That’s even as the Republican candidates hope to attract independents and even moderate Democrats to win in November.
It is a delicate balance, and one that could inform both parties' strategies a year before midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.
Republicans dance around Trump
The majority of voters in New Jersey, as in the nation, are not happy with Trump.
An AP-NORC poll conducted in August found that 45% of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s performance as president. And just 37% of likely New Jersey voters approved of Trump’s job performance in a late July Fairleigh Dickinson University poll.
That’s not to say Trump doesn't have supporters in New Jersey, a working-class state he lost by 6 percentage points last fall compared with 16 points four years earlier.
New Jersey Republican candidate for governor, former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, was once a Trump critic. But Ciattarelli, who faces Democratic Rep. Mikie Sherrill, has embraced the president in the 2025 election. Ciattarelli won Trump's endorsement, backed his budget bill and declined to name any issues where they disagree. It's unclear, however, if he wants to campaign alongside Trump in New Jersey before Election Day.
Ciattarelli told reporters Thursday that his campaign is actively working with the White House to get Trump involved. But, reflecting the delicate politics, he declined to say whether Trump might visit the state in person or participate in a tele-town hall or robocalls.
“I’ve been in touch with the White House even today. And what I really appreciate is, what the team has said there on behalf of the president, is we’ll do anything that you think can help the campaign. And I really appreciate it,” Ciattarelli said.
There’s a similar dance playing out in Virginia.
In an interview, Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears didn't hide her support for Trump or his agenda, although she focused on the president’s position on public safety when asked. Her campaign declined to answer directly when asked whether she wanted Trump to campaign in Virginia.
“When you ask me about the president’s agenda, I am going to support his agenda when it comes to crime every single day,” Earle-Sears told the AP.
An Earle-Sears spokesperson sent a follow-up statement after the interview: “Everyone knows Winsome Earle-Sears is fiercely independent, but she also knows when strong leadership delivers results. Winsome isn’t afraid to say it — when Trump puts America first, Virginians win.” A spokesperson later told the AP that Earle-Sears would welcome Trump on the campaign trail in Virginia.
Still, Earle-Sears expressed frustration that her opponents paint her as overly aligned with the White House or too far-right for Virginia. She argued that her opponent, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, hasn’t been tethered to former Democratic President Joe Biden the same way.
“Nobody talks about her connections with Biden,” she said.
The White House declined to answer questions about Trump's plans in Virginia or New Jersey.
Democrats have challenges of their own
Spanberger and Sherrill are working to stay focused on voters' economic concerns as costs surge and job growth stalls nationwide.
At the same time, Republicans are fighting to highlight the Democrats' support for progressive cultural priorities — including LGBTQ rights — and the rise of far-left leaders such as New York City's Democratic candidate for mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist.
Earle-Sears released an attack ad this week charging that Spanberger “is for they/them, not us,” while suggesting she supports policies that endanger children — an echo of Trump's closing message last fall.
In a new ad of her own pushing back, Spanberger noted that she is a mother of three school-age children and a former law enforcement officer. When asked in an interview whether supporting transgender children is a priority, however, Spanberger offered a cautious answer.
“Protecting all people is a priority for me," she said. “As governor, I will protect all children.”
Her focus on the economy, she said, reflects what she's hearing from voters across Virginia. She invited Trump to visit the state to campaign with Earle-Sears.
“Let him come to Virginia and face the tens of thousands of people who he’s responsible for firing. Let him come to Virginia and answer for those Medicaid cuts,” she said.
In New Jersey, Sherrill has also tried to focus on economic concerns. Republicans have tried to link her to Mamdani, with Ciattarelli seizing on Sherrill’s past pledge to back the eventual Democratic nominee in the city.
Recently, however, the Democrat sought to distance herself from Mamdani. At an event this week unveiling her plan to freeze utility rates, Sherrill told reporters she won't weigh in on the New York City election.
“I’m going to let the people of New York decide who their next mayor is going to be," she said.
Democratic divisions?
For now, there are few signs that Spanberger or Sherrill has alienated voters on the left by pivoting away from their base's progressive priorities.
Ezra Levin, co-founder of the activist group Indivisible, said his organization is backing the Democratic candidates in both states.
“Unlike some members of Democratic leadership, we endorse the winners of Dem primaries and work to make sure they defeat the authoritarians in the other party,” he said. “Then after we win, we hold them accountable, and if necessary, primary them next time.”
Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin praised his party’s evolving focus on the economy, but said the Democrats’ message is ultimately not as important as the Republican who occupies the Oval Office given historical trends.
“Elections, especially midterm elections in ’26, are a referendum on the party that’s in power,” Martin told The Associated Press. “This is not a question of how people feel about the Democrats. It’s really a question of how people feel about Donald Trump and the Republicans.”
But the Democratic coalition has cracks.
Ciattarelli appeared Thursday with the Democratic mayor of Garfield, New Jersey, Everett Garnto, who said he was switching parties and supporting the Republican gubernatorial candidate. The event had echoes of Trump’s campaign highlighting his appeal among moderates and independents, especially working-class whites.
Sam Serritella, 40, of Hackensack, attended the event to support Ciattarelli. He said he voted for Trump three times.
“New Jersey has always been very Democratic,” he said. “And that’s shifting — not entirely, but I think more now than in recent history.”
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