"Off-year gubernatorial elections are often treated as major bellwethers for the next presidential or midterm elections. So there's a lot of interest in this year's contests in New Jersey and Virginia. Both states have leaned Democratic at the presidential level in recent years; Republicans last carried Virginia in 2004 and haven't won New Jersey since 1988. But both states also have a recent history of swinging against the party controlling the White House in gubernatorial contests."
"Virginia is the last state with a one-term limit on governors' terms, which probably increases the "nationalization" of gubernatorial races since there are never any incumbents. They also have different demographics, though both states have significant non-white voting blocs and large and often political crucial suburbs. Until very recently, Virginia was thought to be a near lock for Democrat Abigail Spanberger, in part because she's a suburban centrist running a well-oiled campaign against the erratic Republican lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears."
Off-year gubernatorial elections in New Jersey and Virginia are viewed as bellwethers for upcoming presidential or midterm elections. Both states have leaned Democratic at the presidential level, but their gubernatorial races often swing against the party occupying the White House, with the non-White House party winning most recent contests. Virginia's one-term limit for governors likely increases nationalization of its races because incumbents never run. Both states have significant non-white voting blocs and politically crucial suburbs. Virginia's contest featured a centrist Democrat, Abigail Spanberger, facing an erratic Republican lieutenant governor, and a separate scandal involving Democratic attorney-general candidate Jay Jones.
Read at Intelligencer
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]