The 2025 off-year elections in Virginia, New Jersey, New York City, and California offered an early snapshot of the American political climate midway through President Donald Trump’s second term, and signs suggest a shift toward moderation as economic anxieties and “Trump fatigue” shape voter attitudes.
Democrats found a winning formula in Virginia, where Abigail Spanberger’s decisive victory in the governor’s race underscored the appeal of centrism in a polarized political environment.
Spanberger, a former CIA officer and moderate Democrat, defeated Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, a staunch Trump ally who embraced the president’s push to slash federal jobs, impose new tariffs, and back a government shutdown.
Running in a state heavily reliant on federal employment, Spanberger focused her campaign on affordability and pragmatic governance, while repeatedly linking her opponent to Trump’s divisive policies.
With votes still being counted, Spanberger was outperforming former Vice President Kamala Harris’s 2024 results in 101 of Virginia’s 133 counties and cities, including flipping Trump-won Waynesboro and expanding Democratic margins in suburban Chesterfield County.
“Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship,” Spanberger told cheering supporters Tuesday night, notably donning a red jacket, a symbolic nod to bipartisanship in a state weary of ideological battles.
Though President Trump’s name wasn’t on any ballot, his presence loomed large. The elections came as his approval rating dipped to its lowest point of his second term, with voters citing the cost of living as their top concern, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Exit polls highlighted the depth of anti-Trump sentiment among some voters: in Virginia, 36% said opposing Trump influenced their decision, and nearly all, 98%, voted for Spanberger.
A similar dynamic played out in New Jersey, where 39% of voters said opposition to Trump was a motivating factor in reelecting Democrat Mikie Sherrill as governor.
Both Spanberger and Sherrill, along with New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, made standing up to Trump central to their campaigns. Sherrill accused her Republican rival Jack Ciattarelli of being “Trump’s yes-man,” while pledging to “fight anybody to work for you.”
The results reinforced a familiar pattern: while Trump maintains a fiercely loyal base, his influence over down-ballot races remains limited.
For Democrats, the night offered a morale boost and a possible roadmap, lean toward the center, emphasize bread-and-butter issues, and let Trump’s shadow do the rest.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
