Washington Examiner Chief Political Correspondent Byron York said the two gubernatorial elections next week will give the Democratic Party a chance to show it’s not “dead,” but could also continue its “lost in the wilderness” narrative if it loses.
New Jersey and Virginia will both elect new governors on Nov. 4. In New Jersey, Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) will face off to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy (D-NJ). In Virginia, voters will choose between Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and former Democratic Virginia Rep. Abigail Spanberger for the governorship. President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama are pushing for their respective sides in the final stretch of these races.
York said both these races are “important” for the Democratic Party, which currently lacks a “dominant figure” to lead it. He added that Trump has had “all the momentum” for the last year while Democratic lawmakers are searching “for their own position.”
“So, if either Sherrill or Spanberger wins in New Jersey and Virginia, that would be a huge plus for the party. But, on the other hand, if they lose, you go back to the Democrats lost in the wilderness narrative, and especially in New Jersey, you do see that momentum that you’re talking about,” York said on Fox News’s Fox & Friends.
York also said the New Jersey gubernatorial election is “all about Donald Trump” and Democrats opposing the president. However, he argued Ciattarelli has “a real lead” on multiple matters, including taxes, the economy, and the cost of living.
York predicted these elections will depend on “what voters are really thinking” when they vote.
Early voting in New Jersey began on Saturday and will conclude on Nov. 2, two days before Election Day. Meanwhile, Virginia began early voting on Sept. 19 and will end on Saturday.
THE TRENDS IN NEW JERSEY AND VIRGINIA
Trump criticized both Sherrill and Spanberger just before departing for Japan on Monday, urging voters to support the Republican candidates in support of reduced energy costs and “basic Common Sense.” Both Democratic candidates are leading their respective races in polling data.
Obama will make two campaign stops in Norfolk, Virginia, and Newark, New Jersey, on Saturday to shore up support for the Democratic candidates. The former president also filmed an ad for Spanberger, which was released shortly after the Virginia attorney general race gained national attention for inflammatory text messages Democratic candidate Jay Jones sent about former Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his children.