President Donald Trump pinned the Republican Party’s losses in the 2025 elections on his not being on the ballot.
A year after one of their biggest electoral triumphs in recent history, the Republican Party was dealt a sizeable blow on Tuesday, losing the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races. Though the races were seen as a long shot for Republicans, the president squarely blamed the losses on his lack of participation in them.
“’TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN, WERE THE TWO REASONS THAT REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT,’ according to Pollsters,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump has maintained since his first electoral victory in 2016 that he’s the key to Republicans’ victories, blaming Republican losses in 2018 and 2022 for venturing from his vision. He wasn’t as active in Republican campaigns during the most recent cycle, something he’s sure to feel vindicated in.
Most immediate analyses of the Republican electoral losses have credited the Democratic strategy of distancing themselves from more partisan figures and policies in favor of focusing on economic issues. Incoming Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger and incoming New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill largely focused on the economy, public safety, and healthcare, analysts from the Associated Press wrote.
SPANBERGER DELIVERS DEMOCRATS HUGE WIN IN VIRGINIA AFTER DEFEATING EARLE-SEARS FOR GOVERNORSHIP
The two were able to distance themselves from incoming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a figure popular in the deep blue city but likely to drag down the Democratic Party elsewhere.
The Republican losses on Tuesday were largely expected for some time due to the leftward shift of Virginia and New Jersey. However, they give the Democrats some momentum as they head into the more decisive Midterm elections next year.