This one was for Donald Trump. Exit polls revealed an unmistakable anti-Trump backlash Tuesday, as Democrats won resounding victories in governors races in Virginia and New Jersey. Majorities of voters in both states disapproved of the job Trump is doing as president, with significant numbers of voters in each state […] Read more »
How did Democrat Phil Murphy win the New Jersey gubernatorial race?
Democrat Phil Murphy was elected governor of New Jersey with strong support from his party’s base, including women, younger voters, and by making inroads with some less traditionally Democratic groups, such as independents and white voters. Murphy defeated the state’s lieutenant governor, Republican Kim Guadagno, who was hurt by her […] Read more »
Exit polls: How Ralph Northam won in Virginia
Democrat Ralph Northam defeated Republican Ed Gillespie in Virginia on Tuesday, keeping the governorship in the hands of the Democratic Party for another four years. Among those who voted, Gillespie did a good job appealing to his conservative base, getting the solid support of older, more conservative white voters. But […] Read more »
2017 Election Recap: Some Rules Still Apply
… The real importance of the Democratic victories in Virginia (and New Jersey, and in scattered locations elsewhere) is not that they tell us much that we don’t already know. Instead, they are just a few more data points confirming one of the most dependable rules in American politics: the […] Read more »
Trumpism Without Trump: A Losing Formula in Swing-State Virginia
For Ed Gillespie, Trumpism was an ill-fitting suit. … As the Republican candidate for governor of Virginia, Mr. Gillespie tried to run in a very narrow lane, by embracing some of the most divisive elements of President Trump’s agenda while treating him like Voldemort and mostly refusing to utter his […] Read more »
The most important things we’ll learn on Election Day 2017
The governor’s races in Virginia and New Jersey usually receive heightened attention because they are the first big statewide races (except for special elections) after a new president takes office. But after all the tumult of Donald Trump’s first months as president, this year’s focus is even more intense — […] Read more »