Democrats in governors races see political opportunity amid government shutdown
October 7, 2025
Democrats say fallout from the Trump administration’s aggressive tactics on the government shutdown could give them a welcome boost in the only two governors’ races on the ballot this year. New Jersey’s and Virginia’s gubernatorial elections are setting up a test of how voters view both President Donald Trump’s second term and the Democrats’ reaction. In Virginia, hundreds of thousands work for the federal government, and in New Jersey where the number roughly 23,000 according to the Congressional Research Service, the Republican administration announced the freezing of $18 billion in funding for a rail tunnel connecting the state to New York City.