STEVE PEOPLES and WILL WEISSERT.

Campaign signs for Virginia gubernatorial nominees Democrat Abigail Spanberger and Republican Winsome Earle-Sears are on display outside City Hall in Fairfax, Va., Friday, Oct. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Robert Yoon)

Trump’s strength, Democrats’ message and the shutdown effect. What to watch on Election Day 2025

Voters head to polls Tuesday in America’s first major election day since President Donald Trump returned to the White House. The Republican president did not hit the campaign trail to help his party’s candidates or causes. But his leadership and policies dominated the debate virtually everywhere. No contests are bigger than governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, the only two this year. The GOP candidates in both states closely aligned themselves with Trump. Strong Democratic showings could provide the party a pathway back to national relevance — even if its top candidates have taken very different approaches.

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