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Obama Rallies Democrats in Virginia and New Jersey as Tight NJ Race Becomes Turnout Fight

The off-year contests serve as an early gauge of voter sentiment under Trump's second term.

Overview

  • Obama campaigned Saturday in Norfolk for Abigail Spanberger and in Newark for Mikie Sherrill, urging voters to reject what he called Trump's "lawlessness and recklessness."
  • An AtlasIntel survey conducted Oct. 25–30 shows New Jersey essentially a toss-up, with Sherrill at 50.2% and Jack Ciattarelli at 49.3% within a 2-point margin of error.
  • Democrats point to structural advantages in New Jersey including a roughly 860,000 voter registration edge and about a 221,000 lead in returned mail ballots as of Thursday.
  • Trump endorsed Ciattarelli and joined recent phone rallies but did not campaign in person this weekend, as ABC News reported Trump-aligned groups investing seven figures on turnout in both states.
  • Polls show Spanberger with a clear lead over Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia, while a slate of Democratic surrogates from governors to Pete Buttigieg have joined late efforts in both races.