US election: Democrats win governor’s race in New Jersey, Virginia

Democrat Mikie Sherrill was elected New Jersey governor on Tuesday, defeating three-time Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli, a retired state assemblyman.

Sherrill, a four-term representative of the 11th Congressional District and former federal prosecutor, will succeed Governor Phil Murphy, a Democrat who has led the Garden State since 2018.

Sherrill will step into New Jersey’s highest office in mid-January. Dale Caldwell, her running mate and president of Centenary University in Hackettstown, will be lieutenant governor.

The 53-year-old mother of four and former Navy helicopter pilot won the race when New Jersey is a lead plaintiff or party to 40 lawsuits against the federal government.

In Virginia, Democrat Abigail Spanberger, 46, defeated Winsome Earle-Sears of the Republican Party to become the first woman to lead the state.

Earle-Sears, 61, has been the lieutenant governor of Virginia since 2022, serving alongside Republican Glenn Allen Youngkin, the 74th governor.

An ex-intelligence officer, Spanberger served as the representative for Virginia’s 7th congressional district. She campaigned on economic issues, public safety, and abortion rights.

In her victory speech in Richmond, Spanberger said the outcome of the election confirmed that the people picked “Commonwealth over chaos.”

“We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship,” the elated governor-elect told supporters.

In a post on X, former President Barack Obama congratulated the triumphant Democratic candidates, noting that “the future looks a little bit brighter.”

Obama said their victories were a reminder that “when we come together around strong, forward-looking leaders who care about the issues that matter, we can win.”