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Democrats cruised to sweeping victories in Virginia and New Jersey governor races, powered by both a more Democratic-leaning electorate and small but crucial defections from President Trump’s 2024 backers. Exit polls show Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger each won 7 percent of Trump supporters, outpacing modest Republican flips and helping turn Harris-leaning electorates into 13- and 15-point wins. Hispanic voters swung back, with Sherrill winning them by 37 points and capturing 18 percent of Trump’s Hispanic support. Early New Jersey voter records show a roughly 2.5-point Democratic turnout edge, confirming turnout helped but flips mattered more.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.