By Nancy Cook, Bill Allison, Bloomberg News

Republicans have newfound optimism about their chances to win governor’s mansions in the left-leaning states of New Jersey and Virginia as polls tighten in the Garden State contest and the Commonwealth’s Democratic ticket is beset by scandal.

How the parties fare in these elections will offer clues about the outcome of next year’s midterms and could foreshadow Republicans’ ability to hang onto control of both the U.S. House of Representatives, the Senate as well as President Donald Trump’s agenda in the second-half of his current term.

To win, Republicans will need to motivate a wide array of voters, including nonwhite and working class, without Trump leading the ticket.

“A question for the Republican party is: Are they Trump voters or Republ

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