Mikie Sherrill, left, and Abigail Spanberger, during their time as lawmakers on Capitol Hill, in January 2019. Erin Schaff/The New York Times/Redux Charlottesville, Virginia —

They were faces of the Democratic resistance, a winning piece of the blue wave, when the party swept control of the House of Representatives in 2018 as a fierce reaction to President Donald Trump’s first two years in office.

Now, Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill are seeking to spur another Democratic revival. Their respective races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey offer potential lessons for the party as it tries to rise from political exile and find a pathway back to power.

“What we will do this November is not just vote against something, but we will vote for the policies that we believe i

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