By Joseph Ax

PRINCETON, New Jersey (Reuters) -The closely contested New Jersey governor’s race between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli has set new spending records and drawn political heavyweights, as both national parties seek an early gauge of voter sentiment nine months into Republican President Donald Trump’s term.

New Jersey and Virginia are the only states holding gubernatorial elections on Tuesday. Democrats, locked out of power in Washington, are hoping a clean sweep can provide a burst of momentum ahead of next year’s midterm battle for control of Congress.

The focus on New Jersey has been especially intense, after the state swung toward Trump by a greater margin from 2020 to 2024 than all but one other state. The Republican and Democratic gubernatorial

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