A year after Donald Trump swept to power, Republicans face their first major test at the polls, with voters in two of the most populous US states set to deliver their verdict on the president's return to the White House.

The high-profile mayoral contest in New York City may be grabbing the headlines, but the races for the governor's mansions in New Jersey and Virginia -- home to a combined 18 million people -- offer a sharper preview of next year's midterm elections.

Both pit centrist Democrats against Republicans aligned with Trump's Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, and could signal whether middle-of-the-road voters have made peace with the president's radical cost-slashing agenda -- or plan to give his party a bloody nose in 2026.

Trump has sent a steamroller through governme

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