Voters who backed Democratic governors in New Jersey and Virginia this year after voting for President Donald Trump in 2024 have a message for both parties: reject your party’s extremes and run campaigns about more than just Trump.

In new focus groups, 14 swing voters from New Jersey and Virginia revealed sharply negative views of both parties — and of politicians broadly. They explained that they were drawn in last month's elections in their states to Govs.-elect Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, who cast themselves as moderates and transcended the damaged Democratic Party brand.

And while 10 of these voters disapproved of Trump’s job performance so far and voiced concerns about high prices, a majority said they did not view their votes for governor as a protest vote against Trump.

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