These voters backed Trump in 2024 and Democrats in 2025. What will they do in 2026?

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

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. An anti-Trump message alone may not be enough to sway them and voters like them next year in the midterm elections.

Kornacki: Polls don't show 'huge gap' in favorability between Democrats & Republicans03:51Instead, their consistent refrain serves as an important message to Republicans and Democrats as they look to sway swing voters in key races across the country next year: Candidate quality matters, ranging from positions on issues to personality to professional background.

“I mean, look, I’m a Republican, but let me tell you, if somebody is checking all the boxes for me, if they’re a Democrat, I’m going to go with my gut and what I feel,” Cynthia G., a 52-year-old from New Jersey, said of Sherrill, who served in Congress before she won the governorship.