Barack Obama rallies Democrats in Virginia, New Jersey ahead of key governor elections

Barack Obama will campaign in Virginia and New Jersey to support Democratic governor candidates Abigail Spanberger and Mikie Sherrill. The rallies come as early tests of voter sentiment under Donald Trump’s second presidency, with key races set for Tuesday

Richmond (US): Former President Barack Obama will headline rallies on Saturday for Democrats running for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, corralling voters ahead of elections that may signal the national mood 10 months into Donald Trump’s second presidency and a year ahead of midterm elections that could reshape it.

Republicans in those states are stumping as well on the final weekend of campaigning before Tuesday’s elections, but without the national star power.

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And on the west coast, California advocates are making a final push ahead of a statewide referendum over whether to redraw the state’s congressional map in Democrats’ favour. The effort backed by Gov Gavin Newsom is part of a national redistricting battle that began when Trump urged GOP-run states to help him keep a friendly House majority in 2026.

Obama, the Democrat whom Trump succeeded when he first assumed the presidency, will appear first on Saturday with Virginia’s Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger in Norfolk. Obama then travels to New Jersey for an evening rally with Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mikie Sherrill in Newark. Both events put the nation’s first Black president in areas where Black voter turnout is key for Democratic victories.

Virginia Republican nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, the current lieutenant governor, and New Jersey Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker, have busy itineraries, as well.

The Virginia contest ensures the election of the first woman to lead the Commonwealth since its 1776 founding. If elected, Earle-Sears would be the first Black woman elected governor of any state.