Lucas: Though not on ballot, Trump took a beating
In a striking political landscape following recent elections, former President Donald Trump faced significant setbacks despite not being on the ballot. His endorsed candidates in key states—including New Jersey, Virginia, and New York—suffered defeats that underscore the waning influence of Trumpism in these regions. In New Jersey, Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill triumphed over Republican Jack Ciattarelli, while in Virginia, Abigail Spanberger defeated Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Both Democrats ran campaigns that effectively tied their opponents to Trump, highlighting his controversial presidency and policies. This strategy proved successful, as both Sherrill and Spanberger not only won their respective races but also helped restore Democratic control in Virginia, previously held by Republican Glenn Youngkin.
The election outcomes were particularly notable in New York City, where Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani secured a decisive victory. Trump had publicly endorsed Andrew Cuomo, stating he would prefer a “bad Democrat” over a “Communist,” referring to Mamdani. However, this endorsement did little to sway voters, as Mamdani’s progressive platform resonated with the electorate. In California, Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50, which aims to reshape congressional districts to benefit Democrats, also passed, signaling a further consolidation of Democratic power and a blow to Trump’s influence in the party.
Despite Trump’s claims that external factors, such as government shutdowns, contributed to these losses, the results suggest a broader trend of diminishing support for his brand of politics. Notably, former President Barack Obama, who had previously been critiqued for lacking political coattails, actively campaigned for Sherrill and Spanberger, further contrasting his engagement with Trump’s more hands-off approach. The election results indicate that without Trump’s active involvement, his endorsement carries less weight, and the Republican Party may need to reevaluate its strategy moving forward. As political dynamics continue to shift, these defeats could signal challenges for Trump and his allies as they prepare for future electoral battles.
Donald Trump may not have been on the ballot, but he got clobbered anyway.
He lost everywhere — in New York City, in New Jersey, in Virginia and in California.
Granted Trump did not personally campaign for the losing Republican gubernatorial candidates in New Jersey or Virginia, or for Andrew Cuomo, an independent, in New York City, but he endorsed them, whether by name or by party. And they all lost.
In the New York mayoral contest, which Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani won handily, Trump in his support of Andrew Cuomo said he’d rather see a “bad Democrat” (Cuomo) as mayor than a “Communist” (Mamdani).
And while he took no strong public role in California, Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50 plan to gerrymander the state midterm to wipe out Republican congressional districts, its passage was also a setback for Trump and the Republicans.
The proposition was proposed by Newsom to counter a similar midterm redistricting plan in Texas which favors the Republicans. Newsom is considered by some to be a viable candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.
Despite his endorsement, Democratic gubernatorial candidates Mikie Sherrill beat Republican Jack Ciattarelli in New Jersey and Abigail Spanberger defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in Virginia.
Trump endorsed both Ciattarelli and Earle-Sears (but not by name) but did not actively campaign for them.
Meanwhile, former President Barack Obama, who has been accused of having no political coattails, not only endorsed Sherrill in New Jersey and Spanberger in Virginia but actively hit the campaign trail for them.
While Obama did not officially endorse the controversial Mamdani, he did telephone him just before the election. While the conversation was not made public, in a statement obtained by the Times, Mamdani spokesperson Dora Pekec said that “Zohran Mamdani appreciated President Obama’s words of support and their conversation on the importance of bringing a new kind of politics to our city.”
It also gave the shrewd Obama the option of denying any endorsement in the event Mamdani lost.
The Spanberger victory in Virginia gives Democrats back control of the state currently run by Republican Glenn Youngkin, who was term-limited.
Sherrill, meanwhile, will succeed Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy in New Jersey, who was also term-limited.
Both Spanberger and Sherrill attacked Trump throughout their campaigns as though Trump were on the ballot, as did Mamdani in New York and Newsom in California.
While both New Jersey and Virginia are Democratic majority states, Republicans hoped for upsets, especially in New Jersey.
But it was not to be.
Ciattarelli ran worse than he did four years ago when he was beaten for governor by Murphy.
Democrats in Virginia even narrowly elected Democrat Jay Jones for attorney general over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares, who Trump also endorsed.
Jones is known for his sick text messages that he wanted to shoot Todd Gilbert, then-Virginia GOP House Speaker. “Three people, two bullets,” he texted in 2022, “Gilbert, hitler, pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” Virginia Democrats elected him anyway.
While Jones apologized for the texts, he could have also warned politicians not to text late at night, something Trump does regularly, which he also did following Tuesday’s election results.
The president posted: “Trump was not on the ballot and (government) shutdown were the two reasons that Republicans lost election tonight.”
Trump might have added that they lost because he was too busy running the country and the world to campaign for them.
There is no Trumpism without Trump.
Veteran political reporter Peter Lucas can be reached at: peter.lucas@bostonherald.com
