DNC Increases Spending in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania Races

Republicans and Democrats have poured money into this year’s New Jersey gubernatorial race, making it the most expensive election in state history.

(Left) Republican gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli speaks in Raritan, N.J., on Nov. 12, 2021. (Right) Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) speaks during an event in the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Sept. 28, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; Mary Altaffer/ AP

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) on Oct. 21 said it pledged an additional $500,000 for get-out-the-vote operations in the Virginia and New Jersey governor’s races and judicial races in Pennsylvania.

The new six-figure pledge adds to the DNC’s more than $6 million investment into the Nov. 4 elections as the Democratic Party looks to buoy its momentum heading into the 2026 midterms.

The DNC first shared the announcement with Reuters before posting it to social media.

Virginia and New Jersey are the only two states to host governors’ elections in the years after presidential races, with the outcomes sometimes viewed as an early referendum on the incumbent party in the White House—currently held by the GOP.

Both parties have closely watched the New Jersey contest between Democratic candidate Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli, as some polls have shown the two opponents in a tight race, while others have given Sherrill a slight advantage since the primary election.

An Oct. 15 Quinnipiac University poll has Sherrill leading 50 percent to Ciattarelli’s 44 percent, while noting the Republican leads on enthusiasm among voters.

“The raucous debates are done, the attack ads are everywhere, and the race is close, with Sherrill holding a slight advantage. As the clock ticks down to Election Day, voter enthusiasm will translate into turnout. For the moment, in that category, Ciattarelli has an edge,” said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

The two candidates also have a notable gender gap among voters, Malloy added.

“While Jack Ciattarelli holds a fairly solid eleven percentage point lead among male voters, Mikie Sherrill has nearly double that lead with female voters,” he said.

Even though New Jersey has voted for Democrats in every presidential election since 1992, the state has shifted toward the GOP in recent years, particularly as President Donald Trump came within 6 percentage points of taking the state in last year’s election.

In 2021, Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy beat Ciattarelli by just 3 percent.

A Democratic Governors Association-related political action committee announced more than $20 million into the race, while two Ciattarelli-related groups, including one supported by the Republican Governors Association, have injected more than $13 million, according to campaign finance filings.

In the Virginia gubernatorial race, polls show Democrat Abigail Spanberger holding a consistent lead over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears.

Voters in Pennsylvania will decide whether to retain three members of the state Supreme Court’s liberal 5–2 majority, as the candidates are running for reelection to another 10-year term without opponents.

Reuters contributed to this report.