Former President Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail Saturday, lending his political clout to Democratic candidates in Virginia and New Jersey as part of a final push to energize voters ahead of Tuesday’s off-year elections.
In Virginia, Mr. Obama headlined a rally in Norfolk to support former Rep. Abigail Spanberger in her bid for governor against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.
“I am here today for a very important reason. I am here to ask you to vote for the next governor of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger!” Mr. Obama told the party faithful. “If you have not voted yet, make a plan to vote on Election Day, November 4th.”
Mr. Obama praised Ms. Spanberger as a “workhorse, not a showhorse,” calling her “a leader who will help build a better, stronger, brighter future for Virginia.”
“Let’s face it, our country and our politics are in a pretty dark place right now,” he said, alluding to President Trump’s political influence. “It’s hard to know where to start, because every day this White House offers up a fresh batch of lawlessness and recklessness and mean-spiritedness and just plain craziness.”
The race is historic: both candidates are vying to become the state’s first female governor, replacing term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
SEE ALSO: Obama to N.J.: Vote for Democrat Mikie Sherill for governor to fight ‘dangers to democracy’
Ms. Spanberger has maintained a steady polling lead. Voters in Virginia will also be electing an attorney general and a lieutenant governor, and all 100 seats in the House of Delegates are up for grabs.
Later in the day, Mr. Obama traveled to Newark to campaign for Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who is running for governor against Republican Jack Ciattarelli, a former state lawmaker.
The race is tighter, with the latest RealClearPolitics average showing Ms. Sherrill ahead by three points. Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy is also term-limited.
In his remarks, Mr. Obama framed Ms. Sherrill’s campaign as part of a broader fight against Republican efforts to roll back civil rights and democratic norms. He criticized Mr. Trump, congressional Republicans, and the conservative majority on the Supreme Court, warning that “the stakes are now clear.
“We don’t need to speculate about the dangers to our democracy. They’re here,” Mr. Obama said.
He also condemned what he described as the GOP’s “scapegoating” of minorities and efforts to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion programs.
He expressed concerns about the Supreme Court’s reluctance to check Mr. Trump’s actions, saying “I worry about a Supreme Court that, so far at least, has shown no willingness to check this administration’s excesses, even when those actions break all legal precedent and seem to defy the bedrock principle that no one’s above the law.”
The outcomes in Virginia and New Jersey are widely seen as indicators of public sentiment heading into the 2026 midterms.
