With all eyes still fixated on Washington D.C. amid the start of President Donald Trump’s second term, several under-the-radar races happening this year are already heating up throughout the country. Here are a few of the most noteworthy elected offices up for grabs in 2025.
Virginia Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, & House of Delegates
Perhaps the most closely watched contests in the country this year will take place in Virginia, where the top three executive posts in the state, along with all 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, are up for grabs.
Four years ago, incumbent Governor Glenn Youngkin shocked many in the political establishment when he became the first Republican to win statewide in the Old Dominion since 2009. Prior to his victory as a first-time candidate, many believed that the population explosion in the suburbs around Washington D.C. meant Virginia was a lost cause for the GOP.
Republican Winsome Earle-Sears also defeated her Democrat rival to become lieutenant governor that year, while Jason Miyares won the attorney general post, completing the GOP sweep. Republicans won back the House of Delegates as well, appearing to arrest Democrats’ momentum in Richmond.
However, Virginia’s midterm elections in 2023 saw Democrats hold the state senate and win back the House of Delegates. Although Trump performed far better than expected in Virginia last year – cutting Biden’s 10-point 2020 margin in half – Democrats are optimistic that this year will mark a return to the pre-2021 trend that saw the state lurching leftward with each cycle.
With a one-term limit on governors, Youngkin is ineligible to seek a second consecutive term. Although primary elections won’t take place until June 17, Sears is the early frontrunner for Republicans, while former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger appears to have a commanding lead in the battle to secure the Democrat nomination.
Sears is seen by many conservatives as a rising star within the Republican Party. As the first black woman elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, a Jamaican immigrant, military veteran, and small business owner, her personal story appeals to a broad swath of Virginians. Four years ago, she also distinguished herself as a warrior for parental rights and getting Critical Race Theory out of Virginia schools – an issue that would become a deciding factor for many voters.
Meanwhile, despite branding herself as a “moderate,” Democrat Abigail Spanberger had a decidedly left-wing voting record over her three terms in Congress – including voting with the Biden administration 100 percent of the time. She backed all of Biden’s inflationary spending, open borders extremism, and far-left social policies.
Nonetheless, Spanberger has proven herself to be a formidable electoral force in Virginia, easily winning re-election twice in a purple district. She has so far scared off any major primary challenges and has racked up dozens of high-profile endorsements. Her early entrance into the race last year has also allowed her to build an impressive war chest.
The race for lieutenant governor (candidates for governor and lieutenant governor don’t run on the same ticket in Virginia) is far murkier. So far just one Republican, Pat Herrity of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, has officially entered the race, while the Democrat field includes former Mayor of Richmond Levar Stoney, State Senator Aaron Rouse, and State Senator Ghazala Hashmi.
Republicans will have their work cut out for them to hold on to the governorship and to win back control of the state legislature. But Trump’s surprisingly strong performance in 2024 showed that Youngkin’s victory in 2021 may not have been as much of a fluke as Democrats would like to believe, and that Virginia is still in play for Republicans with the right candidates and message.
New Jersey Governor
In another banner race this year, New Jerseyans will vote to elect the successor to Democrat Phil Murphy, who defeated Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli by a razor-thin margin of three points in November 2021. Following the closer-than-expected presidential election results in the Garden State—which Kamala Harris won by only 5.9 points last year and has shown growing signs of tilting politically and culturally red—New Jersey could be poised to provide the political shock of the century to the Democrat establishment.
With nearly 10 months to go until the November 4 general election, more than a dozen candidates have already thrown their hats in the ring to compete in their party’s primaries—including Ciattarelli, State Senator Jon Bramnick, and conservative radio talk show host Bill Spadea on the Republican side, as well as Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill, and former State Senate President Stephen Sweeney on the Democrat side.
Conventional wisdom and fundraising figures indicate that Ciattarelli and Sherrill are leading the pack at this juncture in the race—but with months to go until the June primary elections, the party nominations could be entirely up for grabs.
Regardless of who each party ultimately nominates, however, conservatives shouldn’t write off New Jersey as a potential flip this November.
Wisconsin Supreme Court
Longtime Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley is retiring after 30 years on the bench this year, setting up a crucial special election for her seat on April 1.
Prior to 2023, the court had a 4-3 conservative majority, acting as a backstop against far-left power grabs. But that year liberal Justice Janet Protasiewicz defeated conservative Daniel Kelly, flipping the court to a 4-3 liberal majority.
Now conservatives have the chance to flip the chamber back – or else cement a liberal majority until at least 2028. With more and more policy battles being decided in the courts, this election could have significant political ramifications not just in the Badger State, but nationwide.
Special Elections
Following Trump’s appointments of Michael Waltz to serve as his National Security Advisor and Elise Stefanik to serve as his Ambassador to the United Nations, Florida’s 6th Congressional District and New York’s 21st Congressional District will hold special elections this year to fill those seats.
Though both districts are reliably Republican, these contests are a much-needed chance for House Republicans to expand on their majority—and to strengthen the ascendant MAGA coalition in Congress.
In the wake of Matt Gaetz’s resignation from Congress, there will also be a special election to fill his seat in Florida’s 1st Congressional District this April.
As the early days of Trump’s second term unfold, voters must remain attentive to the crucial elections taking place this year. These contests have the potential to shape the future of the Republican Party and solidify the momentum of the America First movement at both the state and federal levels—setting the stage for the next chapter of the MAGA era.
Aaron Flanigan is a contributor to AMAC Newsline.
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