With November's elections in 2025 approaching, Democrats are advancing candidates in key states that Republicans warn would accelerate the party's shift to the left.
Kiersten Pels, RNC national press secretary, said in a statement that "the stakes couldn't be higher" in the upcoming elections.
"If voters don't stop the radical Democrats this November, they will take Virginia, New Jersey, and New York and turn them into sanctuaries for illegal aliens and far-left extremism," Pels said.
In New Jersey, Democrat Rep. Mikie Sherrill is running for governor on a platform critics say mirrors Gov. Phil Murphy's liberal agenda. Sherrill has backed sanctuary cities, supported taxpayer-funded healthcare for illegal immigrants and voted for major tax hikes. She has also faced scrutiny over stock trading violations that led to federal fines. Republicans argue her policies would extend Murphy's failed energy approach and undermine parental rights.
In Virginia, former Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger is the Democratic nominee for governor. She has been criticized for supporting limits on police cooperation with ICE, opposing voter ID laws and backing policies allowing biological men to compete in girls' sports. Opponents say she has consistently sided with former President Joe Biden's energy restrictions and ignored concerns about border security and public safety.
In New York City, Democrat Assembly member Zohran Mamdani, a self-described democratic socialist, is seeking the mayor's office. Mamdani has campaigned to defund police, abolish prisons, and expand government-run programs such as taxpayer-funded housing and grocery stores. He also supports halting ICE deportations of criminal illegal aliens and has pushed for taxpayer-funded "safe drug use" sites.
Republicans warn that victories by these candidates would cement left-wing control in states and cities already struggling with crime, high taxes and economic decline.
The elections in Virginia, New Jersey and New York will serve as a critical test ahead of the 2026 midterms, as voters decide whether to embrace or reject the Democrats' progressive agenda.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.