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Anyway you slice it, Tuesday night was big for Democrats, and there will be endless analysis about what it all means. From where we sit, elections across the country did lift Team Blue, but it would be a mistake to read them as an endorsement of the progressivism that has seen Democrats pile up losses. If anything, we saw a correction within the Democratic Party that will spell trouble for national Republicans embracing MAGA populism as their defining characteristic. Middle-of-the-road voters in New Jersey and Virginia, in particular, showed they want competent candidates for governor with strong public service backgrounds who are focused on local issues and solutions. In New Jersey, former Navy pilot and federal prosecutor Mikie Sherrill trounced Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a race she made about President Donald Trump and the kitchen-sink issues of housing affordability and economic uncertainty. In Virginia, Abigail Spanberger showed how easy it is to win when political parties embrace serious, accomplished moderates focused on working across the aisle for solutions. Like Sherrill, Spanberger has a long record of public service, including case work in the CIA. Her membership in Congress' Problem Solvers Caucus was politically uncomfortable in her own party. She stuck to her principles, and voters rewarded her. But what about New York's socialist mayor-elect? It's a fair question. First, New York City is its own political universe. It's true, though, that Zohran Mamdani had to at least wave at moderation to overcome terribly weak opposition. His policies are the wrong ones for New York, and if they are implemented in full, it will be a feast for the right. We can only hope national Democrats are wise enough to embrace the Spanberger model over the Mamdani model. If they do, they can expect to get used to winning. If they don't, it's back to the cheap seats. On balance, though, we believe Tuesday was a good signal for the middle. We are seeing moderate issues-focused governors elected across the country. We believe Spanberger and Sherrill will follow that mold. If the national parties wake up to this winning formula, it will be a brighter day in American politics.
