President Trump's political operation is digging into its massive war chest to bankroll a multimillion-dollar voter turnout effort in the final days of the New Jersey and Virginia governor races, Axios has learned.
- Each state is getting a $1 million-plus microtargeting effort aimed at Trump supporters and other Republicans who usually skip off-year races.
Why it matters: The White House knows it's much harder to turn out pro-Trump voters and other Republicans when Trump himself isn't on the ballot.
The Trump operation views Tuesday's races as tough, but also a lab to determine how to turn out voters heading into 2026.
- "Virginia has always been an incubator for testing tactics for the midterm election," a Trump adviser told Axios.
- In New Jersey, the total now invested far surpasses what the Trump operation spent eight years ago, when the pro-Trump forces essentially abandoned the state toward the end of the campaign, Republicans say.
Between the lines: In the 2017 New Jersey governor's election, Republicans got only a little more than half of the votes Trump received when he was on the ballot there the previous year.
- In Virginia, Republicans got two-thirds of Trump's vote total.
Driving the news: Pro-Trump entities, including the Republican National Committee, are fueling a "72-hour program" aimed at turning out GOP voters.
- Republicans are identifying voters who are less likely to turn out by examining their voting histories in off-year elections. Operatives are also poring over lists of voters the Trump campaign identified as less dependable heading into the 2024 election.
- The operatives plan to then reach those voters through phone-banking and digital and social media ads. In New Jersey, some money is being spent on mailers.
- In Virginia, much of the focus is on the areas of the state where Trump performed well, including the Richmond and Virginia Beach suburbs and rural Southwest Virginia.
Zoom in: Trump himself is holding tele-rallies to rally his supporters.
- Trump held a tele-rally Thursday evening with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) to boost the party's statewide candidates.
- Just before leaving for Asia last week, Trump held a similar tele-rally for New Jersey gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli. That coincided with the start of early voting in the state.
- Trump may hold additional tele-rallies on Monday evening, according to a person familiar with his plans.
The bottom line: Polls have consistently shown the Republican gubernatorial candidates trailing. The race for Virginia attorney general is tight: Jason Miyares, the Republican incumbent, is slightly ahead of Democratic challenger Jay Jones in many late polls.
- Trump hasn't campaigned in person in either state.
