DNC chair Martin assured Democrats will win New Jersey, Virginia races

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EXCLUSIVE: PHILADELPHIA, PA – Democratic National Committee (DNC) chair Ken Martin is assured his get together's funding in 2025's most consequential elections will repay.

"I do count on that we'll win these elections in New Jersey and Virginia," Martin mentioned in an unique nationwide interview with Fox Information Digital, pointing to the one two states holding gubernatorial contests this yr. "We really feel fairly bullish about our probabilities."

Democrats wish to rebound from final yr's setbacks – when the get together misplaced management of the White Home and Senate and did not win again the Home majority – with robust showings in subsequent week's races.

The New Jersey and Virginia contests are seen as early checks of President Donald Trump 's agenda and as a barometer for subsequent yr's midterm elections, when Democrats hope to win again management of Congress.

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<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/672/378/ken-martin-dnc-summer-meeting1-minneapolis-aug.-25-2025.jpg.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1344/756/ken-martin-dnc-summer-meeting1-minneapolis-aug.-25-2025.jpg.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/931/523/ken-martin-dnc-summer-meeting1-minneapolis-aug.-25-2025.jpg.png?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1862/1046/ken-martin-dnc-summer-meeting1-minneapolis-aug.-25-2025.jpg.png?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Democratic Nationwide Committee chair Ken Martin addresses get together members on the DNC's summer season assembly, on Aug. 25, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Paul Steinhauser - Fox Information )

The DNC has dished out over $7 million – a celebration report – for get-out-the-vote and organizing efforts this summer season and autumn in New Jersey, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, the place Democrats are fighting to retain three state supreme courtroom seats.

"I've at all times taken the place that each election issues, whether or not it is an on yr off yr, whether or not it is a native election, a federal election, each inch of floor that we achieve right here provides up," Martin emphasised.

Martin mentioned that since Trump returned to the White Home in January, "there's been 45 elections on the poll. Democrats have overperformed in all of them to the tune of about 16 proportion factors on common." Whereas assured, he added that "we're not taking something with no consideration."

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Requested what a poll field setback would imply for Democrats, Martin mentioned his focus is on "turning out each single vote we are able to over these subsequent a number of days left to ensure we do win."

He reiterated, "I do count on that we'll win these elections in New Jersey and Virginia. Now we have terrific candidates who're operating nice campaigns."

Martin spoke throughout a two-day marketing campaign swing by Pennsylvania, forward of return stops to spice up voter turnout in New Jersey and Virginia.

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, the Democratic nominee for governor in New Jersey, greets voters at a senior heart in Elizabeth, N.J., on Oct. 29, 2025 (Paul Steinhauser/Fox Information)

In blue-leaning New Jersey, polls present a good race between Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill and GOP rival Jack Ciattarelli, who's vying within the race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.

Requested why Republicans really feel bullish about their probabilities to seize the Backyard State's governor's workplace, Martin told Politico in a latest interview that "New Jersey is one of the best place, most likely, for Donald Trump to really cease the Democratic momentum — or at the very least decrease the Democratic momentum that we’ve seen all through this yr."

Introduced together with his feedback, Martin mentioned that "we count on this race to be shut, and it definitely looks as if it will likely be shut."

And he famous that "historical past just isn't on our aspect within the sense that we have by no means elected, at the very least in 50 years, a Democrat to a 3rd time period within the governorship" in New Jersey.

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Nonetheless, he argued that Sherrill "is operating a very robust marketing campaign on a message that is resonating with New Jerseyans."

In Virginia, latest controversy within the state's lawyer normal race has sophisticated Democrats' efforts to carry the governor's mansion, forcing nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, to defend towards GOP assaults. Polls had proven Spanberger with a stable lead over Republican rival Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Jay Jones addresses supporters after successful the Democratic nomination for Virginia Legal professional Basic as spouse Mavis Jones seems to be on in Norfolk, Virginia, on June 17, 2025. (Trevor Metcalfe/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune Information Service by way of Getty Photos)

The controversy facilities on Democratic lawyer normal nominee Jay Jones, who apologized for texts despatched in 2022 evaluating then-Home Speaker Todd Gilbert to mass murderers Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, saying that if given two bullets, "he would use each" on the Republican lawmaker.

Republicans have demanded Jones withdraw from the race.

"Let me be very clear, I instantly condemned these vile and indefensible feedback and textual content messages that he made and known as on him to apologize," Martin mentioned. "He wanted to apologize to Virginians, which he did."

Requested by Fox Information Digital if he ought to have known as for Jones to step apart, Martin mentioned, "That is lower than me to determine. That is as much as Virginians to determine whether or not or not his feedback had been disqualifying, they usually'll make their resolution in just a few days."

Martin additionally known as Pennsylvania's state supreme courtroom retention elections in Pennsylvania "important for our get together, as a result of what we have seen over a few years now could be makes an attempt by billionaire donors and particular pursuits to purchase Supreme Courtroom seats all through the nation, and it is an try truly to thwart our democracy."

"The fact is, is for us, it is a important election for the Nationwide Democratic Celebration, as a result of in the event that they win right here, if these billionaire donors are in a position to win these three Supreme Courtroom races, they'll definitely take this on the highway and check out to do that all over the place else within the nation," Martin warned.

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The Republican National Committee (RNC), requested to reply to Martin's remarks, pointed to its fundraising edge.

"Ken Martin has turned the DNC right into a debt-ridden circus run by radicals — and we sincerely hope he retains up the good work, RNC nationwide press secretary Kiersten Pels argued in a press release to Fox Information Digital. "No matter what occurs subsequent Tuesday, it received’t be due to something Ken Martin did. The DNC is broke, determined, and losing its final {dollars} attempting to save lots of face in blue states, and even then, Democrats are struggling to carry on."

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based mostly within the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the marketing campaign path from coast to coast."