Voters in the Virginia and New Jersey governor elections shifted left, with Democrats outperforming expectations in both states and New York City.

New Jersey and Virginia have a long standing pattern of electing governors from the party opposite from the sitting president.

Many voters in New Jersey and Virginia — which both elected Democratic governors on Tuesday — cast their ballots in opposition to President Trump, according to the AP Voter Poll. In the Prairie State,

Rep. Mikie Sherrill, a former Navy pilot, says voters chose her to lead and address affordability at a time when many New Jersey residents feel challenged by the Trump administration.

One reason the races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey mark a big victory for Democrats: the results suggest these typically blue states are getting bluer, and Democratic enthusiasm is rising. President Trump lost both states just a year ago by single-digit margins.

The off-year elections feature major races in just a handful of states, but networks are deploying midterm-level coverage, seeing it not just as an indicator of the future of the Democratic party but a referendum on Donald Trump.

President Trump did not mention Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) by name during an telephone rally he held a day ahead of Tuesday’s gubernatorial race between her and former Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger.

Democrats have swept the first major elections of Donald Trump's second term, with the US president saying the ongoing government shutdown is a "big factor".