In the first major elections of President Donald Trump’s second term, voters in Virginia, New Jersey, California and New York City are expressing broad dissatisfaction with Trump — and with both political parties, according to early results from the NBC News Exit Poll.
Most voters in those elections are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today, and they continue to express concern about financial issues and the economy.
The governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia, as well as a closely watched mayoral election in New York City and the redistricting ballot measure in California, highlight the first big Election Day of Trump’s second term.
The results of Tuesday night’s elections will offer an early, though limited, window into how voters feel about his efforts to reshape Washington and the country, providing clues for candidates on both sides ahead of pivotal midterm elections next year.
How is Trump handling his second term in office?
The president’s overall job approval is underwater among voters casting ballots for governor in New Jersey and Virginia — two states that have voted against Trump each time he’s run for president. Majorities of voters who turned out for these 2025 contests disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job as president: 55% in New Jersey, 56% in Virginia.
In the New York City mayoral race, just 29% of voters approve of Trump, according to the exit poll, as do 36% in California. There, the Proposition 50 ballot measure will decide whether the state will change its congressional map in response to Republican-led redistricting pushed by Trump in Texas and other states.
How do voters see the Democratic and Republican Parties?
Beyond views of the current president, neither the Republican nor Democratic Party are seen in particularly positive terms among voters who cast ballots in this years’ races.
In Virginia, New Jersey, and California, more voters expressed unfavorable than favorable views of the Democratic Party. Views of the Republican Party are not quite as negative, but still, the party was not seen in favorable terms by a majority in any state surveyed.
A grim national outlook
Voters picking new governors in New Jersey and Virginia also expressed concern about the way things are going in the country these days.
In New Jersey, 65% said they are angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country and only 33% said they are satisfied or enthusiastic.
In Virginia, 63% said they are angry or dissatisfied about the direction of the country, compared with just 35% who had a positive view of the country.
Economic concerns and the cost of living
Voters in each of the states surveyed over the last several weeks said economic issues — or the cost of living — were the most important issues facing their state. In Virginia and California, the economy topped the list of voters’ concerns. And in New York City, 56% of voters said the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city. In New Jersey, taxes and the economy both ranked high on voters’ list of concerns.
Financial worries came through as voters described their own family’s personal financial situations. In each state surveyed, most voters said they were either “holding steady” or actively falling behind financially. Far smaller shares in any state or locality said they were “getting ahead.”
In several states, voters point to specific financial pains
In New Jersey, a majority of voters said property taxes and electricity costs were “major” problems in their state. Overall, 60% said the state’s economy is not so good or poor. Only 38% said the state economy was good or excellent.
In Virginia, where the government shutdown and federal government cuts affected many families this year, 6-in-10 said federal government cuts this year affected their family’s finances a lot (20%) or a little (39%).
A large majority of New York City voters said the cost of living was the most important issue facing the city: 72% said the cost of housing was a major problem, and 65% said the city’s economy was not so good or poor.
Trump on immigration
Trump said he won in 2024 because of the border and grocery prices. But voters today are divided on Trump’s actions on immigration.
A slim majority of voters in New Jersey and Virginia said that the Trump administration’s actions on immigration enforcement have gone too far, while far smaller shares say they have been about right or not gone far enough.
Still, many voters are divided on how their state’s government should cooperate with the federal government on immigration. In New Jersey, voters were more likely to say the next governor should not cooperate with Trump — though these views were divided by candidate preference.
In New York City, 61% said the next mayor should not cooperate with Trump on immigration enforcement.
In California, 59% said Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Democrat leading the Proposition 50 fight, should not cooperate with the Trump administration on immigration enforcement.
The NBC News Exit Poll is conducted by SSRS, an independent research company, on behalf of ABC, The Associated Press, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC. The networks together prepare the questionnaire. More information about SSRS can be obtained by visiting www.ssrs.com.
The 2025 poll, conducted from October 22nd -November 4th, includes representative samples of registered voters in California (n=~4,000), New Jersey (n=~4,000), New York City (n=~3,700), and Virginia (n=~4,000). The Voter Poll combines data collected from verified registered voters online and by telephone, with data collected in-person from Election Day voters at 30 precincts per state/city, excluding California. Respondents can complete the poll in English or Spanish. The overall margin of sampling error for voters, accounting for design effects, is expected to be approximately plus or minus 2 percentage points in California, 2.1 percentage points in New Jersey, 2.2 percentage points in New York City, and 2.1 percentage points in Virginia.
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