President Obama is back on the campaign trail to boost Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls in Virginia and New Jersey, and his appearances have stirred fresh controversy. He will headline events for Abigail Spanberger in Virginia and for Rep. Mikie Sherrill in New Jersey as both tight races head into their final stretch, and critics are pointing to a pattern of rhetoric and tactics that Republicans see as out of touch. Alongside endorsements and ad buys, past remarks and a troubling undercover video tied to Spanberger’s campaign are fueling a heated, identity-focused clash that may matter more than policy this cycle.
The Virginia matchup pits former CIA officer and ex-Representative Abigail Spanberger against Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, a Jamaican immigrant and Marine veteran. The race carries historic notes: Earle-Sears is the first Black female nominee for governor in the state, and Virginia is poised to elect its first female governor no matter which party wins. That alone gives voters a clear choice between experience in federal service and the trailblazing story of a GOP leader who rose from immigrant roots and military service.
Obama plans to headline a rally for Spanberger in Norfolk on Nov. 1, after publicly endorsing her in a pair of October ads that slammed Republican opponents. Those ads highlighted issue lines Democrats want to own, especially abortion rights and taxes, and the former president is leaning into framing the contests as national referendums on those topics. Republicans see the stop as federal interference in state races and a sign Democrats are worried about their local ground game.
There’s also a glaring sense of hypocrisy on display to many conservative voters, who remember Obama’s past appeals for uniform support within specific voting blocs. He once chastised Black male voters for not turning out in the way he expected during a presidential campaign, a moment that drew heat at the time and that now looks awkward with his current push against a Black Republican candidate. The pattern of urging voters to choose along party lines while criticizing those who don’t has only widened the trust gap for many swing voters.
“We have not yet seen the same kinds of energy and turnout in all corners of our neighborhoods and communities as we saw when I was running,” Obama said, arguing for united enthusiasm. “Now, I also want to say that that seems to be more pronounced with the brothers. So if you don’t mind – just for a second, I’ve got to speak to y’all and say that when you have a choice that is this clean: When on the one hand, you have somebody who grew up like you, went to college with you, understands the struggles (and the) pain and joy that comes from those experiences,” Obama said, continuing that Trump “has consistently shown disregard, not just for the communities, but for you as a person – and you are thinking about sitting out?”
Obama followed with another pointed appeal that landed poorly for some: Part “of it makes me think, and I’m speaking to men directly… that, well, you just aren’t feeling the idea of having a woman as president, and you’re coming up with other alternatives and other reasons for that.” That line sparked immediate backlash, with critics calling the tone insulting and condescending instead of persuasive. Republicans say moments like this show the Democratic playbook is heavy on lecturing and light on concrete solutions for everyday pocketbook problems.
Pushback came fast from voters who felt patronized. “The general tone of it was disgusting,” a Black male voter from Philadelphia said at the time. “It was abhorrent. I didn’t respect it. I didn’t like nothing about it. And Kamala, two days after that, is like, ‘We love our Black men, we have programs and things that we’re rolling out for them’ and she rolled out policy.” Those reactions underscore how raw identity appeals can fracture a base instead of solidifying it.
The Spanberger campaign itself was rattled by an undercover recording in which a campaign organizer disparaged the choices on offer and used profanity to describe one option. “CIA agent, literally, which is crazy, like yeah, vote for the CIA agent, guys, like what the f—,” the organizer is heard saying on the tape. “I don’t know what happened. We’re in, like, the darkest timeline,” she continued. “Our only choices are between a Black woman, which ordinarily all for, but this time you think we should bring back slavery, Winsome.… Even with that, it’s like either vote for the Black woman who thinks that slavery should be brought back or vote for the White woman who was in the CIA.”
Outside Virginia, New Jersey is also a battleground this cycle, with Rep. Mikie Sherrill facing Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a race where national attention and money are flowing. Obama will travel there to headline events and press the same themes he’s using in Virginia, aiming to protect what Democrats call victories on reproductive freedom and economic fairness. Republicans counter that the messaging is nationalized to distract from local governance records and to score quick headlines before Election Day.
In his endorsement ads for Spanberger, Obama leaned on those issues directly: “Virginia’s elections are some of the most important in the country this year. We know Republicans will keep attacking abortion rights and the rights of women. That’s why having the right governor matters, and I’m proud to endorse Abigail Spanberger,” he said. He added in another ad, “Republican policies are raising costs on working families so (that) billionaires can get massive tax cuts,” using classic Democratic framing meant to sharpen contrasts on taxes and social policy.
The last weekend before these off-season contests will be closely watched, and both parties expect heavy turnout and aggressive ad wars. Republicans are focused on portraying the Democratic interventions as proof the national party is worried and that local voters should push back against identity-driven politics. For voters, the choice will come down to which message about leadership and priorities resonates in the final days before the polls open.
