Vice President JD Vance responded to Republican losses in Tuesday’s elections, calling for better voter turnout efforts and an end to party infighting.
“I think it’s idiotic to overreact to a couple of elections in blue states, but a few thoughts,” Vance wrote on X Wednesday following key Democrat victories in blue states New Jersey, New York City, and Virginia.
“Scott Pressler [sic], TPUSA, and a bunch of others have been working hard to register voters. I said it in 2022, and I’ve said it repeatedly since: our coalition is ‘lower propensity’ and that means we have to do better at turning out voters than we have in the past,” Vance said.
The vice president urged Republicans to focus on economic issues and results at home.
“We need to focus on the home front. The president has done a lot that has already paid off in lower interest rates and lower inflation, but we inherited a disaster from Joe Biden and Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Vance continued. “We’re going to keep on working to make a decent life affordable in this country, and that’s the metric by which we’ll ultimately be judged in 2026 and beyond.”
Democrats swept Tuesday’s gubernatorial races in Virginia and New Jersey, while socialist Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s mayoral contest. The results marked the first major elections since President Donald Trump began his second term.
Former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger defeated Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by more than 15 points to become the state’s first female governor. In New Jersey, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill beat Republican Jack Ciattarelli by 13 points, marking the first time in 50 years that one party won three consecutive gubernatorial terms in the state.
President Trump also commented on the election results Wednesday, attributing Republican losses to two factors. “TWO REASONS” why “REPUBLICANS LOST ELECTIONS TONIGHT”—”TRUMP WASN’T ON THE BALLOT, AND SHUTDOWN,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The elections took place during an ongoing government shutdown that entered its 35th day Tuesday, making it the second-longest funding lapse in U.S. history.
Vance called for party unity in his statement.
“The infighting is stupid. I care about my fellow citizens–particularly young Americans–being able to afford a decent life, I care about immigration and our sovereignty, and I care about establishing peace overseas so our resources can be focused at home. If you care about those things too, let’s work together,” Vance said.