One week from today, voters in New Jersey and Virginia will go to the polls. These are state and not federal elections. But they can serve as bellwethers for the upcoming midterm election next year.

Topics that resonate in a purple state like Virginia this year, for example, are likely to be issues that are significant in swing states and districts in 2026.

Next Tuesday, we’ll also look closely at voter turnout for some early clues as to which party is more excited to show up and vote next year.

Even as our politics has become more and more nationalized, these contests in Virginia and New Jersey are also impacted by unique state and local issues and trends. And that's why we wanted to discuss these contests with two people who really understand the issues, the electorate, and parts of the state will be most important to watch on November 4th.

Amy is joined by Joey Fox of the New Jersey Globe and Chaz Nuttycombe, founder and executive director of State Navigate, who's following the Virginia contests.

We recorded this conversation on Wednesday, October 22nd.

You can watch part of the conversation our YouTube channel.

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#352. Heroes Die | Author’s Shelf feat. Scott Lynch