Election Day features notable contests in 4 states

Tuesday is Election Day, and the most closely watched races in this off-year election are the close gubernatorial contests in Kentucky and Mississippi and the legislative races in Virginia and New Jersey.

In Kentucky, President Trump and the state's two U.S. senators spoke at a rally Monday night to boost unpopular incumbent Gov. Matt Bevin (R) against challenger Andy Beshear (D), the state attorney general and son of Kentucky's last Democratic governor. Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R) is running against Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood. Both races are close. Virginia Democrats are making a big push to flip the state legislature, giving them control of both chamber as well as the governor's office. New Jersey Democrats are fighting to keep control of the state government.

In Virginia and New Jersey, where Trump is unpopular, Democrats are trying to nationalize the race while Republicans are focusing on local issues. The reverse is true in Kentucky and Mississippi, where Trump's approval rating is higher.

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Observers will look at the results through the lens of 2020, sifting through the data for clues about the strength of each party, especially in suburban areas, and whether local issues can trump the national political environment."There is no getting away from what is happening nationally, even in these off-year elections," Page Gardner, president of the Voter Participation Center, tells USA Today. "At the end of the day, whatever you say, you're running in an operating environment that is being defined by his presidency."