With the 2025 election season in full swing, the political landscape across several states is heating up, marked by high-stakes battles over control, ideology, and the future direction of both local and national governance. From Virginia’s gubernatorial race to a pivotal Pennsylvania Supreme Court retention election, and a dramatic redistricting fight in Missouri, the closing days of September have seen a flurry of activity, alliances, and controversy.
In Virginia, the focus is squarely on affordability and the cost of living—a concern that resonates deeply with voters. On September 29, 2025, the Cost Coalition, a bipartisan group of Donald Trump adversaries, made headlines by throwing its support behind Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger. The coalition, which includes both Republican and Democratic advisers, praised Spanberger as a “proven leader that is committed to fighting to lower costs.” According to a statement from Terry Holt, a Republican, and Andrew Bates, a Democrat, “For Virginia families concerned with rising cost of living, the choice in the November election is clear: Abigail Spanberger is a proven leader that is committed to fighting to lower costs.”
Spanberger’s campaign has zeroed in on affordability, making it the central pillar of her pitch to voters. Her opposition to the Trump Administration’s tariffs—a policy move the Cost Coalition argues has “raised prices and worsened inflation”—is a key point of distinction. The coalition’s endorsement is seen as a significant development, especially as Spanberger seeks to build a broad coalition in a state that has swung between parties in recent cycles.
Meanwhile, in Pennsylvania, the battle for the state Supreme Court has become a showcase for the enduring influence of money in politics. As reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, Democratic groups are outspending their Republican counterparts by a wide margin ahead of the November retention elections for three Democratic justices: Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht. Democratic groups have spent or reserved $3.1 million on advertising, compared to $1.1 million for their opponents, with the justices themselves holding a combined $2.3 million as of September 15, 2025, to defend their positions.
But the Republican side has a powerful ally: billionaire Jeff Yass, the state’s wealthiest man and a major investor in Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform. Yass is one of the nation’s most prominent conservative megadonors, and his support could tip the balance in the campaign’s final weeks. Commonwealth Partners, a group benefiting from Yass’s largesse, has been vocally urging Pennsylvanians to vote “no” on retaining the three justices, labeling them “progressive” judges with a “woke ideology.” The group’s affiliated PAC has even sent out mailers that, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer, falsely suggest the gerrymandered congressional map invalidated by the court in 2018 was actually imposed by the justices themselves.
Yass’s involvement has not gone unnoticed by progressives and activists. Demonstrators have repeatedly protested his role in the campaign throughout 2025, with chants like “Vote ‘Yes’—not Yass” echoing outside the headquarters of his private equity firm. Earlier in the year, activists also rallied at the Pennsylvania state capitol, calling for higher taxes on billionaires with the pithy slogan “Tax that Yass.” It’s not the first time Yass has played a decisive role in Pennsylvania Supreme Court races; he spent about $2 million in 2021 to help elect Republican Kevin Brobson, and more than $4 million in 2023 in a failed effort to unseat Democrat Daniel McCaffery.
While Democrats currently enjoy a spending advantage, there is growing apprehension that Yass and his network could erase that edge as the campaign enters its final stretch. The outcome could have far-reaching implications, not just for the court’s ideological makeup but for the broader political climate in Pennsylvania, a perennial battleground state.
Elsewhere, the redistricting wars continue to rage. In Missouri, Governor Mike Kehoe signed a new congressional gerrymander into law on September 28, 2025, that dramatically reshapes the state’s political map. The new plan, which Kehoe himself proposed and which was eagerly adopted by the GOP-dominated legislature, flips the 5th District in the Kansas City area from safely blue to solidly red. Under the old lines, the district favored Kamala Harris by a 61-38 margin in the previous year’s election; under the new map, it would have backed Donald Trump by a 58-40 spread.
The move has sparked a flurry of legal and political challenges. Opponents were dealt a setback when state Attorney General Catherine Hanaway advised Secretary of State Denny Hoskins to reject petitions from activists seeking a veto referendum on the map, arguing that they filed too early. Hoskins promptly followed Hanaway’s advice, but organizers have vowed to challenge the rejection in court. As of late September 2025, at least four lawsuits have been filed challenging the new map on various grounds, and the fate of the district’s boundaries remains uncertain.
These developments in Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Missouri are just the tip of the iceberg in a sea of political maneuvering unfolding across the country. In Alabama, former professional football player A.J. McCarron is reportedly preparing to enter the Republican primary for either the Senate or lieutenant governor, according to Yellowhammer News. Minnesota’s gubernatorial race could see far-right conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell make another run, though even he admits there’s “a lot of uncertainty” left in his decision. In Wisconsin, Democrat Missy Hughes has entered the race to succeed retiring Governor Tony Evers, touting her experience as a dairy industry executive and economic development leader.
Other states are seeing their own flurries of political activity: Arizona’s JoAnna Mendoza has secured endorsements from both of the state’s Democratic senators in her bid for Congress; Hawaii’s Rep. Ed Case faces primary challenges from within his own party; Missouri’s Cori Bush is plotting a comeback against Rep. Wesley Bell; and New York City’s embattled Mayor Eric Adams has ended his reelection campaign, leaving a three-way contest in his wake.
Each of these contests, whether driven by questions of affordability, the influence of wealthy donors, or the drawing of political maps, speaks to the broader currents shaping American politics in 2025. The stakes are high, the money is flowing, and the outcomes are anything but certain. But one thing is clear: with so much on the line, voters across the country are being asked to make choices that will reverberate far beyond the November ballots.
As the campaign season barrels toward its climax, the only guarantee is that the political battles of late September 2025 are setting the stage for a dramatic, consequential, and unpredictable election year ahead.
