FAIRFAX, Va. The Democratic Party romped to victories across the country Tuesday, gaining key state legislative seats, two governorships and full control of the state governments of New Jersey and Washington, where theyll have wide power to enact their agenda.

In one sense, the wins should have been expected: President Donald Trump is extremely unpopular , and the party that holds the White House usually does worse in congressional, state and local elections in years when the president isnt on the ballot.

And the victories were expected in some cases. In New Jersey, Democrat Phil Murphy , a former Goldman Sachs banker, consistently led in the polls and will now be the next governor. But elsewhere, outcomes were more uncertain.

Many Democratic activists were worried that the party was going to let the Virginia governors mansion slip from its grasp. Concern that Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam was failing to excite the base, along with a fear-mongering anti-immigrant campaign run by Republican Ed Gillespie, led to concerns it would be a repeat of the 2016 presidential race.