Glenn Youngkin rose to national fame in 2021 when he ran a smart gubernatorial campaign in Virginia that allowed him to pull off an improbable victory over Terry McAuliffe. Without losing Donald Trump's voter base, he added more voters in the suburbs and reversed 6% from the 2020 results. Just two years later, he is seriously considering a run for president, although for now, he is in no hurry.
The governor recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal's Gerald Baker during a visit to the Milken Institute in Los Angeles. While they were talking, the journalist asked him openly if he would seek the presidency in 2024, to which the interviewee answered "no." However, he added a few words that made that "no" sound more like a "maybe." "I'm going to work in Virginia this year," the Republican added.
In addition, an assistant to Youngkin came out to clarify that the refusal was not really a refusal. The man noted that Baker's question was geared to 2023 and that the governor was actually "answering the question with that in mind" and that "this was not an announcement or a definite decline."
The former Carlyle Group CEO said his short-term focus is on the Virginia legislative elections that will be held this year. Virginia's House of Representatives has a narrow Republican majority, while the Democrats hold the Senate, also by a slim margin.
In a time of uncertainty, Glenn Youngkin shares a hopeful vision for America. Together, we can overcome these challenges and emerge stronger than ever! #Hope #AmericanDream #Election pic.twitter.com/RKpcvZRU9c
— The Reagan Foundation and Institute (@RonaldReagan) May 2, 2023
"I want to hold our House, and I’d like to flip our Senate. And I think we’re doing a really good job in Virginia, and I think this is a chance to bring that to voters,” he told Baker, adding that he looked forward to helping those legislators in bringing “common-sense solutions” to difficult problems.
Youngkin's campaign as a model for future Republicans
His 2021 victory didn't go unnoticed, especially since his six-foot-two-inch height does not make him the most inconspicuous man. Since his victory over former Governor McAuliffe, many political strategists have seen in his campaign a formula adaptable to the entire country. He was able to retain the enthusiasm of Trump's base in rural counties without letting suburban voters slip away while narrowing the gap in the big cities.
"Do people want an end to the politics of conflict and bombast represented by Trump and his one-time protégé, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis? Or is exploiting the alleged cultural and ideological excesses of the Democratic left the path to defeating President Joe Biden? Youngkin’s potential appeal is that it isn’t necessary to decide — just say yes to both questions," commented John Harris of POLITICO.
The governor also comes across as someone with the ability to work across the aisle and bring results, thus attracting voters to the GOP. “What I’d seen in Virginia, and I think I see across this nation, is we in fact have to bring people into the Republican Party, we have to be additive, not [rely on] subtraction," he asserted in a previous interview.
Therefore, as Harris concluded, his addition to the 2024 Republican primary would be more than interesting because of what he could bring to a potential ballot. His name has even been mentioned as a running mate for whoever ends up prevailing in the Republican field. In the eyes of the aforementioned journalist, "he would offer "a non-hostile alternative to Trump and a compelling centrist challenge to Biden."
