Since his successful gubernatorial campaign, political commentators have speculated about Gov. Glenn Youngkin running for president. While Youngkin has repeatedly said he will not campaign for the 2024 Republican nomination, a recent ad by the Spirit of Virginia PAC and reported meetings with potential donors has raised questions about whether the governor is truly out of the race.
Posted by Youngkin on Twitter on May 18, the ad opens with him saying “it’s pretty overwhelming to contemplate the future of America,” and calling on the legacy of Ronald Reagan. The video has many of the classic markers of a presidential campaign, including a call to action against the current administration. Youngkin does not mention Virginia in the ad specifically, instead he speaks to Americans more broadly. However, the governor has insisted for months that he is focused on Virginia and this year’s state legislature elections.
“I’m not expecting him to jump in,” says J. Miles Coleman from the UVA Center for Politics. “You don’t just get into a presidential race willy-nilly if you’re a serious candidate.” Coleman points out that Youngkin would be at a serious disadvantage if he entered the race late, but would have difficulty entering sooner due to the upcoming Virginia legislative elections.
Unless there is a major shakeup with current frontrunners—former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis—Coleman thinks Youngkin will probably stay out of the 2024 race. But there are definite benefits to Youngkin’s mixed messaging.
“By not totally shutting down whether [he is] in or not, [Youngkin is] giving himself some mechanism to stay in the headlines,” says Coleman. Staying in the news gives him the opportunity to increase his national name recognition and better position himself for future races. “2028 seems like it is a long time away, but in politics … there is always another election.”
Additionally, Youngkin’s current messaging prepares him for a last-minute entrance into the race if it later becomes viable. “He’s Republicans’ roundly palatable guy, there is something for every faction to like,” says Coleman about reports that supporters are encouraging Youngkin to enter the Republican presidential primary.
While Youngkin is not a primary candidate, his impact on the field and Republican messaging has been massive. The Virginia governor’s campaign on parental rights and critical race theory has been mirrored by many of the current candidates. Most notably, DeSantis hired several key figures from Youngkin’s campaign for his own presidential run.
Here in Charlottesville, Youngkin’s platform can be most directly witnessed through his appointments to the UVA Board of Visitors. By appointing figures like Bert Ellis, the governor is undermining the viability of progressive policies, including diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Prior to joining the BOV, Ellis was a staunch critic of it and its support of DEI initiatives at UVA, saying that the school is “already diverse.”
“If I were Youngkin … I would focus like hell on my legislative elections,” Coleman says. “If he goes the 2028 route, he better hope that … whoever the Republican nominee is loses to Biden. If he has to wait eight years, he’s really irrelevant.”
