Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, the first-time political candidate who won Virginia’s gubernatorial election after running a campaign focused on parents rights, didn’t rule out a 2024 run for president when pressed.
Youngkin was questioned by Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker at a Milken Institute event.
Asked if he would head out on the presidential campaign trail this year, Youngkin replied, “No.”
“I’m going to be working in Virginia this year,” the governor said. “And so our House and Senate are up for full reelection this year. We have a House that’s controlled by Republicans and a Senate that’s controlled by Democrats.”
“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 said.
However, in a follow up comment, a Youngkin aide told The Hill that Youngkin had answered Baker’s question in the context of Virginia’s 2023 legislative elections specifically, leaving open the possibility he could refocus his efforts in 2024.
“What I am very excited about is that America seems to be paying attention to what’s going on in Virginia,” Youngkin concluded.
A Breath of Fresh Air
Youngkin’s successful campaign and election invigorated Republicans after he became the first GOP nominee to win the governorship in Virginia in a dozen years.
He spent much of 2022 hosting events across the country on behalf of other Republican candidates.
While he never outright made an enemy of former President Donald Trump, he also didn’t heap praise. He kept the president respectfully at arm’s length in a balancing act fellow Republicans sought to mimic.
Since then, he has been the subject of speculation that he might take on Trump for the Republican nomination.
However, in a sign he has decided to remain with Virginia, two of his top outside consultants recently joined a super PAC supporting Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
