Print By Tom Howell Jr. - The
Washington Times - Tuesday, May 2, 2023
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says he won’t launch a campaign for the 2024 presidential nomination this year and will focus on putting the state Legislature fully in
Republican hands. Mr. Youngkin, whose 2021 victory made him a rising GOP star, confirmed his plans during a late Monday talk with Wall Street Journal editor-at-large Gerard Baker in
California. “Are you going to be dusting off that fleece jacket and getting out on the presidential campaign trail later this year?” Mr. Baker said. “No,“ Mr. Youngkin said. For weeks, Mr. Youngkin has signaled he is more concerned about politics in his Richmond backyard. “We have a House that’s controlled by
Republicans and a
Senate that’s controlled by
Democrats,” Mr. Youngkin said at the event hosted by the Milken Institute. “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.” The governor gave the interview after having recently returned from a trip to Taiwan,
Japan and
South Korea. Mr. Youngkin swept into the governor’s mansion in 2021 with a campaign that focused on schools and parents’ rights after a disappointing 2020 for the GOP. His race was viewed as a blueprint for other Republicans and sparked talk of a presidential bid. Yet Mr. Youngkin barely makes a dent in early polling for 2024. Former President
Donald Trump is outperforming the emerging field, with
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expected to be his chief rival. Former South Carolina Gov.
Nikki Haley, a declared candidate, tends to occupy third place. Big wins in Richmond this year would raise his profile among Republicans, though at that point it would likely be too late to jump into the race for the
White House. • Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com . Copyright © 2023 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission . Please read our comment policy before commenting. Click to Read More and View Comments Click to Hide Sponsored Stories