Marco Island, Florida – exclusive After several high-profile battles with President Biden's administration over the past three years, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin has said that President-elect Trump's decisive victory in the election earlier this month will send him to the White House. He said it means “I have friends.”
“As a pro-business, pro-business, strong education, safe communities, low tax governor, we now have the ability to… “I have supporters,” he said. The White House believes all of that.”
“I'm looking forward to having the wind on my back instead of in my face,” Youngkin said Tuesday, speaking on the sidelines of the Republican Governors Association's annual winter meeting, which will be held this year at a waterfront resort in southwest Florida. And he said this. .
And referring to his final year as Virginia's superintendent, Youngkin said, “I can't wait to see what we do with the tailwind from the Trump administration.”
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Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump shakes hands with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin during a rally at the Greenbrier Farm on June 28, 2024 in Chesapeake, Virginia. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
There has been much speculation about Yonkin's potential to serve in a top position in the second Trump administration, but the governor made it clear in a recent phone call with the president-elect that he intends to serve out his term. did.
However, he does not seem to be ruling out a stint in the Trump administration after he finishes his time in Richmond within a year.
“When I called the president, I told him I wanted to finish my term and that I was always available to help him during his term as governor and beyond,” Yonkin said.
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Three years ago, Mr. Youngkin energized Republicans across the country. The party's first-time candidate from the business world defeated former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, becoming the first Republican candidate in more than a decade to win the governor's race in a one-shot contest. The state has trended Democratic over the past decade.
The governor quickly became a Republican rock star, sparking speculation about a possible run for the White House in 2024.
But Yonkin and his party suffered a setback in a congressional race a year ago that drew significant national attention as Democrats retained a majority in the Virginia Senate and flipped the House of Representatives.
Although Mr. Yonkin was not on the ballot, he took advantage of the results by investing large amounts of political capital in support of Republican candidates for Congress. The result also meant that Mr. Yonkin would not have a free hand to advance conservative policies during the final two years of his term.
Mr. Youngkin returned to campaigning in Virginia and several key battleground states this year, helping swing the polls on behalf of the Republican Party.
He also spoke at a large rally held by President Trump in conservative southwestern Virginia the weekend before Election Day.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin speaks before Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally on Saturday, November 2, 2024 in Salem, Virginia. (AP Photo/Steve Herber)
Vice President Kamala Harris led the federal race in the White House race, but the margin with Trump was 4.5 percentage points smaller than President Biden's victory in the state four years ago, as Trump and the Republican Party outperformed expectations.
This result appears to have further increased Mr. Yonkin's influence ahead of the final Congress. Democrats, who have rallied over the past year to oppose the governor's tax cuts, may now be willing to negotiate.
Asked if Democrats were now ready to work together, Youngkin said, “I hope so.'' Recognizing that Virginians want to keep more of their hard-earned money; I think we're all starting to have a dialogue about how we provide that.” peace of mind. “
He argued that the election results “show record job growth and that pro-business criteria have produced surplus after surplus.”
“We will once again invest millions of taxpayer dollars and stand strong for education and public safety,” he said.
“I'm optimistic,” he added, “but it's going to be a normal legislative process. We have a legislature and we're a one-seat minority in the House and Senate, so we'll get seats. “I have to work hard to achieve that,” he acknowledged. Things are over. ”
On November 2, 2023, in Norfolk, Virginia, Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin holds a rally on behalf of Republican legislative candidates ahead of the state's high-profile elections. (Fox News – Paul Steinhauser)
All political attention will be on Virginia in 2025, as the Commonwealth and New Jersey are the only two states to hold gubernatorial elections the year after the presidential election.
However, by law Virginia's governor cannot run for reelection for a second consecutive term.
That doesn't mean Yonkin will disappear from campaigning in 2025. Quite the opposite, he says.
Yonkin of Virginia supports Lt. Gov. to succeed him.
“We'll see each other often,” he advertised. “We have had a very aggressive challenge as governor over the last 14 months, but part of that challenge that I have is making sure we meet our goals. be” [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears will be the next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares will return as attorney general and super lieutenant governor to be elected in the primary. ”
“Virginians will make it clear that they want to continue to do more of what we're doing, which is proving record job growth and opportunity and great results in our schools and safe communities,” Youngkin said. ” he predicted.
The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial showdown appears to be between Sears and Democratic Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA employee. The winner will go down in history as the first female governor in the state's history. And if Sears wins, she will make history as the first black female governor elected in the United States.
Virginia Lieutenant Governor Winsome at a rally to announce his party's bid for the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial nomination on Thursday, September 5, 2024, at Chick's Oyster Bar in Virginia Beach, Virginia. – Earl Sears addresses the crowd. (Kristen Zeiss/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Asked whether Sears, who served in the Marines and made history as Virginia's first woman to hold statewide office, was too conservative for voters, Youngkin demurred.
The governor immediately replied, “That's not the case.'' “And Winsome is a common-sense conservative leader. We've been partners literally from day one. We've campaigned together. We've been elected together, we've governed together. And I look forward to seeing the people of Virginia embrace her as the next Governor of Virginia.”
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As for his own political future, Yonkin did not reveal much about running for office in the future.
Asked about long-time Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Wanner's potential but unlikely run in the 2026 U.S. Senate race, or about his future White House campaign, Yonkin quickly responded to the question of governor. I shifted my focus to my main job as a.
“I have a big year and months ahead of me. That's my focus. We need to finish on a strong note so Virginia can really continue to rise. And I'm committed to giving it time. I'm going to spend .
Then he said, “Let's see what happens next.”
Faced with additional questions, Yonkin stayed on script, saying, “We'll see what happens in the future, but my goals right now are set to do well.”
