After months of speculation, Republican Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin recently declared that he will not be running for president in 2024.
The conclusion?
At a Milken Institute "Governing America" event, Wall Street Journal editor-at-large Gerard Baker asked Youngkin if the governor planned to "dust off" the signature fleece jacket he became known for during his campaign for governor. According to the New York Post, he answered, "No."
Youngkin added, "I'm going to be working in Virginia this year," referring to the upcoming November elections for the Virginia legislative elections.
He pointed out that the Democrats controlled the Senate while the Republicans had the House. He stated, "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."
Following his historic victory in November 2021, the business wing of the Republican Party began talking openly about nominating Youngkin for president in 2024.
Baker insisted on the question: "So in the words of LBJ, you will not seek and, if nominated, you will not serve and accept the Republican nomination for President of the United States?"
Youngkin responded: "We'll leave that one to LBJ. What I am very excited about is that America seems to be paying attention to what's going on in Virginia."
However, a governor's adviser told NBC News that Youngkin was responding to Baker's inquiries solely with 2023 in mind, leaving the door open for a potential declaration in 2024 or future presidential races.
Despite Speculation
Months of speculation had been put to rest by Youngkin's decision not to launch a candidacy this year as the advocate for parental rights in schools. He would have faced an expanding Republican presidential race, including former President Donald Trump, the current frontrunner.
Even before his remarks on Monday, May 1, two of Youngkin's key outside political advisors joined the super PAC backing Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, suggesting Youngkin would not be launching a presidential candidacy.
With his 2021 election triumph, Youngkin sparked enthusiasm among Republicans nationwide. According to Fox News, when he narrowly defeated Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat who had served as governor of Virginia for a decade, he made history as the first Republican contender in a gubernatorial race in Virginia in a decade.
Last year, Youngkin was a sought-after Republican politician who traveled the nation in support of candidates running for office in 2022.
At a Monday event hosted by the Reagan Library in California, Youngkin said, "It was a choice to restore parents' rights because parents matter. It was a choice to lift the burdens on small businesses and to bring back more jobs. It was a choice for common sense."