Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has gone full speed ahead since taking office in January, following a victory that Republicans hope foreshadows bigger wins in 2022.
Mr. Youngkin, 55, has made a friend in culture warrior conservatives with two of his first executive orders, related to education and COVID-19 lockdowns.
On day one, Mr. Youngkin issued executive orders canceling Virginia schools’ mask mandates and banning them from teaching the tenets of critical race theory.
Mr. Youngkin also set up a tip line for parents to report on issues with which they have concerns, regarding their children’s classroom standards or curriculum.
GOP strategist Jimmy Keady said he’s pleased that Mr. Youngkin has kept his promises on key conservative causes like eradicating critical race theory and reducing the state budget.
“Youngkin has set out to do what he said he was going to do and he’s getting done the agenda that he ran on, and that’s first and foremost education,” Mr. Keady said.
Mr. Youngkin has received mixed reviews by Virginians on his performance so far.
Forty-one percent of voters approved of the job he has done, compared to 43% who disapproved, according to a poll released Monday by Christopher Newport University’s Watson Center for Civic Leadership.
The same poll found 16% of voters were unsure of the governor’s performance.
The poll also had a majority of voters reject the eradication of critical race theory with 57% disapproving of the move compared to 35%.
The poll was based on 701 interviews with Virginia voters and was conducted between Jan. 26 and Feb. 15. It had an error margin of 4.2 percentage points.
Virginia Democrats have seized early on Mr. Youngkin’s initiatives to paint him as a far-right extremist who disguised himself as a moderate on the campaign trail.
Democratic State Del. Don Scott Jr. invoked the disapproval rating in a floor speech this week, calling Mr. Youngkin’s agenda divisive.
“It’s hard to be this bad this fast. It’s only been a few weeks,” Mr. Scott said. “The incompetence and divisiveness have been surprising to voters and they were not expecting this.”
A tweet by the Virginia Democratic Party on Monday also called Mr. Youngkin’s priorities out of touch with most of the state, which tilts blue.
“It’s clear that Youngkin’s budget priorities are out of touch with Virginians,” the tweet read. “Rather than using the budget surplus to cut taxes for the wealthy, Virginians want to fund and strengthen our public schools and public safety.”
Since taking office, Mr. Youngkin has also highlighted his initiatives to mitigate the pandemic.
This week, the governor extended an executive order to help hospitals during the pandemic as part of his COVID-19 action plan.
The extended order would allow flexibility for hospitals to increase bed capacity, telemedicine, and expand their staff. The governor’s plan also would help hospitals prioritize COVID-19 rapid tests.
Part of Mr. Youngkin’s COVID-19 plan also includes promotion of the vaccine, without mandating the shot, as well as expanding the vaccines into rural communities.
Mr. Youngkin also has pitched an ambitious tax plan that would give every state taxpayer a one-time rebate of $300, as well as eliminate the Virginia grocery tax and suspend a scheduled increase in the state’s gas tax.
The proposals, however, will need to pass the Democratic-controlled Senate to come to fruition.
Mr. Keady said accusations that Mr. Youngkin has governed in a manner different than how he campaigned are inaccurate.
“Democrats are claiming that he is righter than he is, but Youngkin is exactly who he ran on,” Mr. Keady said.
Macaulay Porter, a spokeswoman for Mr. Youngkin, said the credibility of Christopher Newport University’s polling was questionable, citing two polls by the organization from August and October that had Democrat Terry McAuliffe leading Mr. Youngkin for victory.
“These polls were wrong during the campaign and are wrong now,” Ms. Porter said. “Virginians endorsed Gov. Youngkin’s grocery tax plan so overwhelmingly that outgoing Governor Northam included it in his budget proposal. Gov. Youngkin’s initiatives have received bipartisan support and he looks forward to delivering on more promises that he made during the campaign.”
For more information, visit The Washington Times COVID-19 resource page.
• Mica Soellner can be reached at msoellner@washingtontimes.com.
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