Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a rising star in the GOP, is leaning away from a 2024 presidential bid and focusing on flipping the state Legislature into the red column.
The governor recently told donors and advisers that the fall legislative elections are his sole focus, according to a report in The New York Times.
A sea change in Richmond 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.
“I am wholly focused on the Commonwealth of Virginia, and I’m looking forward to these elections,” Mr. Youngkin said at a recent state agriculture event.
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 existing 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.
Two of Mr. Youngkin’s top advisers joined a super PAC that supports Mr. DeSantis, who has taken up the parents-rights fight, and the Times’ report pointed to the Virginia governor’s hints he isn’t focused on a national campaign.
“Listen, I didn’t write a book, and I’m not in Iowa or New Hampshire or South Carolina,” the governor said last week.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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