Youngkin could create a new lane for voters against Trump and DeSantis in 2024

Rachel Schilke

March 08, 09:55 AM March 08, 09:55 AM

Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) has become a rising star within the Republican Party, joining a group of GOP governors that voters are eyeing for a future presidential run.

If he entered the 2024 presidential race, the Virginia governor could make his own lane as a conservative who can appeal to voters, potentially setting him up for a fiery race between other GOP candidates such as former President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL), who is expected to throw his hat in the ring.

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Over the last few weeks, Youngkin has been making TV appearances, participating in live town halls, and meeting with donors, fueling rumors that he may be ready to enter a bid for the White House. He would enter a presidential race with an approval rating of 57%, higher than Biden's approval rating of 38%, according to a Roanoke College poll. Biden's approval rating hit 46% in late February, the highest it's been since March 2022.

The governor has also been following in his fellow governors', and even Biden's, footsteps by touting his administration's success rate, particularly his ability to work collaboratively in a blue-leaning state.

“We’re driving our economic development,” Youngkin said in a CNBC interview last week via the Hill. “We’re driving education to a new place and raising the ceiling and the floor. We’re making sure that law enforcement is supported, not demeaned. And we’re doing it in a successful way in a state that truly is purple.”

When asked if he was considering a 2024 run, Youngkin said he is "focused on Virginia right now." GOP voters are a bit torn on whether they want to lose Youngkin to the White House, with only 42% of GOP voters supporting Youngkin seeking their party nomination.

"I do think the reason why people are asking this question of me is because the issues that I’m dealing with in Virginia are the same issues that the nation is dealing with. And we’re winning,” the governor said.

Some of Youngkin's allies say his recent efforts are more likely to help with the race in the state Senate this fall, which is expected to be a highly contested rate given the back-and-forth nature of Virginia.

“This session just ended Feb. 22, so if you look back at last year he kind of did a similar thing where when the session is over, he’s able to go and fundraise,” a close Youngkin ally said to the Hill . “There are elections in Virginia this year that I anticipate the governor will be very active into help win the state Senate.”

Many speculate that the 2024 GOP race will come down to DeSantis and Trump, with Youngkin trailing behind both candidates in polling. However, Youngkin could make his own lane in the race, given his appeal across the aisle and legislative successes that surpass DeSantis's, as Florida Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature.

Youngkin would prove to be an interesting candidate for 2024 because he appeals to both the Republican conservatives and independents, something that Republican Party leaders are pushing for their candidates after a lukewarm performance in the midterm elections.

“He’s kind of in what I would call the MAGA-light wing,” Holsworth said. “His positions are quite conservative. He’s very socially conservative, but at the same time he does have a business background and he does have a different style and demeanor, which is why he’s popular in Virginia. He’s not in peoples’ faces.”