Youngkin: Not Running for President in 2021.

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin Confirms He Won’t Run for President in 2023

Focus on Virginia

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has confirmed that he will not be entering the Republican presidential primary field this year. Instead, he will continue to focus on running his state. In a recent interview, Youngkin stated that he will be working to help Republican candidates win legislative elections in Virginia. The commonwealth currently has a Democrat-majority Senate and a Republican-majority House of Delegates. Youngkin said, “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.”

Excitement in Virginia

Youngkin is excited that America seems to be paying attention to what’s going on in Virginia. He believes that they are demonstrating that they can do things differently and bring common sense solutions to bear on some of these perennially challenging problems. And those common sense solutions work.

2024 Presidential Ambitions

Youngkin didn’t explicitly deny whether he has 2024 presidential ambitions when asked. An aide to the governor clarified that Youngkin was answering questions only with 2023 in mind, leaving the door open for a possible announcement in 2024.

Overseas Tour

Youngkin recently embarked on an overseas tour that drew more speculation that he would jump into the 2024 presidential race. While another widely floated 2024 contender, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo, Youngkin met with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei. They both visited South Korea and Japan before returning home.

Trade Missions or Political Maneuvers?

Both leaders billed these trips as trade missions, although spectators see them as a move for prospective candidates seeking to boost their foreign affairs resumes at a time when the geopolitical threat from the Chinese Communist Party is drawing outsize attention in Washington, especially among Republican lawmakers aligned with former President Donald Trump.

Trump’s Dominance in Polls

Trump, the dominant 2024 Republican primary candidate, has a list of successes to tout when it comes to dealing with China and the communist regime in North Korea. The former president has devoted much attention to attacking DeSantis as polls have shown the Florida governor as the most potent of the actual and potential primary challengers. As of May 2, Trump still dominates most polls, expanding his lead over DeSantis to about 40 points. A Wall Street Journal poll released on April 21 found Youngkin receiving only 1 percent or less support among potential 2024 primary voters.