Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin said Wednesday at a press conference that he’s “not going anywhere,” indicating he will not enter the 2024 presidential election.
There were rumors Youngkin would declare a presidential candidacy if he secured a GOP trifecta in Virginia Tuesday.
However, those aspirations flatlined after Democrats retained the Virginia State Senate and recaptured the Virginia House of Delegates.
“VA governor Glenn Youngkin openly rejected President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement. Last night, Virginians rejected him,” 100 Percent Fed Up noted.
Steve Bannon said "MAGA destroyed" Youngkin's presidential fantasy.
Youngkin Abandoned MAGA ;
Tonight MAGA Destroyed ‘the Pretenders’ Presidential Fantasy https://t.co/MFhM5ktfwy pic.twitter.com/pVWiEkKYcN— Grace Chong 🇺🇸 (@gc22gc) November 8, 2023
"My name is not on the ballot in New Hampshire. I have not been in Iowa, I am not in South Carolina, I am in Virginia," Youngkin said.
NBC News reports:
Youngkin has long left wiggle room in his answers to questions about the 2024 election, even as filing deadlines and other logistical hurdles made the idea of a late presidential bid seem unlikely. Even so, some supporters have long remained interested in the idea of him joining the GOP primary field.
But jumping in now would mean going back on his statement that he’s staying focused on his state.
Youngkin brushed off a direct question about the 2024 race by noting that he’s not on the ballot in the early primary states as he spoke at a post-election press conference. Youngkin said he was “disappointed” in the state legislative results that saw Democrats keep the state Senate and flip the state House on Tuesday, despite a big Republican push for complete control of Virginia state government.
"This was a razor-thin set of decisions on both sides in a number of these races, and it underpins the fact that Virginia is a state that has historically moved back and forth," Youngkin said.
Virginia Republicans, led by Youngkin, competed to take over the legislature for the final two years of Youngkin's term and win the ability to push their legislative proposals. That included a proposed restriction on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy. But Democrats campaigned hard against the plan and won key swing seats using that message.
🚨 JUST IN: Virginia GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin has confirmed he will NOT be running for President in 2024, according to NBC
This comes after Republicans in Virginia suffered MASSIVE losses yesterday, with the GOP-controlled House of Delegates flipping to Democrat control
Why did… pic.twitter.com/nGkwtl3kMD
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) November 8, 2023
USA Today added:
The blue sweep not only puts a stop to Youngkin's in-state conservative agenda but has shut down much of the speculation that Virginia's popular Republican governor would enter a last-minute presidential bid.
Now working with a Democratic General Assembly for the next two years, Youngkin said his "one basic takeaway" from the 2023 election was that Virginia remains a purple state.
"This is just another statement of where Virginia is and why it's such a bellwether for what's going on across the nation," Youngkin told reporters.
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