Republican Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin is laying the groundwork for a potential 2024 presidential run, raising millions of dollars in his first six months in office and making plans to travel across the country to stump for Republican candidates ahead of November’s midterm elections, according to multiple reports.
Youngkin, who defeated former governor Terry McAuliffe in last November’s gubernatorial contest, raised an impressive $2.64 million for Spirit of Virginia, his political action committee, between January 1 and June 30, according to figures shared with the Washington Examiner. The governor’s hyper-focused campaign for governor last year received plaudits from many observers, and some have touted his messaging around education policy as a model for other GOP politicians.
Although his concrete plans for this coming summer and fall are still unannounced, the governor reportedly plans on using his war chest to travel to red, blue, and swing states in an effort to help Republican candidates asking for his support before the November elections, the outlet reported.
On June 23, Youngkin, a former private equity executive, traveled to New York to meet with megadonors in an event not listed on his public calendar to raise money for Spirit of Virginia, according to the Washington Post.
The Virginia governor has not yet expressed his intention to run in 2024, and could opt to run for Senate in 2026 instead. He is prohibited from running for governor in 2025, however, as Virginia does not allow for consecutive gubernatorial terms.
Youngkin appeared to fuel speculation of a presidential run in a June interview on Fox, saying “we’ll see what comes next,” in response to rumors about him running for the presidency.