'All eyes are on Virginia': Glenn Youngkin launches full-court press ahead of high-stakes elections

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin is well liked in the Old Dominion state.

And as rumors of a 2024 presidential bid swirl around Youngkin, his local supporters say they don’t want to see their governor run for national office. At least not yet.

“His work is still needed in Virginia,” said Conor Forrest, 25, at an event held over the weekend by Youngkin's political action committee Spirit of Virginia.

Forrest, an avid sports fan and NFL podcast host in northern Virginia’s Loudon County, said he “certainly” wants to see Youngkin run for president “eventually," but not before finishing the last two years of his current term in office.

Since moving into the governor's mansion two years ago, Youngkin's approval ratings have held at above 50%, scoring higher than President Joe Biden in Virginia and most politicians around the country.

Natalie Erdossy was at the same event and likewise said she would not want to see Youngkin enter the 2024 presidential race.

“He's my governor right now,” said Erdossy, a 41-year-old social worker and Fauquier County resident.

Donors and members of the national Republican Party have long raised Youngkin’s name as a presidential prospect. Youngkin's name even comes up as former President Donald Trump remains the GOP frontrunner, and his challengers, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, lag at least 30 points behind in polls.

While not shutting the door on a 2024 bid, Youngkin has avoided the question by saying he is focused on his own state’s 2023 elections, when every seat in Virginia's House of Delegates and state Senate will be on the ballot Nov. 7.

Youngkin and Virginia Republicans hope to hold their majority in the House and take control of the Senate.

“The future of the Commonwealth, the direction that we are on, will either be accelerated, or it'll be deterred,” Youngkin told a cheering crowd in Fredericksburg, Virginia Saturday. “And I'm telling you we're going to hit the accelerator when we have held our house and flipped our Senate.”

Youngkin lends his favorability to other Virginia Republicans

Youngkin put his high approval rating to use for Virginia Republicans over the weekend, kicking off the final leg of a statewide bus tour with stops in Loudoun County and Fredericksburg. Both areas are home to competitive state House and Senate races, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

A crowd of around 100 people gathered at a veterans center in Middleburg, Virginia, early Saturday afternoon to hear from Youngkin and Senate candidate Juan Pablo Segura. Wearing “Grandmas for Juan Pablo” T-shirts, “Youngkin Governor” hats and other campaign merchandise, the audience of all ages applauded and cheered when state Sen. Mark Obenshain opened his remarks with, “Do we have a great governor or what?”

Segura told USA TODAY Youngkin’s backing is “incredibly important.”

“He's a man I respect. He wants to make Virginia the best place to live, work and raise a family. I believe in that vision,” Segura said.

On stage and in his signature red vest, the governor touted what he called “common sense conservative policies,” including targeting taxes in the state and boosting school choice. He led the Middleberg audience, and later a crowd of about the same size in a Fredericksburg barn, in impassioned chants of “hold the House and flip the Senate.”

“There's no election in the nation more important than what's happening right now. The entire nation is watching us again,” he told the crowd in Middleberg.

Virginia could guide Republicans ahead of 2024

Youngkin’s gubernatorial win in 2021 was a stunning comeback for Republicans after the 2020 elections. The governor told Fredericksburg attendees that “all eyes are on Virginia,” as the state GOP hopes to again dominate the purple state.

“I do look forward to demonstrating to the nation that we can do this,” Youngkin said in a press conference Saturday evening.

In his speeches over the weekend, Youngkin referred to Virginia as the “shining city on the hill” for America and Republicans in other states.

One of the top issues in the lead up to this potential 2024 bellwether has been abortion rights in the state. Virginia Democrats have campaigned on warnings that a Republican victory in November would mean additional restrictions on the procedure.

“Don’t be fooled, a ban is a ban, period," Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee Interim President Heather Williams said in a statement. "Glenn Youngkin and his allies can try to act like he wouldn’t ban abortion but they will. The stakes could not be clearer this election.”

Meanwhile, Youngkin and other Republicans, including Segura, have accused candidates and activists on the left of selling fear.

“Every commercial from the other side, every message from the other side, (is) misrepresenting things that they say the Republicans will do," Youngkin said after the Fredericksburg rally.

Youngkin has signaled he would seek a 15-week abortion ban, with exceptions for rape, incest and severe medical emergencies, if Republicans win total control of the legislature.

“That's not a ban,” he said. “This is, in fact, a place we can come together, I think, around one of the toughest issues in America today, and I think we found a place that Virginians can come together.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Glenn Youngkin, Virginia GOP look to be guide for Republicans in 2024