Glenn Youngkin
Glenn Youngkin (Republican Party) is the Governor of Virginia. He assumed office on January 15, 2022. His current term ends on January 17, 2026.
Youngkin (Republican Party) ran for election for Governor of Virginia. He won in the general election on November 2, 2021.
Youngkin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.
Youngkin's 2021 gubernatorial campaign was his first run for elected office. Before being elected governor, he worked as co-CEO and president of The Carlyle Group, a global investment firm, from 1995 to 2020.[1]
In his 2021 Candidate Connection survey submitted to Ballotpedia, Youngkin said, "I am a conservative who believes that the best government is one that stays out of people’s everyday lives as much as possible. I’m committed to not raising taxes, removing regulatory burdens for small businesses, making sure that our children have the best, most affordable education possible, and that our Constitutional rights are protected."[2]
In 2021, Youngkin defeated former Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe (D) 51% to 49%, making Youngkin the first Republican to win the Virginia governorship since 2009.[3] When Youngkin assumed office at the start of 2022, Virginia had a divided government, with both the governor's office and Virginia House of Delegates having Republican control, and the Virginia State Senate having Democratic control. Click here to read more about Virginia's 2021 elections. During his first two days in office, he issued nine executive orders on topics ranging from education to criminal justice, including orders prohibiting the teaching of Critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 public schools.[4]
In Virginia, governors initiate the biennial budget process, submitting a budget proposal to the state legislature, which then considers the bill, along with legislative or executive amendments, before returning the bill to the governor for his or her signature.[5] In 2022, Youngkin proposed amendments to the state budget, including more tax reductions, law enforcement funding, and charter school funding.[6]
The Washington Post wrote the budget gave "the governor a partial victory on the tax cuts he vowed to deliver on the campaign trail last year. It calls for eliminating the 1.5 percent state grocery tax, for instance, but leaves in place the 1 percent levy imposed by localities."[7] The Virginia Mercury's Graham Moomaw, Kate Masters, and Sarah Vogelsong said the Virginia State Legislature rejected Younkin proposals to add an amendment that would have prohibited Medicaid from covering abortions in cases of incapacitating fetal deformities and created "a new felony that could be used to punish protesters who target judges’ homes or courthouses." Moomaw, Masters, and Vogelsong said the legislature approved Youngkin's amendments to narrow the earned sentencing credits for incarcerated individuals and transfer financial aid originally intended for undocumented students to historically Black colleges and universities.[8]
In 2022, Youngkin campaigned for Republicans in other states in the lead-up to the midterm elections, including for Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon (R) and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R).[9]
Biography
Glenn Youngkin earned a bachelor's degree from Rice University in 1990 and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School in 1994. Youngkin's career experience includes working as a co-CEO of Carlyle Group. He co-founded Virginia Ready.[10][11]
Elections
2021
See also: Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021
Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (June 8 Democratic primary)
Virginia gubernatorial election, 2021 (May 8 Republican convention)
General election
General election for Governor of Virginia
Glenn Youngkin defeated Terry McAuliffe, Princess Blanding, and Paul Davis in the general election for Governor of Virginia on November 2, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Glenn Youngkin (R)  | 50.6 | 1,663,596 |
 | Terry McAuliffe (D) | 48.6 | 1,600,116 | |
 | Princess Blanding (Liberation Party) | 0.7 | 23,125 | |
 | Paul Davis (Independent) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 2,593 | ||
| Total votes: 3,289,430 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Brad Froman (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia
Terry McAuliffe defeated Jennifer D. Carroll Foy, Jennifer McClellan, Justin Fairfax, and Lee Carter in the Democratic primary for Governor of Virginia on June 8, 2021.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Terry McAuliffe | 62.1 | 307,367 |
 | Jennifer D. Carroll Foy | 19.8 | 98,052 | |
 | Jennifer McClellan | 11.8 | 58,213 | |
 | Justin Fairfax | 3.6 | 17,606 | |
 | Lee Carter | 2.8 | 13,694 | |
| Total votes: 494,932 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican convention
Republican Convention for Governor of Virginia
The following candidates advanced in the ranked-choice voting election: Glenn Youngkin in round 6 . The results of Round are displayed below. To see the results of other rounds, use the dropdown menu above to select a round and the table will update.
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Total votes: 12,555 |
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Merle Rutledge (R)
- Kurt Santini (R)
- Paul Davis (R)
Campaign finance
Campaign themes
2021
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Glenn Youngkin completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Youngkin's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Virginia’s economy has stalled while neighboring states thrive. Virginia’s businesses are drowning in high costs and red-tape . We need a governor with real-world experience who can create jobs, keep businesses from leaving, put an open-for-business sign on Virginia, and create a rip-roaring economy that lifts all Virginians.
I will protect and defend Virginians’ Constitutional rights and personal liberties, which are being threatened like never before.
- The cost of living in Virginia is too high and continues to rise making the American dream un-attainable for too many Virginians. Virginia should be the best place to raise live, work and raise a family. and that starts with more jobs and lower costs, including taxes, fees and healthcare costs.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign website
Youngkin's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
GLENN YOUNGKIN knows there’s a lot to do in just four short years, and to succeed we must start strong. As Governor, Glenn will start his term with his DAY ONE GAME PLAN to lay the foundation for his vision for a vibrant Virginia. This game plan is just the first step to making Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Glenn is an outsider, not a politician. He spent his career leading teams, creating jobs, and building businesses – he knows how to get things done. Glenn will apply his business experience to the challenges Virginia faces and the opportunities before us. The Game Plan It’s time for bold leadership. Glenn will make sure Virginia has better-paying jobs, the best schools, the safest communities, and a government that works for you. His game plan will create 400,000 jobs and make sure every student graduates career or college ready. Glenn will cut exploding costs for families and relieve the burdens of inflation and taxes. He will cut regulations to create jobs and make it easier for innovators and entrepreneurs to get small businesses moving again. He will restore our high standards for schools and our students, ban critical race theory, invest in our teachers and schools, and empower parents with real choices. He will defend - not defund - our law enforcement heroes, end human trafficking, and rescue our failing mental health system. And Glenn will make state government honest, efficient, and modern. While moving forward on these priorities, Glenn will protect our constitutional rights. The result will be a Commonwealth where businesses can prosper, students can thrive, communities are safe, and people – not politicians – are in charge. It’s going to take a new kind of leader, not a failed politician looking for a second chance, to make it happen. When Glenn is Governor, we will get it done together.
Glenn Youngkin has a vision to make Virginia the best place to live, work, and raise a family. Glenn will take on the challenges facing Virginians and make sure we have the best jobs, the best schools, the safest communities, and a government that works for all of us. There’s a lot to do in four years, and we must start strong to succeed. It all starts with the DAY ONE GAME PLAN. Cut Costs for Virginians
Keep Our Communities Safe
Reinvigorate Job Growth
Restore Excellence In Education
Make Government Work For You
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” |
| —Glenn Youngkin's campaign website (2021)[13] | ||
Notable endorsements
This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.
Noteworthy events
Reported as possible 2024 Republican vice presidential nominee
- See also: Vice presidential candidates, 2024
Media reports discussed Youngkin as a possible 2024 Republican vice presidential candidate.[14] Former President Donald Trump (R) selected U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) as his running mate on July 15, 2024, the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention.
In 2020, President Joe Biden (D) announced Vice President Kamala Harris (D) as his running mate six days before the start of the Democratic National Convention (DNC). In 2016, both Hillary Clinton (D) and Trump announced their running mates three days before the DNC and RNC, respectively.
See also
2021 Elections
External links
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Candidate Governor of Virginia |
Officeholder Governor of Virginia |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Glenn Youngkin," accessed April 5, 2021
- ↑ Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey submitted on Feb. 19, 2021.
- ↑ Virginia Public Access Project, "Governor," accessed September 27, 2023
- ↑ Virginia Office of the Governor, "Executive Actions," accessed September 27, 2023
- ↑ Virginia House Appropriations Committee, "Executive Budget Process," accessed September 27, 2023
- ↑ Richmond Times-Dispatch, "Youngkin proposes $3.5 billion in budget amendments without saying how to pay for them," January 24, 2022
- ↑ Washington Post, "Virginia budget compromise gives Gov. Glenn Youngkin partial win," May 26, 2022
- ↑ Virginia Mercury, "General Assembly hands Youngkin wins, losses on budget amendments," June 17, 2022
- ↑ CNN, "Youngkin is ‘hugging everyone’ as he tries to build a brand as the GOP’s great unifier," September 28, 2022
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on February 26, 2021
- ↑ CBS News, "Who is Glenn Youngkin, the Republican who will be the next governor of Virginia?" accessed December 10, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Glenn Youngkin's campaign website, “Glenn's Day One Game Plan,” accessed Oct. 25, 2021
- ↑ Politico, "The GOP Is Already Clashing Over Trump’s VP Pick," January 18, 2024
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