For Virginia’s Youngkin, potential presidential run would face logistical hurdles, voter skepticism

RICHMOND, Va. – Glenn Youngkin was once waving off discuss working for the White House again in 2021, ahead of he’d even made it to the Virginia governor’s mansion.

Brad Hobbs, a adolescence good friend, instructed The Associated Press on the time that his final function was once to peer the Harvard-educated Republican businessman run for president. Hobbs stated he introduced it up nonstop, even in entrance of others, which irked Youngkin.

“He doesn’t commit to that. He looks at me like, ‘Stop saying it; I don’t want to hear that,’” Hobbs stated.

Conjecture that Youngkin, who is about to host a significant donor retreat Tuesday and Wednesday, would possibly make a overdue access into the 2024 presidential race has simplest grown since his victory just about two years in the past. It may just additional escalate after subsequent month’s high-stakes legislative elections, the place he’s aiming for a GOP sweep.

At least one of the crucial fresh communicate is coming from Republican donors nonetheless casting about for but every other choice to former President Donald Trump.

But the 56-year-old Youngkin, who in public remarks has demurred but not totally shut the door to a bid, would face logistical marketing campaign difficulties, poll get entry to hurdles and — in line with interviews across the nation over the last week — skepticism from some Republican electorate, who both don’t know him smartly or are locked in on Trump.

“I think it’s ill-conceived and a really horrible idea,” Eric Levine, a New York-based legal professional and Republican donor who has steered his celebration to again any person rather than Trump, stated of a potential Youngkin candidacy. “It is doomed to failure and will only damage his brand.”

Youngkin, who solutions questions on his presidential potentialities by means of announcing he’s flattered to be within the dialog however eager about Virginia, is these days in the course of the tense ultimate push to the state’s Nov. 7 election, with early voting already underway.

Every seat within the General Assembly is at the poll, and each events see a imaginable trail to a legislative majority in a state that once seemed destined to move from red to blue however now hangs within the steadiness. If Republicans arrange to carry the House of Delegates and turn the Senate, that would give Youngkin huge leeway to enact extra of what he calls his commonplace sense conservative priorities — together with further tax cuts, new limits on abortion and a rollback of clean energy mandates — over the general two years of his time within the governor’s mansion. Virginia uniquely prohibits its leader executives from serving consecutive phrases.

Youngkin, recognized for his folksy, high-energy taste, introduced a major early voting push this cycle, shattered earlier governors’ fundraising data, campaigned with applicants and is within the weeds at the specifics of battleground races, in line with his advisers.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Youngkin and his spouse, Suzanne Youngkin, will host a 2d annual “Red Vest Retreat,” a nod to the governor’s signature marketing campaign apparel, at a chic resort in Virginia Beach, in line with a call for participation bought by means of the AP. Details of the retreat had been first reported in The Washington Post.

“Obviously there are a lot of folks that are encouraging him … who like what he has done in Virginia, what he’s been able to accomplish, and would love to have him do that on the national level. But again, his focus is going to continue to be on Virginia and these elections,” stated Dave Rexrode, a senior adviser to Youngkin, in an interview.

The retreat is for those who are monetary supporters of the governor’s Spirit of Virginia PAC, stated Rexrode, who’s chairman of the group. No presidential applicants had been invited, and Rexrode declined to percentage main points of the schedule forward of the development.

The hypothesis round a Youngkin run has been pushed no longer simplest by means of his upstart win but additionally his travel around the country, common conservative media appearances, highly-produced public occasions, record-breaking fundraising and his refusal to close down the chance.

Should he make a decision to take the plunge after subsequent month’s elections, a potential marketing campaign would face vital logistical hurdles.

With lower than 100 days till balloting begins with Iowa’s leadoff caucuses, Youngkin does no longer have the type of marketing campaign group {that a} presidential hopeful must recruit supporters for caucuses or get electorate to end up in January. Most of the presidential campaigns had been organizing since early 2023. Trump additionally has huge title popularity, years of organizing revel in and established supporters national.

Before Youngkin may just even fear about turning out supporters, he’d be up towards an important points in time.

While there’s no cut-off date to turn out to be a candidate for Iowa’s caucuses, competing there takes months of securing supporters who will agree to turn up at a undeniable time and position. The cut-off date to record for the second one contest, New Hampshire’s number one, is Oct. 27. Other states’ points in time get started rolling in quickly after, with Alabama and Arkansas requiring applicants to assemble signatures from electorate and record their candidacy days after this November’s election.

His former top campaign strategists also are these days running on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential marketing campaign, even though Rexrode and others running for Youngkin’s PAC have years of nationwide political revel in.

People in Trump’s orbit had been publicly dismissive of a potential Youngkin candidacy and are fast to lump his potential overdue access in with one of the crucial meant Trump possible choices already within the race, together with different distinguished officeholders similar to DeSantis and U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina.

Asked for remark, Trump marketing campaign spokesman Steven Cheung spoke back: “That must really suck for Ron DeSantis.”

Republican and impartial electorate across the nation who spoke with the AP additionally voiced skepticism about Youngkin’s potential affect at the race.

Renate Plitzko, an impartial voter from Dover, New Hampshire, stated she’s in search of a candidate who can spice up the financial system. She stated Youngkin will have to get in if he desires to.

But is she acquainted with him?

“No, not at all,” she stated Friday at a New Hampshire Republican Party summit.

Several different electorate there stated they had been acquainted with Youngkin and praised the process he’s achieved however stated he shouldn’t run.

In Virginia, Republican electorate and legislators praised his efficiency as governor to this point, however many stated they would like Youngkin to complete the process he signed up for.

“It’s too soon for him,” stated Margaret Garland, a 77-year-old Trump supporter, in an interview at an early balloting web page in Stafford County. “Let him get some more experience as governor.”

But Hobbs, the childhood friend and a self-described moderate, said he’s more convinced than ever that a divided country needs the unity and fresh leadership he thinks Youngkin could offer. Hobbs, who planned to attend the retreat, said he’s “overextended” himself trying to push Youngkin in, but thinks the governor has given it real thought.

Ultimately, though, he isn’t sure what Youngkin will do.

“Will he announce?” Hobbs said. “I have no idea.”

___

Price reported from New York. AP writers Matthew Barakat in Stafford County and Holly Ramer in Nashua, New Hampshire, contributed to this record.