RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin spoke Thursday night at a high-profile GOP dinner in Iowa, sparking questions of whether he’s eyeing a 2028 presidential run.
The GOP Lincoln Dinner has historically been a testing ground for a future presidential run. President Trump and other candidates spoke at the dinner in 2023, and Nikki Haley spoke in 2021 ahead of her run in 2024.
“Of course, you know the Iowa caucus, the first caucus, in any presidential cycle is very important. So, this has pretty much become a staple,” political analyst Dr. Eric Claville said Friday.
The fact Youngkin has gotten more prominent attention on the national level, plus his support from Virginians, all bundled with his business acumen, leads Claville to believe he is the face of the Republican Party moving forward.
“When you look at the policies that the White House are championing, those are the same policies that the governor championed here to try to get passed in his first 100 days. One of his major mantras and accomplishments of this administration was that Virginia was the best state to do business.”
He said Youngkin has as much a chance to win the GOP nomination as anyone, but sees Youngkin easily among the top three GOP candidates alongside other notables.
“Look for JD Vance of course, current vice president, look for Ron DeSantis probably, look for another person coming out of the Republican Party, maybe in Congress,” Claville said.
Youngkin took office in 2022 and his term will end in 2026, giving him enough time to gather support for a presidential bid.
“Definitely Gov. Glenn Youngkin is one to watch.”
Claville noted Youngkin also has other opportunities besides the White House. Virginia has a state Senate race coming up and Youngkin could run against long-time Sen. Mark Warner. There is also the possibility Youngkin could decide to sit out a term and run for governor again.
When asked, the governor denies the claims, saying he is not looking ahead to future opportunities, but is focusing on Virginia for the time being.