MARCO ISLAND, FL – EXCLUSIVE – Following several high-profile clashes with President Biden’s administration over the past three years, Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin says President-elect Trump’s recent decisive election win signals he now has “a friend in the White House.”
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, Youngkin, the widely popular Virginia governor nearing his final year in office, emphasized that “as a governor focused on promoting pro-business policies, strengthening education, ensuring safe communities, and lowering taxes, we now have a leader in the White House who shares those priorities.”
“I look forward to us having the wind at our backs as opposed to in our face,” Youngkin said as he spoke Tuesday on the sidelines of the Republican Governors Association annual winter meeting, which is being held this year at a southwestern Florida waterfront resort.
And pointing to his final year steering Virginia, Youngkin said “I can’t wait to see what we’re going to do having the wind at our back from the Trump administration.”
Speculation has been swirling about Youngkin possibly taking on a key role in a second Trump administration. However, during a recent call with the president-elect, the governor made it clear that he plans to complete his term.
That said, he hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility of joining the Trump administration after wrapping up his time in Richmond next year.
“I told the president when I called him and told him that I wanted to finish my term, that I would be available to help him at any time while I’m governor and afterwards,” Youngkin said.
Three years ago, Youngkin energized Republicans nationwide as a first-time candidate from the party’s business wing, narrowly defeating former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe. His victory made him the first Republican in 12 years to win a gubernatorial race in Virginia, a former swing state that had leaned Democratic over the prior decade.
Youngkin quickly became a Republican rising star, fueling speculation about a possible 2024 presidential run.
However, his momentum faced a setback last year during high-profile legislative elections, where Democrats retained control of the Virginia state Senate and flipped the House of Delegates. While Youngkin himself wasn’t on the ballot, he had invested significant political capital supporting Republican candidates. The results left him without the legislative support needed to freely advance a conservative agenda during his final two years in office.
This year, Youngkin returned to the campaign trail, working to boost Republicans in Virginia and key battleground states. He also joined former President Trump at a large rally in conservative southwest Virginia the weekend before Election Day.
Vice President Kamala Harris won Virginia in the presidential race, but her margin of victory over Trump was 4.5 points smaller than President Biden’s win in the state four years earlier, as Trump and Republicans exceeded expectations.
These results seem to have bolstered Youngkin’s influence heading into his final legislative session. Democrats, who had been united in opposing the governor’s proposed tax cuts over the past year, may now be more open to negotiating.
Asked if the Democrats are now ready to play ball, Youngkin said “I’m hoping they are. I think that the recognition that Virginians want to keep more of their hard-earned money has really engaged everyone in a dialogue on how to provide tax relief.”
He argued the election results “demonstrated record job growth which has created surplus after surplus after surplus is driven by pro-business standards.”
And he emphasized that “we’re going to come back with a big tax package again, and we’re going to make sure we’re standing strong for education and strong for public safety.”
“I’m optimistic,” he added, but acknowledged that “it will be a normal legislative process. We have a legislative – we’re a one seat minority in the House and the Senate – so we have to go to work to get things done.”
All political attention will turn to Virginia in 2025, as it and New Jersey are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections the year after a presidential race.
However, Virginia law prohibits governors from seeking consecutive terms, barring Youngkin from running for re-election.
That doesn’t mean Youngkin plans to step away from the campaign trail. In fact, he says the opposite is true.
“You’re going to see me a lot,” he touted. “We’ve got a very aggressive agenda for being governor in the last 14 months. But part of that agenda that I have is to make sure that we have [Lt. Gov.] Winsome Sears as our next governor. [Virginia Attorney General] Jason Miyares back as our attorney general and a super lieutenant governor who we will pick at our primaries.”
Youngkin predicted that “Virginians are going to make clear that they want to keep doing more of what we’re doing that’s proving record job growth and opportunity and great outcomes in schools and safe communities.”
The 2025 Virginia gubernatorial race is shaping up to be a historic contest between Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears and Democratic Rep. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA officer. The winner will become Virginia’s first female governor, and if Sears prevails, she would also make history as the nation’s first Black woman elected governor.
When asked if Sears, a Marine Corps veteran who made history as the first woman to hold statewide office in Virginia, might be too conservative for voters, Youngkin pushed back against the notion.
“Not at all,” the governor quickly responded. “And Winsome is a commonsense conservative leader. We have been partners literally from day one. We campaigned together. We were elected together. We have governed together. And I look forward to seeing Virginians embrace her as the next governor of Virginia.”
When it comes to his own political future, Youngkin was less forthcoming about potential plans for elective office.
When asked about the possibility of a Senate run in 2026 against longtime Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner, or a future presidential campaign, Youngkin swiftly shifted the focus back to his current role as governor.
“I have a huge year and a few months ahead of me and that’s where my focus is, and I need to finish strong, so Virginia can really continue to soar. And that’s what I’m going to spend my time on.”
After that, he said “we’ll see what’s next.”
Facing a follow-up question, Youngkin stayed on script, saying “we’ll see what happens down the road, but right now my sights are set on finishing strong.”
