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The dramatic Republican drubbing in Virginia on Tuesday night is now imperiling the once bright future prospects of Governor Glenn Youngkin. Four years ago, in 2021, Youngkin was a national Republican hero after he led the GOP to control all three elected statewide offices, as well as gains in the Virginia House of Delegates. Yesterday, Democrats flipped control of all of the state's executive offices, and also flipped 13 seats in the House of Delegates, giving them control of 64 percent of the chamber come January. Now, some in his party view Youngkin as a pariah who should not have meddled in this year's GOP primary, during which he tipped the scales in favor of his lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, to be his heir. A longtime conservative Virginia operative said the decision to 'personally select the nominees and clear out the primary' sealed Youngkin's fate. Matthew Hurtt, Chairman of the Arlington GOP, told the Daily Mail that Youngkin was responsible for the waterfall of losses up and down the ticket in 2025, following an 'unnecessary battle' with the lawmakers over a taxpayer-funded stadium in Northern Virginia. In the minds of other Virginia conservatives, however, Youngkin will maintain a positive legacy. Tim Parrish, Virginia State Director of the free-market advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, told the Daily Mail Wednesday that 'Youngkin’s legacy can be wrapped up in one word: Stability.' For Parrish, that stability came in the form of leadership in the post-COVID era, as well as major policy wins on education, which was a key platform on which Youngkin ran and won in 2021. The outgoing governor's leadership on issues such as economic investment and job creation was also appreciated by Carrie Sheffield, a senior policy analyst at Independent Women’s Voice, who told the Daily Mail that the incoming Spanberger administration will embrace 'policies that spark inflation and reduce employment.' As far as Youngkin's political future is concerned, Parrish says that it is still currently bright, but that it would be squandered by joining the Trump administration 'I think he should run for the US Senate in 2026 and continue to be that champion for Virginians, while also appealing to the American people on the national stage,' Parrish concluded. The White House did not respond to a request for comment when asked by the Daily Mail about Youngkin's legacy, political future, or whether he would be considered for a role in the administration. Asked about his political future at a press conference on Wednesday, the governor deflected, noting and that he will work with Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger to ensure a smooth transition. Hurtt, however, shared a more direct perspective with the Daily Mail about the governor's political future, noting that 'it would be hard for Governor Youngkin to make the case that voters should ‘promote’ him to any other office, state-wide or nationally,' and that a national run wouldn't be in the cards without early support from Virginians. Steve Bannon, a former Trump strategist and host of the War Room podcast, completely eviscerated Youngkin for pushing a 'Never-Trumper candidate' Back in August, numerous longtime Republican players in Virginia privately told the Daily Mail that they had serious doubts about Earle-Sears's ability to emerge victorious in November. One GOP operative told the Daily Mail, under the condition of anonymity at the time, that 'this is 100 percent Glenn Youngkin's fault for clearing the field by endorsing her right after the 2024 election.' The operative also noted that there were real conversations about potential primary challengers to Sears, which the governor worked to keep at bay. Following Sears' loss, former Trump 2024 campaign manager Chris LaCivita noted on X that a 'Bad candidate and Bad campaign have consequences - the Virginia Governors race is example number 1.
