Why Youngkin wasn’t chosen as Trump’s running mate, and what’s next for Virginia’s Governor

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After months of speculation, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin will not be the running mate of former President Donald Trump, who instead selected Senator JD Vance of Ohio for the job.

“Mr. Vance is far more of a converted MAGA Republican, and that’s very appealing to not only Mr. Trump, but to the constituencies he is trying to reach out to,” Karen Hult, Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech, told 8News.

Hult said Youngkin may not have been chosen for a variety of reasons, including the fact that he isn’t as politically aligned with Trump as Vance is, and is not as well-known.

“It’s not just that Governor Youngkin is not a U.S. Senator, but he is also not the author of a bestselling book, Hillbilly Elegy, that turned into a Netflix show and all of that,” Hult said.

Hult added that last year’s General Assembly elections, which saw Democrats flip the House of Delegates and keep control of the State Senate, could have been a factor.

“It may well be that the 2023 state legislative elections, to some extent, tarnished Mr. Youngkin in terms of how President Trump was looking at him,” explained Hult.

Despite that, Hult says Youngkin is still a prime candidate for a cabinet post if Trump is elected. Plus, she adds that Youngkin should still be considered a possible candidate for president in 2028.

“He still has a very high approval rating within the State of Virginia,” Hult told 8News. “That is a good thing for a governor getting ready to leave office in another year. The second thing, as I indicated, is he has also introduced himself to a broader viewing audience.”

The last Virginian to be chosen to be a candidate’s vice presidential running mate was Senator Tim Kaine back in 2016 when he was selected by Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

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