Glenn Youngkin and DeSantis’ Distinct Approach To The Midterms is a Sign of How 2024 Election Bid Will Be

Both Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), two rising stars in the Republican Party, have been making the rounds campaigning for Republican presidential candidates ahead of the midterm elections. However, the two governors have taken very different approaches to their campaigning. 

While DeSantis has shown support for some of the party’s more contentious candidates, including those that are sponsored by former President Donald Trump, Youngkin has chosen to support more moderate Republicans who are running in tough contests in states that are blue. The different approaches provide a sneak preview into how the two may once more split in a strategic plan come 2024 when both governors are seen as potential contenders to initiate a presidential bid. Both governors are seen as possible contenders to launch a presidential bid. 

Since the beginning of this year, DeSantis has been on the campaign trail for seven Republican candidates, six of whom have received endorsements from President Trump in elections for the Senate and for governorships. J.D. Vance, a contender for the Republican Senate nomination in Ohio, and Blake Masters, a candidate for the same position in Arizona, are two examples.

New @axios: “Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are two of the biggest names in Republican politics. But they’re taking markedly different approaches toward campaigning in the midterms — and perhaps to 2024.”https://t.co/lI1HxyY6hd

— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) September 2, 2022

According to the public statements that were made by DeSantis spokesperson Lindsey Curnutte to Axios, the governor is backing candidates who are compatible with the freedom agenda that they have built in the state of Florida.

In the meantime, Youngkin is supporting ten different Republican candidates for governor, with eight of those candidates running in states that were won by President Joe Biden in the last election. Only three candidates have received Trump’s support thus far. 

Only one of the current governors, Georgia’s Brian Kemp, who Trump worked to unseat in the Republican primaries earlier this year, has Youngkin’s backing as an incumbent. This support comes from Youngkin. 

Kristin Davison, a political strategist with Youngkin, stated that Youngkin is enthusiastic about bringing the spirit of Virginia to swing states that have a lot in common with Virginia in terms of how the state performed in the previous election. They seek to instill a winning mentality within blue states, which are known for their culture of losing, and they want to assist in turning purple and blue states into red states.

Depending on which tactic is successful, this election could provide a window into how the Republican Party can take the White House in 2024. If Youngkin achieves significant success by electing Republicans in blue states while DeSantis and Trump are unable to elect far-right candidates in red states, this may be an indication that a more conservative strategy is more successful. But one this is for certain, a redwave is sure to happen this November.