Va. Gov. Youngkin to deliver keynote address to Michigan GOP in support of Tudor Dixon for governor

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin will deliver the keynote address at the Michigan state GOP convention to support the party's gubernatorial nominee, Tudor Dixon, in her bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Scheduled to take place Aug. 27, the appearance marks the latest in a series of high-profile actions by Youngkin that have fueled speculation of a 2024 presidential run. He previously met with major GOP donors in June, and in April launched two political groups to back other candidates on the national stage.

Youngkin took office early this year after he defeated former Virginia Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe in the 2021 election. President Joe Biden won the state by 10 points in 2020. Speaking to The Hill, an adviser to Youngkin drew comparisons between his gubernatorial bid and that of Dixon.

“Similar to Virginia last year, Michiganders are tired of high cost of living and an education system that falls short of students’ potential," the adviser told the outlet. "Governor Youngkin is looking forward to joining Tudor Dixon and her campaign to empower parents and make Michigan a great place to live, work and raise a family."

Dixon, for her part, welcomed support from the Virginia governor, saying “Governor Youngkin’s victory in Virginia demonstrated the political power of parents who want to be involved in ensuring their children get a great education."

The Michigan Republican previously told Just the News that she would work to pivot the Michigan school system away from left-wing social causes and toward traditional educational subjects.

"They'll tell you [Critical Race Theory] is not being taught. But we have a quote last year from Detroit superintendent saying we are deeply using CRT," she said. "We can go back and say 'how did our literacy exams come out this year?' Well, our third graders failed across the state at a 50% rate. Half of our third graders failed their literacy exam. But in the city of Detroit, that's nearly 90%. And when I talk to teachers there, they say our kids are not learning the regular arithmetic, reading, writing — that those basic skills are not the focus anymore."

"We have really gotten heavily involved in the CRT type material, or we're telling kids you know, you're being held back, there's not the opportunity for you," Dixon lamented. "So we want to go back and say, 'Hey, every kid that hits kindergarten this year, our goal is to make sure they are reading by the end of my first term.'"