Youngkin scores clean sweep as endorsees claim Virginia primary wins

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin went 6-0 on Tuesday night as all of his endorsed state legislative candidates in contested primaries notched easy victories.

Youngkin, in March, endorsed 19 Republicans in the commonwealth's legislative races, including six in contested primaries, according to the Associated Press. Among them were state Senate candidates Emily Brewer, Tara Durant, and Bill Woolf; as well as state House of Delegates candidates John Stirrup, Lee Peters and Buddy Fowler.

Each one on Tuesday, scored decisive victories relatively early in the night. As of press time, the Associated Press had projected each candidate to win their race. Brewer claimed 59% of the vote in her contest, while Durant took 57%, Woolf took 70%, Stirrup took 64%, Peters claimed 79%, and Fowler took 57%.

The decisive wins for Youngkin-backed candidates seem to showcase the governor's influence over the state party. The Old Dominion, prior to Youngkin's upset 2021 win over former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe, had been trending decidedly toward the Democratic Party, a trend his win seems to have at least partly stalled. The state has two Democratic senators and has voted for the Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 2008.

The governor's increased prominence on the national stage has generated speculation of a 2024 presidential bid. In early May, he publicly discounted the prospect of such a campaign, though rumors he may jump into the primary contest have persisted.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on Twitter.