Two rising stars in the Republican Party, Govs. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), have made the rounds campaigning for GOP candidates ahead of the midterm elections — but with distinctly different approaches.
While DeSantis has leaned into some of the party’s more controversial candidates, including several backed by former President Donald Trump, Youngkin has opted to back more centrist Republicans running tight races in blue states. The different approaches offer a glimpse into how the two may once again split in strategy come 2024, as both governors are seen as possible contenders to launch a presidential bid.
SENATE REPUBLICANS SHIFT FOCUS FOR MIDTERM ELECTIONS AFTER DEMOCRATS GAIN MOMENTUM
DeSantis has campaigned for seven GOP candidates so far this year in both Senate and gubernatorial races, with six of them being endorsed by Trump. Among those are GOP Senate candidates J.D. Vance in Ohio and Blake Masters in Arizona.
“The governor is supporting candidates who align with the freedom agenda we’ve created in Florida,” DeSantis spokeswoman Lindsey Curnutte told Axios.
Meanwhile, Youngkin is backing 10 Republican candidates for governor, with eight of them running in states that President Joe Biden won in the 2020 election. Only three have been endorsed by Trump.
Youngkin has thrown his support behind only one incumbent governor: Georgia’s Brian Kemp, whom Trump worked to oust during the GOP primaries earlier this year.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
“[Youngkin] is excited to bring the spirit of Virginia to swing states that look a lot like Virginia did last year, turn blue states’ culture of defeat into a spirit of winning, and help flip these purple and blue states red,” Youngkin political adviser Kristin Davison said.
Depending on which strategy pays off, it could offer a glimpse into how Republicans can win the White House in 2024. If Youngkin wins big by electing Republicans in blue states, and if DeSantis and Trump fail to elect far-right candidates in red states, it could be a sign that a more conservative strategy is more effective.
