Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin traveled to Arizona on Wednesday, rallying with Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake and continuing his push for Republican candidates nationwide ahead of the November elections.
“Every state deserves a Republican governor,” Youngkin said in an interview with WTOP. “I’m working to support incumbent Republican governors and a handful of challengers who we think can win.”
Hear the full interview with Governor Youngkin on the DMV Download podcast:
Youngkin has generated speculation that he may run for president in 2024, campaigning in recent weeks for candidates in Michigan, Maine, Nevada, Kansas and Georgia.
“This is a great chance as a Republican governor to stand up for other Republican candidates across the country,” Youngkin said.
Even though Youngkin himself campaigned as more of a moderate Republican during his 2021 run for governor in Virginia, he has shown willingness to support candidates further to the right, such as Lake, who has described the 2020 presidential election as being “stolen” and “corrupt.”
Lake, a former news anchor who walked away from her journalism career and was embraced by Donald Trump, won the Republican primary for Arizona governor and is facing Democratic candidate Katie Hobbs.
Lake said she would not have certified President Joe Biden’s victory and put false claims of election fraud at the center of her campaign.
“Not every Republican — we don’t agree on everything,” Youngkin said when asked about Lake’s claims. “Joe Biden is our president and he was elected our president.”
Still, Youngkin said that “people have had concerns” about the integrity of elections.
“Democrats have had concerns about election processes and Republicans have expressed concerns,” Youngkin said.
When asked about Maryland’s Republican candidate for governor, Dan Cox, Youngkin said “I hope Dan wins.”
Cox has echoed claims about widespread election fraud in 2020, and on Monday, attended a fundraiser with former President Donald Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“Marylanders have seen a great performance out of their Republican governor Larry Hogan, and I think they should keep that in mind when they go to the polls,” Youngkin said.
Hogan has refused to endorse Cox in the race, calling him a “QAnon whack job” and “a nut.”
