Glenn Youngkin

Glenn Allen Youngkin (born December 9, 1966) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 74th governor of Virginia from 2022 to 2026. A member of the Republican Party, he spent 25 years at The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, where he became co-CEO in 2018. Born in Richmond, Youngkin won the 2021 Republican primary for governor of Virginia and defeated former Democratic governor Terry McAuliffe in the general election, becoming the state's first Republican governor since Bob McDonnell in 2009. Youngkin supported COVID-19 vaccination efforts against the disease but opposed mandates for the vaccine, and banned mask mandates in Virginia public schools; this ban was partially rescinded following legal challenges. During his first year in office, Youngkin signed a bipartisan state budget that paired increased education spending with expansive tax cuts. During his term as governor of Virginia, Youngkin signed a bill passed by Democrats to protect same-sex marriage, repealed protections for transgender students in schools, unsuccessfully advocated for abortion restrictions after the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization ruling, and opposed various legislative efforts to liberalize recreational marijuana laws while signing a bill to ease the medical marijuana registration process. Due to term limits set in Virginia's constitution, Youngkin was ineligible to run for re-election in 2025. He was succeeded by Democrat Abigail Spanberger.