Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, left, answered questions from Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann during the Iowa Republican Party’s Lincoln Dinner fundraiser in Des Moines on July 17, 2025. (Photo by Robin Opsahl/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Though Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has not said whether he is planning a run for president in 2028, he said during the Iowa GOP Lincoln Dinner on Thursday that he supports keeping the Iowa caucuses first in the nation.
Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann asked Youngkin during a “fireside chat” at the fundraiser if he likes the current presidential nominating system that starts with the Iowa Republican caucuses — and Youngkin responded he “absolutely” supports the current system.
“Here’s why: The beginning of the nomination process starts with incredibly informed voters,” Youngkin said. “You see, the difference in the way that the caucus system works, and the way a normal primary works. You all know this, is it is a moment to fully understand issues candidates, and what that candidate can do. And so often, primaries are a day when someone shows up and just pulls on a pulls on a lever because a friend whispered in their ear, ‘vote for them.’”
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
The Lincoln Dinner, an annual event held by the Republican Party of Iowa, has historically hosted presidential candidates and hopefuls who aim to introduce themselves to Iowa caucus voters. In 2023, leading up to the 2024 Republican Iowa caucuses, 13 presidential candidates including President Donald Trump spoke at the event.
Though it’s still early in the cycle for candidates to announce their intentions for a bid in 2028, Youngkin has been brought up as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. His trip to Iowa, as well as plans to headline the Silver Elephant Gala in South Carolina, the SC GOP’s biggest fundraiser — both events in early states during the GOP presidential nomination cycle — have fueled speculation that he may be considering a run.
Youngkin gained prominence among Republicans nationally after his initial election to the Virginia governor’s office in 2021, when he defeated Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, becoming the first Republican to hold the office in over a decade. Governors cannot serve consecutive terms in Virginia, meaning he will have to leave the seat after his term ends in 2026.
The Virginia Republican was formerly co-CEO of the Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C. private equity firm. He did not have previous political experience before becoming governor, and spent more than $20 million of his own money to fund his 2021 campaign, according to the Associated Press.
In his gubernatorial campaign, Youngkin focused on “parental rights” issues related to education, opposing allowing sexually explicit material in school curriculum and to mask and vaccine mandates in K-12 schools during the COVID-19 pandemic. Youngkin told Iowa Republicans these are the issues that motivated Virginians to vote for him in the 2021 election, despite Democrats having a history of winning the state.
“In a state that was blue, it didn’t matter … whether you’re a Republican parent or a independent parent, or even many Democratic parents, they said my children are the most important thing in my life, and I will decide I do not co-parent with the government,” he said.
He said during his time as governor, he was able to enact many laws allowing parents to have a say in their children’s education — and said his next goal is to create a private school scholarship program in Virginia, similar to Iowa’s Education Savings Account program using public funds for private school tuition and associated costs.
He said passing the “Virginia Opportunity Scholarship” program will be more difficult in Virginia than it was in Iowa, as both chambers have Democratic majorities. He added, “when I hear about these supermajorities (in the Iowa Legislature) I sit back there and go, ‘oh my goodness, wouldn’t that be great?’”
“We’re going to get this done,” Youngkin said. “We’re going to have Virginia opportunity scholarships so that families who couldn’t otherwise send their children to private schools have an opportunity to make that decision and exercise their right to make decisions for their kids.”
The Virginia Republican said his stance on education, as well as on issues like supporting law enforcement, lowering taxes and shrinking government, are positions that most Virginians share — but “they just didn’t know it” before hearing from his campaign in 2021.
“Virginians came together in a way that we couldn’t believe,” he said. “They said no to the left and yes to common sense, conservative values, policies. And it was a moment that made me so proud to be a Virginian. I have to say — it’s the exact same feeling I had when Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. The exact same feeling that common sense conservative policies not only win, but a vast majority of Americans want them and believe in them.”
Though Youngkin did not discuss future plans following his current term as Virginia governor, Kaufmann told reporters following the event that Youngkin’s stop showed the importance of having the Iowa caucuses lead the nation by providing a platform for potential presidential candidates long before the 2028 campaign season kicks off.
Iowa’s job, Kaufmann said, “is not to pick the president, but to provide an avenue where everybody can see what these candidates, potential candidates, have to say.”
While Iowa Republicans are set to keep their position as first in the nation in 2028, the Democratic presidential nominating calendar for the upcoming election cycle is less clear. Iowa lost its starting position in the 2024 Democratic nominating cycle. While the Democratic National Committee is set to reconsider the early state lineup before the next presidential election season, Iowa has lost its seat on the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, meaning a return to holding the first-in-the-nation caucuses looks unlikely.
Youngkin said the Democratic Party “made a massive mistake in abandoning Iowa as their first stop and abandoning their process.” Kaufmann echoed this sentiment, adding that he is willing to work with Iowa Democrats to restore their position in the nominating calendar.