Glenn Youngkin

Glenn Youngkin
Name	Glenn Youngkin
Caption	Official portrait, 2022
Order	74th
Office	Governor of Virginia
Lieutenant	Winsome Sears
Term start	January 15, 2022
Predecessor	Ralph Northam
Birth name	Glenn Allen Youngkin
Birth date	9 December 1966
Birth place	Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Party	Republican
Spouse	Suzanne Youngkin, 1991
Education	Rice University (BA), Harvard University (MBA)

Glenn Youngkin is an American businessman and politician serving as the 74th Governor of Virginia since January 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously spent a 25-year career at the investment firm The Carlyle Group, where he served as co-chief executive officer. His 2021 election victory, which flipped control of the executive mansion from the Democratic Party, was a significant political upset in a state that had trended Democratic in recent national elections.

Early life and education

Glenn Allen Youngkin was born on December 9, 1966, in Richmond, Virginia, and raised in Virginia Beach. He attended Norfolk Academy, a private preparatory school, where he was a standout basketball player. For his undergraduate studies, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in managerial studies from Rice University in Houston, where he also played on the university's basketball team. He later attended Harvard Business School, graduating with a Master of Business Administration in 1994.

Business career

Youngkin joined The Carlyle Group, a global private equity, alternative asset management, and financial services corporation, in 1995. He rose through the ranks, holding various leadership positions including head of the Industrial & Transportation sector and co-head of the U.S. Buyout team. In 2018, he was named co-chief executive officer alongside Kewsong Lee, overseeing the firm's operations and investment strategies. During his tenure, he was involved in major deals involving companies like Allison Transmission, Dunkin' Brands, and Standard Aero. He retired from The Carlyle Group in 2020 to pursue a political career, with an estimated net worth in the hundreds of millions.

2021 gubernatorial campaign

Youngkin entered the Republican gubernatorial primary as a political newcomer, positioning himself as a conservative outsider. He defeated a field of seven candidates, including former House of Delegates member Kirk Cox and CEO Pete Snyder, at an unassembled convention. In the general election, he faced former Governor Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic nominee. His campaign focused on issues like education, parental rights, economic recovery, and law enforcement, while also securing the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Youngkin narrowly defeated McAuliffe, becoming the first Republican to win a statewide election in Virginia since 2009.

Governor of Virginia

Youngkin was inaugurated as the 74th Governor of Virginia on January 15, 2022, with Winsome Sears as Lieutenant Governor and Jason Miyares as Attorney General. His early executive actions included issuing orders to end pandemic-related mandates in schools and state government and to investigate critical race theory in public education. He signed legislation repealing the Commonwealth's gas tax holiday and pushed for a major tax cut package. His administration has also focused on economic development, securing a major semiconductor plant for New Kent County by TSMC and Wolfspeed.

Political positions

Youngkin is a fiscal conservative who advocates for lower taxes and reduced government regulation. On social issues, he has supported policies emphasizing parental rights in education, signed an executive order to protect women's sports, and signed legislation restricting access to abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, with exceptions. He has taken a hardline stance on crime, supporting increased funding for law enforcement and backing legislation to reform the parole system in Virginia. On energy, he supports an "all-of-the-above" strategy that includes natural gas, nuclear power, and the development of small modular reactors, while withdrawing Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

Personal life

Youngkin married Suzanne Youngkin (née Schulte) in 1991; they have four children. The family resides in the Executive Mansion in Richmond and maintains a home in Great Falls, Virginia. He is a practicing Presbyterian and has been actively involved with charitable organizations, including serving as a former board chair for the Greater Washington Boys & Girls Clubs and the Archdiocese of Washington's Youth Leadership Foundation. An avid sports fan, he is a part-owner of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League.

Category:Governors of Virginia Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:Republican Party governors of Virginia