In this installment of their weekly Sunday Six conversation, PF Whalen and Parker Beauregard of The Blue State Conservative discuss six GOP governors who are leading the way in the raging battle against leftism.
#6: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin
PF: Glenn Youngkin gained national attention last fall during his gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. In a state that Joe Biden won by double-digits in 2020, McAuliffe was thought to be a shoe-in on Election Day. Virginia is a solid blue state and Youngkin needed a bold strategy if he was to achieve the unthinkable and take control in Richmond; and that’s exactly what he did.
Youngkin won in November due in large part to confronting cultural issues head-on and from a conservative angle. Most notably, Glenn Youngkin recognized the evils of Critical Race Theory, the Democrats’ attempts at indoctrinating school children in CRT, and the burgeoning rejection by parents of defiant school boards attempting to bypass parental rights. Youngkin was out in front of a major issue that has shifted well to the right nationwide, and he was elected easily because of it.
Youngkin is currently pushing for tax cuts in the state, much to the chagrin of Democrats. He attempted to shut down mask mandates in schools, though he met stiff resistance in the courts. And Youngkin is Pro-Life, though he tends to temper his enthusiasm on the issue.
But what’s most important for a conservative governor in a blue state is to retain power. Democrats in power in any statehouse can do irreparable damage, and retaining voters in a left-leaning state means walking a fine line for a Republican. So far, Youngkin appears to be doing splendidly, having recently achieved a 50% approval rating. And considering he’s a Republican and the unreliability of such polls, we can safely assume the real number is about 5 points higher, maybe more.
#5: Texas Governor Greg Abbott
Parker: Leadership in Texas has provided solid direction for the rest of the country. Greg Abbott deserves a lot of credit for that. Now, conservative- and libertarian-minded folks will always be able to poke holes in the “perfect” governor. No such governor exists, as no such perfect person exists. (continued)
This post originally appeared on The Blue State Conservative.
