Well, it took long enough.
After several years of distance and a long primary season, it took the endorsement of Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) and a TRS exclusive to get Youngkin off the sidelines and into the game:
Youngkin’s announcement was unexpected as he had told reporters that he would not endorse until after the General Assembly session was wrapped up in Richmond and would not make an endorsement during the GOP primary, according to The Hill.
Miyares endorsement just hours after the March 5th Super Tuesday Republican primaries came days after the Virginia Attorney General successfully helped win a 9-0 US Supreme Court case overturning a Colorado court ruling which removed Trump from the ballot.
As recently as last year, Youngkin operatives were floating the possibility of a presidential run, telling the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he had no intentions of kicking off a presidential challenge in 2023. Several Youngkin donors have been involved in the “No Labels” movement to select a centrist-type candidate for president around potential candidates such as Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), with Youngkin’s name rumored to be up for consideration.
Miyares and Youngkin’s endorsement for Trump helps put a damper on any disaffected Republican vote in Virginia, as Nikki Haley — the last ditch after DeSantis’ campaign fell apart late last year — performed well in the Washington D.C. suburbs yet could not find footing among Trump stalwarts deeper into Virginia.
Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears has yet to make an endorsement.