Why Glenn Youngkin is Running
Glenn Youngkin is not a politician. He is a homegrown Virginian who has spent the last 30 years raising his family, serving in our church, building business and creating jobs. He is guided by his faith, values, and an unshakeable belief that Virginia should be the best.
Homegrown Hard Work
Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian who grew up in Richmond and Virginia Beach. As his father changed jobs, Glenn learned that moving around didn’t equal moving up – nothing was handed to him. From his first job washing dishes and frying eggs at a diner in Virginia Beach, Glenn embraced hard work and responsibility to help his family when his father lost his job. His determination to succeed earned him multiple high school basketball honors in Virginia and an athletic scholarship to college.
After earning an engineering degree at Rice University, and his MBA at Harvard Business School, Glenn and his wife Suzanne moved to Northern Virginia. Glenn landed a job at The Carlyle Group, where he spent the next 25 years. Working his way to the top of the company, Glenn played a key role in building Carlyle into one of the leading investment firms in the world. His efforts have helped fund the retirements of teachers, police officers, firefighters and other frontline public servants and supported hundreds of thousands of American jobs.
Married for 26 years to his amazing wife Suzanne, Glenn is a dedicated father of four wonderful children. Their family journey has been and continues to be guided by their faith.
From his life experiences, Glenn has developed the skills and character to lead Virginia with humility and courage. He has the know-how to get Virginia moving again and rebuild it into the best place to live, work and raise a family in America.
Service to Others, Solutions for All
Glenn Youngkin has long heard a call to service and committed time to serving his community and the people around him. Glenn volunteered to coach multiple youth basketball teams, and he served on the boards of many non-profit organizations, including the Virginia Ready Initiative, Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus Advisory Board, the Museum of the Bible, and the Meadowkirk Retreat Center.
He also served as Church Warden at Holy Trinity Church in Northern Virginia and is a member of the Business Council and the American Enterprise Institute’s National Council.
A New Kind of Leader
We need a new type of governor to bring a new day in Virginia. Virginia needs a governor who is tested and trusted. A governor who understands that the challenges we face are better taken on together – with new ideas and common-sense, business-like execution. The political insiders who have been running Virginia have failed us. Our next governor must address the issues head-on and not hide behind the failed policies of the past.
Glenn is that kind of leader. When COVID-19 hit Virginia, Glenn and Suzanne founded the Virginia Ready Initiative, a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to helping Virginians who are out-of-work get the training they need to secure in-demand jobs. To date, roughly 2,000 Virginians have started the journey with VA Ready, preparing for a new career and new life. When crisis strikes, Glenn doesn’t just talk – he acts.
On day one, Glenn will bring to the Governor’s Office 30 years of successful, real-world business experience, to rebuild a better Virginia for everyone who calls it home. He’s answering the call to serve his community.
Virginia is being tested. This has been a tough time, with loved ones lost, jobs lost, and a country divided. What Virginia needs now isn’t another politician – or worse, the same politician. Government bureaucracy won’t lead the rebound; the heart and resilience of Virginians will. Getting there will take a new kind of governor, an outsider who is trusted and who can bring people together around our shared values. A governor who understands the challenges we face are worth taking on. It’s time for a new day in Virginia.
