'I'm not going anywhere:' Youngkin rejects 2024 presidential run

ARLINGTON, Va. - The day after failing to secure the Virginia House and Senate for the Republican Party, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has thrown cold water on questions about a White House campaign in 2024. 

Speculation on a presidential run for Youngkin began two years ago after he was elected governor, with some theorizing that if Youngkin could help the GOP win total control of Virginia's legislature, he could use that victory to jump into the 2024 race. 

But on Wednesday, Youngkin said several times he's "not going anywhere" when asked directly about a possible White House run. 

"I’m here to continue to serve Virginians. We’re not going to not move forward, we’re going to move forward, and most importantly I think we can be arm-in-arm moving forward. That puts Virginia at the top of the pack," said Youngkin. "I'm focused on Virginia. I've been in Virginia, my name is not on the ballot in New Hampshire, I'm not in Iowa, South Carolina and I look forward to staying focused on Virginia just like I have been."

The logistics of a late presidential run for Youngkin were tough. Filing deadlines in several states have already passed, and the front-runner Donald Trump continues to lead GOP candidates by nearly 30 points. But Professor Michael Fauntroy of George Mason University says while Youngkin might not be a candidate in 2024, it's a possibility in 2028. 

"While last night’s results may be the beginning of the end of his governorship in terms of being a lame duck, his aspirations are still very much national, and it’s a bump in the road but I don’t think it is the kind of thing that’d dissuade him long term," said Fauntroy. "He is a potential presidential candidate, if not in 2024, then certainly potentially in 2028. You know all governors wake up in the morning and see in the mirror and see the 'next President of the United States," and that doesn’t go away just because you had a rough night."