PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) – Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has thrown his hat in the ring for the second time in a bid to win the GOP nomination for president. The announcement swings the periscope right to Richmond where some experts say Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is still on the radar for a presidential bid in 2024.
When there’s a storm literally or politically, former Gov. Chris Christie has a history of being unequivocal.
Youngkin, on the other, hand continues to walk a fine line. Last month, in what was far from a Shemanesque no, he told the Wall Street Journal he will not campaign for president this year.
“He’s kinda taking it all in. He’s looking to see how the various opponents are facing off coming out of the woodwork and he’s making very deliberate choices,” said Dr. Ben Melusky, a political science professor at Old Dominion University.
Will Youngkin shoot or will he pass? Melusky said time is on the side of the 6-foot-7 Youngkin, who played basketball at Rice University.
“He’s maybe waiting to see what happens between Trump and DeSantis,” Melusky said. “Is there kind of a mutually assured destruction between them? Do they beat each other up in the lead-up to even the primary season? That creates an opening for a more centrist candidate to emerge.”
One day after Christie’s announcement, former Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to announce his intentions to pursue the Republican nomination for president.
Melusky said Youngkin could become the October surprise, especially if he can flip some Democratic seats in Virginia and perhaps take back control of the Senate, which could signal to Republicans that he is able to flip other seats across the country.
“He will have to make a decision closer to October when Nevada actually has its filing deadline,” Melusky said.
All eyes, he said, will be on the bellwether state of Virginia on election night in November.
