Youngkin stumps for home-state Republicans: 'Virginia's future is at stake this fall'
With less than two months until voters in Virginia decide whether Republicans will take full control of the general assembly or be forced to share power with Democrats, Gov. Glenn Youngkin made an urgent plea on Saturday to supporters: vote.
"We need an army knocking on doors and getting people out to vote," Youngkin said.
Speaking to roughly about 100 people in an Italian restaurant in Prince George County, Virginia, Youngkin called the upcoming election "the most important elections in the country."
"We can flip our Senate. We can do this," Youngkin told the crowd. "And when we do this, it unlocks Virginia's potential."
During the rally for Virginia Del. Kim Taylor, who is running for re-election, Youngkin touted his record on education, the economy and crime since becoming governor.
"We came in and got to work," Youngkin told the crowd. "We passed laws and budgets even on a bipartisan basis," he added.
On the upcoming legislative elections, Youngkin said the Republican Party continues to "run into obstacles" and that the "obstacles are politics from the other side."
Notably, Youngkin did not mention the issue of abortion, which Democrats have signaled as a key issue this election.
But when pressed after the event whether he would support a six-week abortion ban, Youngkin said he would support a 15-week abortion ban bill.
"I tried to bring together all of our legislative heads to support life at 15 weeks," Youngkin said. "That's the one that I've committed to support."
Virginia is currently the southernmost state that hasn't banned or restricted abortion since the Supreme Court overturned a federal right to abortion.
Supporters at the rally told ABC News the issue of abortion is not their priority, saying they are instead focused on education, immigration, and crime.
"All the things [Youngkin] talks about -- schools, crime -- that is why I'm here," Libby Gatewood, a Virginia resident, told ABC News.
Youngkin's appearance at the rally is part of his Spirit of Virginia Political Action Committee's early bus vote tour which will make stops across the state ahead of November. Several state legislative elections are expected to be quite close, opening up the possibility that Youngkin could preside over a rare GOP trifecta in Virginia if Republicans win control of both chambers of the General Assembly in the fall.
