Latest news with #SilverElephantGala
Axios
17-07-2025
- Business
- Axios
Youngkin visits Iowa and S.C. as 2028 presidential race looms
Gov. Youngkin is one of several possible GOP contenders for president in 2028 racing to build his national profile, Axios' Alex Isenstadt reports. Why it matters: President Trump, who's dominated GOP politics for a decade, can't legally run again, leaving the door open for ambitious Republicans to offer themselves to primary voters and donors as the future of the party. State of play: Youngkin, who's term-limited in Virginia, is headed to Iowa to be the keynote speaker at the Republican Party of Iowa's annual Lincoln Dinner on Thursday. Next month, he'll be in South Carolina headlining the Silver Elephant Gala, the state GOP's biggest fundraiser of the year. Both events are in early primary states and considered must-stops for GOP presidential candidates to establish relationships with major donors. Plus, during the past year, he's appeared at state party functions in California, New York and North Carolina. Reality check: This isn't the first time presidential run rumors have swirled around Youngkin. Speculation started almost immediately after he won his bid for Virginia governor in 2021, before he'd even been sworn in for his first-ever elective office. Between the lines: Jumping into the 2028 conversation isn't just about seeking the White House. It's also about raising a prospect's profile and injecting them into the mix for VP consideration or a possible Cabinet post in 2029, Isenstadt notes. What they're saying: "Governor Youngkin is squarely focused on governing Virginia and helping our entire ticket win in November," Becca Glover, executive director of his Spirit of Virginia PAC, tells Axios. By the numbers: Spirit of Virginia has raised nearly $2.5 million this year as of May, according to the latest data from VPAP. That includes another $1 million donation from billionaire Republican megadonor Thomas Peterffy, whom Semafor called"the donor determined to make Glenn Youngkin president." It's Peterffy's fourth million-dollar gift to Youngkin since 2023. What we're watching: Preparations for the 2028 primary will accelerate next year, when aspirants hit the trail for midterm candidates with an eye toward establishing alliances and earning chits, GOP strategists tell Axios.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC GOP picks speaker for annual Silver Elephant gala. Here's who it is
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who flipped that state red in 2021 and has been as seen a potential presidential candidate, will be the keynote speaker at this year's Silver Elephant Gala. 'His bold, conservative leadership in Virginia has inspired Republicans across the country,' SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement. He's shown that strong principles and smart policy win elections — and more importantly, deliver results.' The black-tie optional event is one of the premier speaking slots in South Carolina, a state that holds the First in the South Republican presidential primary. It's an opportunity for a potential presidential hopeful to test their message in front of Republican donors and activists. Previous speakers have included President Donald Trump in 2023, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2021 and former Vice President Mike Pence in 2008. The gala is scheduled for Aug. 9 at the Columbia Convention Center.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
SC GOP taps Virginia governor to headline Silver Elephant Gala fundraiser
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, pictured here during the 2025 legislative session, will be the featured speaker of the South Carolina GOP's annual fundraising dinner on Aug. 9, 2025. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury) Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will keynote the South Carolina GOP's annual fundraising gala, the state Republican Party announced Tuesday. Youngkin's election in November 2021 gave Republicans nationwide a morale boost after Democrats won the presidency while gaining control of the U.S. Senate a year earlier. In his first bid for office, he defeated former Gov. Terry McAuliffe to replace Gov. Ralph Northam, putting a Republican at the helm for the first time in more than a decade. Virigina's constitution does not allow governors to hold consecutive terms. Youngkin focused on education and tapped into parents' anger over pandemic policies and classroom lessons in his upset win over McAuliffe, also the former Democratic National Committee chairman and chief fundraiser for the campaigns of Bill and Hillary Clinton. The winning 'parents matter' message helped fuel a GOP focus on parents' rights. Before resigning to run for governor, Youngkin spent 25 years at The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C., headquartered private-equity firm , where he became co-CEO in 2018. Youngkin used his personal wealth to fund a large portion of his campaign, spending $20 million of his own money, according to The Associated Press. His term expires in January 2026. 'His bold, conservative leadership in Virginia has inspired Republicans across the country,' SCGOP Chairman Drew McKissick said in a statement. 'He's shown that strong principles and smart policy win elections — and more importantly, deliver results.' The black-tie optional event, known as the Silver Elephant Gala, is the SC GOP's biggest fundraiser of the year. Past speakers include President Donald Trump in 2023 amid his bid for a second term. More than 1,300 people came to hear Trump speak, the largest crowd in the dinner's history, McKissick previously told the SC Daily Gazette. Other past headliners include former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2021 and former Vice President Mike Pence in 2008, when he was an Indiana congressman. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders was the speaker in 2020, before Trump's former White House press secretary announced her bid for governor. Then-Gov. Ronald Reagan was the speaker in 1967 for the inaugural Silver Elephant. Other former presidents to give the keynote address include Richard Nixon and George W. Bush. The event is scheduled for Aug. 9 in Columbia. It comes a little over two months after South Carolina Democrats' own high-dollar fundraiser, the Blue Palmetto Dinner, which was headlined by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. Attendees also heard from 2024 vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
