Glenn Youngkin

Glenn Youngkin served as the 74th Governor of Virginia from January 2022 to January 2026 — Virginia governors are constitutionally limited to one term — having won the governorship in a surprising 2021 victory that turned Virginia, a state that had been trending blue, back to Republicans through a campaign focused on education, parental rights, and economic issues. Born January 9, 1967, in Richmond, Virginia, Youngkin graduated from Rice University and Harvard Business School and spent twenty-five years at the Carlyle Group, becoming Co-CEO before retiring to run for office. His private equity background and evangelical Christian faith shaped a governing style that combined business efficiency with social conservatism.

Youngkin's pro-Israel record during his governorship was substantive. He issued executive orders directing Virginia state agencies and universities to take antisemitism seriously under the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition — the same definition that encompasses anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism — and his administration took active steps to address incidents of antisemitism at Virginia public universities following October 7. He was among the first governors to issue a formal response to the Hamas attack, releasing a statement condemning Hamas and affirming Virginia's support for Israel within hours of the attack. His executive orders addressed the use of state funding for institutions that hosted or promoted antisemitic activity.

Youngkin's term-limited departure from the governorship in January 2026 ended his direct executive platform, and he has remained active in Republican national politics with the Virginia pro-Israel record as part of his profile. His significance on the Iron 100 reflects what a one-term Republican governor in a purple state was willing to do on Israel and antisemitism: not merely issue declarations, but direct state agencies to act. At Rank 52, Youngkin demonstrates that even without the deep evangelical constituencies of Texas, Florida, or Alabama, a Republican governor can make pro-Israel policy a governing priority.