What do you get when the governor wants to be President and the Attorney General wants to be governor? The Youngkin administration.

Over the past three months, both Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares have undertaken a slew of actions meant to ingratiate themselves to the Republican party base. Both aim to elevate their political profiles at the expense of Virginians.

Youngkin eliminated vaccine requirements for government workers and banned mask requirements in schools. He created a tip line so that parents can report teachers for teaching “divisive” concepts. Youngkin even turned Virginia’s diversity office into an anti-abortion group.

Miyares, meanwhile, has taken the role of Youngkin’s hatchet man. He fired Virginia’s entire civil rights division. He fired the chief counsel of the University of Virginia for helping the Jan. 6 Committee – the Congressional panel investigating the January 6th insurrection. He withdrew Virginia from efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and urged the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade.

Youngkin’s and Miyares’ radical race to the bottom has been bad for the state but good for their political ambitions. Youngkin has parlayed his newfound right-wing notoriety into multiple Fox News appearances. In February, he even obtained a prized slot on Sean Hannity’s popular conservative show, blasting “cancel culture” for a national audience of 3 million viewers. Miyares, also earned a primetime Fox News slot, a surprising opportunity for an Attorney General. Youngkin and Miyares’ actions have earned them national media appearances at a cost to Virginia.

State government should not be a stepping stone for higher office. It must not be a platform for radicalism and partisanship. The Commonwealth will suffer if good governance continues to be subordinate to Youngkin and Miyares’ personal ambitions.

By Zachary S. Pan