Youngkin Made Bad Bets at Carlyle Before Virginia Run (Repeat)

(This story was originally published on Aug. 4. Today, he won Virginia’s gubernatorial race.)

By Glenn Youngkin’s account, Virginia and its economy are “in the ditch.” So much so that he gave up his dream job atop Carlyle Group Inc. to get the state back on track.

The Republican nominee for governor is now ubiquitous on TV and the internet, driving home the opening pitch of his candidacy: “I’ve spent the last 30 years building business and creating jobs, leading a team of nearly 2,000 people who trusted me to get things done.”

Yet people close to the private-equity ...