Youngkin declares Virginia ‘stronger than ever’ in final State of the Commonwealth address
Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivered his final State of the Commonwealth address on Wednesday, closing out a four‑year run that steered Virginia out of the COVID‑19 lockdowns and attracted substantial business investment and job growth.
But his four years in office also ran into partisan gridlock and failed to translate his achievements into Republican gains at the ballot box.
Striking an upbeat note, Mr. Youngkin said his administration delivered on a sweeping set of campaign promises, ushering in “the great Virginia renaissance” that fueled economic growth, bolstered student performance, reduced taxes, and left the state safer, healthier, and more efficient.
“The Commonwealth is soaring,” Mr. Youngkin told both chambers of the legislature. “The Commonwealth is alive with opportunity. The Commonwealth is competing and winning. The Commonwealth is stronger today than she has ever been.”
Mr. Youngkin, who established a new record by vetoing 399 bills, many of them Democratic priorities, is term‑limited. The Virginia Constitution bars governors from consecutive terms.
Democratic Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger is set to be sworn in Saturday as the Old Dominion’s first female governor.
A former member of Congress and ex-CIA officer, she centered her campaign on the “affordability” challenges facing voters and won a landslide victory over Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears.
Democrats also flipped the offices of attorney general and lieutenant governor, and expanded their House of Delegates majority from 51 to 64 seats.
House Democrats began using their newfound strength on Wednesday, the first day of the new legislative session, passing constitutional amendments that seek to enshrine abortion rights, remove a now‑defunct 2006 same‑sex marriage ban, restore felon voting rights, and pave the way for the legislature to redraw the state’s congressional districts.
The measures now head to the Senate.
Democrats also envision, among other things, raising the minimum wage, banning new assault weapons, creating a regulated marijuana retail market, and establishing paid family and medical leave.
In his farewell address, Mr. Youngkin said his administration fought for police, teachers and students, including banning cell phones in the classroom.
Common sense, he said, has been his north star.
Mr. Youngkin also cautioned lawmakers against reversing the pro-business policies enacted over the last four years, which he credits with creating a “dynamic economy” that has added 277,000 jobs and left the Spanberger administration with $100 billion in capital investment commitments in the pipeline.
Mr. Youngkin urged lawmakers not to change the state’s right‑to‑work laws, warning that if they do, “then jobs will disappear.” He also urged them to work with, not against, the Trump administration and to rethink proposed tax increases.
“One thing we have clearly demonstrated is that lowering tax burdens brings people, it brings businesses, and it brings jobs,” he said. “One thing we have clearly demonstrated is that lowering tax burdens brings people, it brings businesses and it brings jobs.”
He added that “increasing taxes drives them away. Just look at California and Illinois and New York and Maryland.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Louise Lucas panned the address, saying families and federal workers suffered on Mr. Youngkin’s watch, and the state’s business ranking fell.
“Youngkin wants to leave behind a legacy, but listen up, Glenn, the only thing you’re leaving behind is a mess, and now Democrats will have to clean up your mess,” Ms. Lucas said in the Democratic rebuttal. “We cannot spin failure into success.”
Looking ahead, Mr. Youngkin has yet to chart his next move.
He has ruled out challenging U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, who is seeking a fourth term this fall, but remains the subject of speculation about a potential 2028 GOP presidential bid.
He also has sidestepped questions about whether he might join the Trump administration.
