In his final State of the Commonwealth address, outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin urged lawmakers not to undo core policies he credits for economic growth as he prepares to hand power to Abigail Spanberger.
This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury.
Speaking before a joint session of the General Assembly, Youngkin framed his farewell address as both a victory lap and a warning — praising bipartisan cooperation where it occurred, but urging lawmakers not to undo core policies he credits for economic growth, particularly right-to-work laws, tax cuts and his administration’s approach to energy and education.
“This is the state of the commonwealth that I have had the immense honor of serving these past four years,” Youngkin said, thanking lawmakers and Virginians as he prepares to leave office. “By every single metric, today Virginia is stronger than she has ever been.”
Youngkin, a Republican elected in 2021, entered office amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s aftermath, school closures, rising violent crime and economic uncertainty.
He repeatedly contrasted those conditions with what he described as a “Great Virginia Renaissance,” asserting that his administration reversed population loss, restored job growth and stabilized state finances.
Among his central claims was that Virginia has attracted more than $157 billion in business investment during his term, which he said exceeds the combined total of the previous six administrations.
He pointed to major projects involving companies such as LEGO, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca and Hitachi, along with recent manufacturing announcements in Southside and the Piedmont.
Virginia, he said, is “a winning state,” with nearly 270,000 more people working now than when he took office and tens of thousands of additional jobs in the pipeline.
Those investments, Youngkin argued, are directly tied to policies that future lawmakers should preserve, including Virginia’s right-to-work law, which prohibits mandatory union membership.
“Change Right to Work and jobs will disappear,” he warned. “No amendments. No reforms. No changes.”
Youngkin also emphasized record state revenues, citing more than $10 billion in budget surpluses over four years and roughly $9 billion in tax relief enacted during his administration.
He said December revenue numbers showed continued growth, allowing for additional tax cuts alongside expanded funding for education, Medicaid, public safety and capital projects.
Those budget decisions have been a point of contention for Democrats, who argue that repeated rounds of tax cuts risk limiting long-term investments and question whether recent revenue surpluses are sustainable.
Education was another cornerstone of Youngkin’s address, particularly his administration’s response to pandemic-era learning loss. He cited Virginia’s ranking near the bottom nationally in reopening schools when he took office and claimed the state has since led the nation in math recovery and reductions in chronic absenteeism.
“We were 46th in the nation to reopen our schools,” Youngkin said. “The learning loss was devastating.”
He credited bipartisan legislation, including the Virginia Literacy Act and investments in tutoring, lab schools and career and technical education, for improved outcomes.
According to Youngkin, four out of five Virginia high school students now graduate with a credential or certificate, and teacher pay has increased nearly 20%, contributing to a sharp drop in vacancies.
Those reforms have also drawn scrutiny, with ongoing disputes over testing standards, lab school governance and parental rights policies championed by Youngkin, including restrictions on school mask mandates and curriculum content.
Public safety and behavioral health featured prominently as well.
Youngkin said violent crime, including murders, has declined roughly 30% statewide during his term, crediting law enforcement funding, anti-gang initiatives and fentanyl enforcement. He highlighted a 59% reduction in fatal fentanyl overdoses, attributing the drop to tougher penalties, public awareness campaigns and expanded access to naloxone.
On behavioral health, Youngkin touted what he called a complete system overhaul, citing major expansions in crisis beds, mobile crisis teams and the 988 hotline. The administration’s “Right Help, Right Now” initiative has drawn bipartisan praise but also questions about workforce shortages and long-term funding.
Energy policy marked one of the sharpest contrasts with Democrats and the incoming administration.
Youngkin reiterated his opposition to rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and urged lawmakers to repeal the Virginia Clean Economy Act, arguing that renewable energy mandates alone cannot meet Virginia’s growing demand, particularly from data centers.
“We need to double our generating capacity in the next 10 years. Renewables alone, which will drive up costs and risk brownouts, just can’t get it done,” he said, calling for expanded natural gas and nuclear power.
Democrats have countered that abandoning clean energy targets would undermine climate goals and increase long-term costs, a debate likely to intensify under Spanberger’s administration.
Youngkin closed his address with a reflection on Virginia’s role in the nation’s upcoming 250th anniversary, linking his administration’s emphasis on “commonsense” governance to the state’s founding legacy.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime for Suzanne and me to serve,” he said. “We have strengthened the spirit of Virginia — together.”
