Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) is facing criticism after she took credit for billions of dollars in economic development deals that were previously secured by her Republican predecessor, former Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Spanberger signed a series of bills into law this week that will create thousands of jobs in Virginia and support $7.1 billion in business investments across the commonwealth. In a statement to the media, she billed the legislation’s enactment as delivering on her campaign promise to make Virginia a more affordable place to live and do business.
“From my very first day in office, I have been working to create a stable business environment so companies can hire, expand, and continue to invest in our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said on Monday.
“Attracting new businesses and jobs to Virginia is a core focus of my administration — and I’m proud of the hundreds of millions of dollars in investment we have already announced this year,” the governor added.
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However, the multinational companies listed in her press notice had announced their investments in Virginia’s economy last year, when Youngkin was in office.
Hitachi Energy, Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, and Avio USA all committed to capital investment projects, now supported by state funding authorized by the bills, while Youngkin was still governor.
The investment deals, inked in 2025 in partnership with the Youngkin administration, involve the construction of various manufacturing facilities in Virginia that will bring high-paying job opportunities with them.
In fact, Hitachi Energy, Eli Lilly, and AstraZeneca chose Virginia as the site of their construction projects before Spanberger won the November gubernatorial election. All four businesses featured quotes from Youngkin in their respective press releases unveiling the forthcoming investments.
AstraZeneca’s CEO Pascal Sorio specifically thanked “Governor Youngkin and his team for their energy and vision” in October 2025, noting: “We have found in Virginia an amazing team that moves at incredible speed to build a better future for this Commonwealth and the American people.”
Hitachi Energy said in April 2025 that its new state-of-the-art Virginia facility, which will be the largest power transformer plant in the United States, is possible thanks, in great part, to “the support of Governor Youngkin.”
“At Hitachi Energy, we are deeply grateful for the leadership and support of the Trump administration, Governor Youngkin, Virginia’s General Assembly, and the Commonwealth’s congressional delegation, who came together to make this critical production capacity possible to power our energy future,” added company CEO Andreas Schierenbeck.
Aimed at growing the medicine, energy, and aerospace industries in Virginia, the investments include $2 billion from Eli Lilly to go toward the manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients for cancer treatments, autoimmune therapies, and other advanced remedies; $457 million from Hitachi Energy to produce critical electrical grid infrastructure; $4 billion from AstraZeneca to manufacture medication for managing chronic diseases, such as cancer; and $537 million from Avio USA for building rocket motors used in defense technology, missile systems, and the commercial space sector.
‘Trying to take credit for somebody else’s work’
Critics, including members of Youngkin’s administration, say that Spanberger’s signature simply serves as a formality. The investment deals were struck months ago as part of Youngkin’s push to spur economic growth in Virginia.
In May 2025, Youngkin launched his hallmark Made in Virginia Investment Accelerator, an initiative intended to make Virginia the most desirable state for doing business.
MVIA under Youngkin fast-tracked investment projects by removing bureaucratic red tape surrounding such ventures for an efficient and expedited client journey. The initiative, in particular, accelerated permitting approval timelines to attract competitive investment projects to Virginia.
During his four-year term, Youngkin achieved a record $156 billion in total CEO commitments, garnering more than the six prior governorships combined.
As he left office, Youngkin credited his business background and acumen for identifying areas of potential job creation — he said that “one of them was, of course, the pharmaceutical and life sciences industries.” Virginia is now positioned to be one of the nation’s leading states in biomanufacturing, according to biotech researchers.
Youngkin, co-CEO of investment giant Carlyle Group, personally took part in the negotiations process behind the financial incentives packages that his administration worked on, including two of the investment deals touted by Spanberger. “I have been deeply hands-on,” he said at the time.
For Eli Lilly, Youngkin took a pitch team to its headquarters in Indianapolis. For the AstraZeneca deal, he and his team visited the company’s offices to decide together where in Virginia to construct its pharmaceutical plant. The talks resulted in AstraZeneca committing $4.5 billion to Virginia at the time, the company’s largest investment ever.
“I call lots of CEOs,” Youngkin said, explaining the behind-the-scenes efforts. “My relationship with the CEOs across the pharmaceutical industry is really, really good. I call them every day and go see them frequently.”
Former Virginia attorney general Jason Miyares accused Spanberger of trying to pass off Youngkin’s achievements as her own.
“She’s trying to take credit for somebody else’s work,” Miyares told Fox News Digital. “In grade school, we call that cheating.”
Youngkin spokesman Justin Discigil said, “Governor Youngkin is happy that Virginians are being reminded of some good news, even if it means Gov. Spanberger taking credit for the economic deals he secured for the Commonwealth.”
State of the economy in Spanberger’s Virginia
Spanberger’s celebratory announcement comes as Virginia’s economy is expected to slow with the unemployment rate rising statewide.
According to a February quarterly fiscal forecast from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, Virginia will experience a steady economic decline in 2026 as the state’s GDP growth dwindles to 0.3%.
“This period is expected to represent the weakest point of the current economic cycle for Virginia,” the forecast says. “Although inflation is projected to remain moderate and population growth stable, these factors are not expected to offset the broader deceleration in output and labor market conditions.”
Comparatively, the study found that Virginia’s economy expanded by 1.5% in 2025, “marking a period of continued modest economic growth,” though its performance was below the national level and influenced by the state’s close ties to the federal government, given its proximity to Washington and their overlapping labor markets. For example, Virginia felt the impact of federal workforce reductions and depended heavily on federal contracts.
Spanberger claiming credit for the creation of 3,250 jobs in Virginia is also undercut by an estimated loss of 10,300 jobs, including 4,600 positions in manufacturing. With fewer jobs available, unemployment in the state is also projected to jump from 2025’s 3.5% to 4.4% this year.
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Spanberger signing the investment bills occurred the same day that the Washington Post released poll results finding that a plurality (41%) of Virginians surveyed said her economic strategy will make Virginia less affordable.
Local business leaders have urged Spanberger not to raise taxes in accordance with the Democrat-controlled legislature’s proposed hikes. Virginia Democrats said the measures are meant to make the rich “pay their fair share” of taxes, but some business owners are warning that tax hikes could trigger a wealth exodus from Virginia. Businesses already pay property taxes, and adding more fees would negatively impact operations, Clayton Medford, the government relations representative at the Northern Virginia Chamber, told the Washington Examiner.
Miyares said that multiple businesses recruited by Youngkin were thinking about expanding in Virginia, but will no longer do so due to Spanberger’s economic policies.
Spanberger’s office did not respond to a request for comment.