Youngkin commits to smooth transition after Spanberger’s gubernatorial election win

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced that he will support Democrat Abigail Spanberger in a smooth transition after she defeated Republican and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the gubernatorial election.

The morning of Wednesday, Nov. 5, Youngkin congratulated the governor-elect, who as of about 10 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 4, has 56.6% of the vote, leading her opponent Earle-Sears by a 13-point margin.

Youngkin also reflected on what he described as "an incredibly ambitious agenda" and his successes over his four-year term. He specifically touted record job growth, investment and opportunity, as well as improvements in safety across the Commonwealth.

"I do believe that we will hand that baton to the governor-elect, and she will step into a Virginia that is stronger than it's ever been," Youngkin told reporters in a press conference the morning after the gubernatorial election results.

He said the ongoing federal government shutdown was a "big challenge," particularly as Wednesday marked it as the longest-running government shutdown in history, which influenced Tuesday evening's election results.

Per a recent study, Virginia is the 6th-most vulnerable U.S. state to a government shutdown.

"I can't imagine how disruptive [the government shutdown] has been for their families, and so I do believe that had a major impact on yesterday," Youngkin said.

Youngkin also shared his concerns about former delegate Jay Jones's, who will be Virginia’s first Black attorney general, "ability to do the job based on the text that he said."

Jones won his bid for attorney general on Tuesday evening -- and became the first Black person to hold the position -- despite violent texts he sent during his time in the House being shared in October in which he described a former GOP House Speaker hypothetically being shot. This generated significant controversy.

"They were abhorrent, and I think that they once again reiterate that you can't come into this job if you are espousing death on a political enemy, the death of children and the death of law enforcement," Youngkin said. "I believe, just as I've always believed that that disqualifies him for the job."

Youngkin said he remains committed to handing over a state that is "stronger than it's ever been" and completing the final budget.

The governor did not comment on his future political ambitions, and instead, emphasized that his focus "will be and will continue to be on the Commonwealth of Virginia up until the last second I'm in this position."

"We have got to stand strong against this concept that because you disagree vehemently with someone that threatening to kill them or do violence to them or worse, actually taking action against someone, is anything other than abhorrent and needs to be dealt with swiftly," Youngkin said.