The administration of Governor Abigail Spanberger has experienced a rough couple of weeks. Polling from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) shows that more Virginians disapprove of her performance than approve. This is particularly stunning given the Democrat-trifecta leading the Commonwealth’s government, but given the facts, the Governor and her fellow Democrats have given Virginians good reason to disapprove.
It is fairly rare for a Virginia governor to be underwater in their polling, especially this early on in his or her term. Barring a major scandal, it is practically unheard of. Yet that is exactly where Governor Spanberger finds herself in the latest VCU poll of Virginia voters. As you may recall, Governor Spanberger won her election by double digits, which makes the lack of approval noteworthy. When one considers the promises made by Spanberger and Virginia Democrats that have not been kept, it becomes easy to see why Virginians are unhappy with the Governor’s performance.
Governor Spanberger and General Assembly Democrats promised to focus on affordability during their campaign to take control of Virginia’s government, and it is abundantly clear that they have not delivered. In fact, affordability has not been their priority whatsoever. The Governor swore off partisan redistricting during her campaign and then led the charge to redraw congressional districts that favored Democrats. Her party failed to produce any significant tax relief in the form of ending the grocery tax, providing additional car tax relief, or ending the tax on tips and overtime. Cumulatively, these tax breaks would have resulted in meaningful savings for many Virginians. Meanwhile, Democrats decided to increase power bills by rejoining the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The definition of “affordability,” at least according to the ads run by Governor Spanberger’s team, is providing weatherization to a handful of homes and giving people more time to pay rent. When the Governor shared news of Virginia’s revenue surplus that neared $1 billion, instead of returning some of that money to the taxpayers, she baked it into the Commonwealth’s budget to pay for expanded government programs.
Virginians experience elections every single year, and as such, they are uniquely tuned in to the issues and the promises made by those who seek to represent them in all levels of government. Governor Spanberger and General Assembly Democrats made endless promises of affordability, and it has not taken long for voters to realize that these were empty promises all along. Instead, Virginians received a legislative agenda that looks like it was created in California. The Governor is rightly receiving backlash for her part in supporting expensive policies that do nothing to address affordability for the average Virginia family.
As the Delegate representing the 42nd House District in the Virginia General Assembly, your concerns are my greatest priority. If ever I may be of assistance to you and your family, please do not hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected]. You can also follow me on Twitter @JasonBallardVA or like my Facebook page, Jason Ballard for Delegate, to keep up to date with what I am doing in Richmond and in our community on your behalf.
