Virginia sees 10,000th new business open under Youngkin’s administration, fulfilling his most important campaign promise

EXCLUSIVE:Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin will announce Thursday that his state has passed a business creation milestone he promised to achieve during his campaign.

After being declared the winner of his November 2021 primary against Democratic former Gov. Terence McAuliffe, Youngkin, a Republican, pledged to support 10,000 startups during his term.

“On day one, we will start creating jobs and revitalizing the economy to lift up all Virginians,” Youngkin said at the time, who has since repeatedly declared that “Virginia is open for business.”

On Thursday, Youngkin said he achieved that goal in “record time.”

YOUNGKIN: EDUCATION IS “THE FOUNDATION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM”

“Through our ‘Compete to Win’ strategy, we have achieved this incredible milestone by driving innovation, supporting entrepreneurship, strengthening our talent pipeline, providing essential tax breaks and truly creating an environment where startups and businesses can thrive,” he said.

“Our efforts to strengthen our business environment over the past two and a half years have earned Virginia the title of top state for business awards. All startups should come to Virginia because we cultivate an environment of success.”

Youngkin will visit ZEBOX in Arlington on Thursday to celebrate the milestone. ZEBOX is a “startup accelerator” and “innovation center,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

In response, Virginia Secretary of Commerce Caren Merrick said she was pleased that so many innovators and entrepreneurs were choosing Virginia as a location for their projects.

“I look forward to thousands more in the future,” Merrick said.

Because Virginia is a rare state where governors cannot be elected sequentially, the Falls Church businessman had only four years to achieve his goal.

Youngkin added that he is also proud to see CNBC rank Virginia as the best state in the country to do business.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held recently near the governor’s office as Youngkin and St. Petersburg Mayor Sam Parham jointly opened the Petersburg Pharma Campus, which is home to several pharmaceutical manufacturers.

YOUNGKIN VETOES MANY VIRGINIA BILLS, INCLUDING A CONTRACEPTION ACCESS MEASURE

Across the state, Firefly Aerospace earlier this summer selected the Virginia Spaceport Authority’s Wallops Island facility near Accomac as the launch pad for its Alpha rover. Wallops Island is also home to an active NASA base.

Youngkin’s name has been mentioned as a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2022, but the governor has repeatedly emphasized that he is focused more on Virginia than on national political aspirations.

“They elected me to lead change. They elected me to lead Virginia forward. And that’s what we’re doing,” Youngkin told Fox News at the time.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Until Senator J.D. Vance, Republican of Ohio, was finally selected by former President Trump, this new political candidate was also considered as a potential vice presidential candidate.

Before entering politics, Youngkin enjoyed a successful career in business, serving as an executive at private equity firm Carlyle Group from 1995.

During his tenure, he reportedly helped Carlyle lead the high-profile $12 billion renovation of Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport.