Press Releases

January 15, 2022 (Washington, D.C.) – Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) issued the following statement today as Virginia Governor Ralph Northam prepares to leave office at the end of his four-year term:

“Ralph Northam’s name will go down in the history of our Commonwealth as one of the most impactful Governors ever. His accomplishments are extraordinary, and most importantly the things he did will truly help people.

“Governor Northam presided over Medicaid expansion, bringing health care to hundreds of thousands of Virginians. He worked to address the climate crisis, curb emissions, and create green jobs through executive action and a successful legislative push that yielded the Virginia Clean Economy Act. He signed the most important gun violence prevention reforms in at least a generation.

“Governor Northam directed major development of Virginia’s transportation, including significant bridge construction and repair projects in Northern Virginia, historic rail investment, and long-term funding for public transit. His governorship saw major expansions of affordable child care, and major pay increases for teachers. Virginia’s state employees now have paid leave. He signed a bill that will more than double the minimum wage in Virginia

“His critics claimed these actions would wreck Virginia’s economy, but Governor Northam proved them wrong. He leaves office with an incredibly strong state budget, having seen Virginia named the best state in the country for business two years in a row. After the pandemic led to a jobs crisis, his steady hand guided the Commonwealth through 18 months of continuous drops in the unemployment rate, which now stands at 3.4%, well below the national rate.

“The nation’s only doctor-Governor, Gov. Northam’s strong public health response leaves Virginia near the lowest in the country in both cases and deaths per capita from Covid-19. Virginia has a higher number of its citizens fully vaccinated than most other states. The response went beyond the disease itself, as the Governor worked tirelessly to fight the increases in food insecurity and hunger caused by the virus, and to protect Virginians’ access to affordable housing.

“His governorship wasn’t always easy. Governor Northam had to reckon with Virginia’s past, and with his own – but he forged ahead with determination, meeting with community leaders, listening to them, and then taking action. Under his leadership, Virginia confronted its history of slavery, segregation, and racism in a way no other southern state has done. He made sure symbols of white supremacy erected during Jim Crow were removed, and instead celebrated our Commonwealth’s rich diversity. He signed more pardons than all previous governors put together, and restored civil and voting rights to thousands. He signed legislation to reform our criminal justice system, legalize cannabis, ban the death penalty, and protect Virginians’ voting rights.

“Virginia is a better place for having had Ralph Northam as Governor, and I thank him for his leadership and service.”

Rep. Beyer served as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998.