'Don't fret' response to massive job losses in Virginia under Trump won't cut it for me

Virginians recently learned that our commonwealth has lost our spot as "America’s Top State for Business." One major factor was singled out as leading to the downgrade — the widespread economic impact of DOGE’s attacks on the jobs of thousands of Virginians.

I’ve always supported responsible efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse — as well as corruption. In the U.S. House of Representatives, I even led the bipartisan push to ban members of Congress and their spouses from trading individual stocks. I believe that our leaders have a responsibility to restore trust in our government, make sure taxpayer dollars are used efficiently, and keep more money in people’s pockets.

But in the months since the Trump administration launched DOGE, I’ve been hearing from Virginians — across the political spectrum — who have lost their jobs or are worried their jobs will be targeted next. And I’m hearing from local business owners and contractors who are worried about their financial futures, as well as business leaders who are concerned about the long-term damage done to Virginia's economy; not just in northern Virginia, but in every corner of our commonwealth. We are home to more than 320,000 federal workers — not even including the private-sector workers who support federal contracts or the small business owners who are seeing Virginians cut back on family budgets. 

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It isn’t just federal workers who are taking a hit as a result of workforce cuts. A recent University of Virginia study projects that more than 32,000 Virginia jobs will be lost over the course of 2025 in large part because of DOGE. These include federal jobs, manufacturing jobs, food service jobs — real Virginians’ jobs across many industries.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger lifts 6-month-old Brigid Janik while greeting supporters following a rally at her alma mater, J.R. Tucker High School, June 16, 2025, in Henrico County, Virginia. 

The new "America’s Top States for Business" rankings make one thing clear: the Trump administration's approach is not working for Virginia. This year, the results specifically cited the disproportionate impacts of the president’s actions surrounding federal job cuts, but we haven’t seen meaningful guidance from our statewide leaders for Virginians whose lives were upended.

Earlier this year, our governor and lieutenant governor told Virginians who have lost their jobs to simply update their resumes and log on to LinkedIn. That isn’t leadership.

Virginia’s lieutenant governor, who is also asking Virginians to let her serve as their next governor, has repeatedly laughed off Virginians’ job losses. She offered these words of advice: "don’t fret." I don’t think Virginians in the throes of an unanticipated job search would call that leadership.

Virginia Republican Lt. Gov. candidate John Reid and Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Sears. (John Reid for Lt. Gov.)

If elected to serve as Virginia’s next governor, I will take action to make sure Virginia is the best place in the country to start or grow a business. I will focus on leveraging our commonwealth’s strengths to attract new investment. Not only will we champion economic development in every corner of Virginia, including our rural communities, but we will focus on the strengths that keep businesses here — including our world-class community colleges and universities, our infrastructure, and our strong workforce.

Virginia Democratic gubernatorial candidate, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger speaks during an Everytown for Gun Safety rally on April 10, 2025, in Alexandria, Virginia. Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action endorsed Spanberger today in this year's gubernatorial election in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Whether we agree or disagree on every issue, I hope all Virginians can agree on the need to keep Virginia’s economy competitive. Protecting Virginia’s economy should be a bipartisan priority.

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I love Virginia, and that’s why my husband and I are raising our three daughters here — in the place where we grew up. I want to protect the financial security and opportunities of everyone who calls our commonwealth home. That’s why I’ve focused on lowering costs for all Virginians, not making life harder or creating chaos — and that’s why I’ve already announced my Affordable Virginia Plan to lower health care, housing, and energy costs for Virginia families.

If given the opportunity to serve Virginians as their next governor, I will put a plan in place on day one that is clear-eyed about the challenges ahead of us — not for political gain, but because that’s what the people of Virginia deserve at this moment of uncertainty.