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Mr. Speaker, Lt. Governor Sears, Attorney General Miyares, Madame President, Members of the General Assembly, Justices of the Supreme Court, my fellow Virginians.

Today we gather, not as individuals, nor as Republicans or Democrats but as Virginians.

Virginia Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears joined Fox News Primetime last week to discuss a variety of issues facing our commonwealth and the nation, from the economy to education and more. “When you had governors deciding that certain businesses were essential and others weren’t, mostly mom and pops suffered. In the meantime, the big box stores stayed open,” Sears recalled. “Then you have to stay home with your child because the governors closed the schools, yet it’s interesting to me that private schools were able to figure out very quickly how to keep open while COVID was raging.”

Today Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin named Jillian Balow as Virginia’s next Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Elizabeth Schultz as the next Assistant Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“Jillian and Elizabeth are going to be crucial in helping Secretary of Education Aimee Guidera restore excellence in education,” Youngkin said.

In fall 2020, Fairfax County, Va., school board members said the quiet part out loud.

As school district officials engineered race-based admissions changes to America’s No. 1 high school, to increase the numbers of Black and Hispanic students, school board member Abrar Omeish sent board member Stella Pekarsky a text, saying: “I mean there has been an anti asian feel underlying some of this, hate to say it lol,” using the acronym for “laughing out loud.”

A petition calling for a repeal of George Mason University’s booster mandate was sent earlier today to GMU President Gregory Washington, Rector James Hazel and the entire GMU Board of Visitors.

Created just last week, the petition has already garnered the support of over 500 GMU community members. The more than 500 signatories include students and their parents, faculty and staff, and even GMU alumni, all of whom are united in opposition to the just-announced booster mandate.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares today announced their intent to challenge the unconstitutional vaccine mandate imposed by President Biden’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

“The COVID-19 pandemic has caused heartbreaking health, societal, and economic loss and suffering throughout the Commonwealth and the United States. Our children have experienced severe learning loss and developmental challenges that will last decades, strained and stressed hospital systems are suffering from an historic staffing crisis, and a crippled supply chain has driven up Virginians’ cost of living.

Virginia State Conference NAACP President Robert N. Barnette, Jr., and Executive Director Da’Quan Marcell Love met with Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin, Lieutenant Governor-elect Winsome Sears, and Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares earlier today.

The in-person, hour-long meeting took place at the request of the Virginia NAACP with the goal of creating a positive working relationship with the incoming administration from the very beginning.

Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin today announced he has chosen Craig Crenshaw as the next Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs of Virginia and Dan Gade as the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Services.

“Craig and Dan share my vision for making Virginia the best place for our military heroes to pursue the next chapter of their lives,” Youngkin said. “They are dedicated to caring for our veterans, championing their concerns, connecting them with resources, getting them the proper care, and reducing barriers on their capital and employment opportunities.”

Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Ronna McDaniel released the following statement on Biden’s continued failure to “shut down the virus” as he promised:

“Biden failed to ‘shut down the virus’ like he promised. By lying, shifting blame, and refusing to accept responsibility for his incompetence, Biden has lost all credibility and trust from the American people. Biden’s fearmongering, misinformation about Operation Warp Speed, and unconstitutional mandates will not shut down the virus.

The Motorist Bill of Rights would not only fight crony capitalism but help restore integrity and trust in government.

Virginia Republicans’ recent victories present the Party with enormous opportunities to pursue agenda items that can satisfy our electorate and cement our electoral gains; these opportunities must be seized.

Although this year’s elections went well, Republicans must not be lulled into a sense of complacency.

Virginia Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin announced his new finance secretary and vowed his team will promote lower taxes and greater fiscal responsibility in Richmond.

The governor-elect’s incoming finance secretary will be Stephen Emery Cummings, the former president and CEO of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

“Lowering taxes and restoring fiscal responsibility in Richmond is a primary focus of our Day One Game Plan, and Steve’s experience and expertise will help make sure we deliver real results for Virginians,” Youngkin said.

Diversity in the Republican Party is a timely topic. Election 2021 will define the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) for many years to come. Not only did we win a state-wide Republican sweep, but ours was the most diverse slate of candidates – both at the top of the ticket and down-ballot — in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia. An immigrant African American woman (the first in Virginia on all counts) as our Lt. Governor, a Cuban American as our Attorney General, and the very first private equity executive as our Governor. We worked hard to make this happen – but the candidates we had to work with are extraordinary.