Four years ago, Virginia stood at a crossroads. We were suffering from bad pandemic policies that left too many families struggling. Our schools were among the last in the nation to reopen, and Virginia led the nation in learning loss in fourth grade reading and math. Twenty-five thousand small businesses had closed their doors in 2021. Job recovery lagged behind nearly every other state. Violent crime had surged, with a 20-year high in the murder rate. For nine straight years, more Virginians were leaving the commonwealth than moving in from the other 49 states.

That was the Virginia I stepped into as governor. And it was clear that we needed a comprehensive transformation — a fundamental shift in how Virginia competes, how its government works, and how opportunity could be unleashed.

Four years ago, Virginia stood at a crossroads. We were suffering from bad pandemic policies that left too many families struggling. Our schools were among the last in the nation to reopen, and Virginia led the nation in learning loss in fourth grade reading and math. Twenty-five thousand small businesses had closed their doors in 2021. Job recovery lagged behind nearly every other state. Violent crime had surged, with a 20-year high in the murder rate. For nine straight years, more Virginians were leaving the commonwealth than moving in from the other 49 states.
That was the Virginia I stepped into as governor. And it was clear that we needed a comprehensive transformation &mdash; a fundamental shift in how Virginia competes, how its government works, and how opportunity could be unleashed.

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces here.

In Focus delivers deeper coverage of the political, cultural, and ideological issues shaping America. Published daily by senior writers and experts, these in-depth pieces go beyond the headlines to give readers the full picture. You can find our full list of In Focus pieces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/section/in_focus/">here</a>.