(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Unpopular Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger on Monday touted multi-billion-dollar investments she claimed would bring more than 3,000 jobs to the state.
There’s just one problem.
Every single one of those investments was announced before she took office, under her predecessor, Republican Glenn Youngkin.
Spanberger made the announcement on X, claiming she “signed bipartisan bills to bring 3,250 jobs and $7.1 billion in investment to Virginia.”
In a separate press release, she listed the companies behind the investments — Avio USA, Hitachi Energy, Eli Lilly and Company and AstraZeneca — all of which had already announced their plans months earlier.
Avio USA, a subsidiary of Italian rocket company Avio SpA, said in December 2025 that it chose Virginia for a $500 million advanced manufacturing facility to produce rocket motors.
Youngkin publicly touted that investment at the time. Spanberger did not take office until January 2026.
Hitachi Energy had also announced a $457 million expansion of its South Boston, Virginia, facility back in September 2025.
Pharmaceutical giants Eli Lilly and Company and AstraZeneca likewise announced their respective investments in September and October — well before Spanberger was elected.
WJLA reporter Nick Minock flagged the timeline on X, undercutting Spanberger’s claims.
What Spanberger did do, however, was sign legislation creating taxpayer-funded grants for the very companies whose investments were already underway.
“From my very first day in office, I have been working to create a stable business environment so companies can hire, expand, and continue to invest in our Commonwealth,” Spanberger said in a press release. “I am signing these bills into law so we can continue to grow Virginia’s economy and create opportunities for Virginians.”
The spin comes as Spanberger faces sinking approval ratings just three months into her term.
A Washington Post–Schar School poll found she holds a 47% approval rating—the lowest early-term mark of any Virginia governor since 1993.
— Nick Minock (@NickMinock) April 8, 2026
