House Republican Leader Todd Gilbert issued the following statement:

“After hearing both candidates tonight, it could not be more clear that Glenn Youngkin is the Governor Virginia needs. Glenn has been listening to hard-pressed families who are worried about violent felons being released into their neighborhoods, the quality of their children’s education, the rising cost of living, and whether or not they’ll have a job next month.

“Terry McAuliffe, on the other hand, has one objective — raise taxes on every Virginian, regardless of how much money they make. At a time when our economy is sputtering and inflation is creating significant economic uncertainty for many Virginians, Terry McAuliffe wants to raise our taxes by nearly $5,400 per family. That’s reckless and cruel.

“Because of Virginia House Democrats, Virginians are already staring down over $2 billion in new taxes and $800 more per year in electricity costs. We’re watching as Congress gets set to pass massive new federal taxes, and now Terry McAuliffe wants to add to the hardship with over $8 billion in new spending. With a price tag of over $4 billion per year, Virginia’s current surplus wouldn’t cover Terry’s massive spending increase. Virginians can’t afford Terry McAuliffe and House Democrats.”