We are just one month and two days into Democrat Abigail Spanberger's tenure as governor of Virginia, and businesses have already begun fleeing the commonwealth after seeing the writing on the wall.
Boeing announced Wednesday that it would be relocating its Defense, Space and Security headquarters from Arlington, Virginia, to its previous longtime home in St. Louis, Missouri. The defense contractor moved to Arlington in 2022, which was during Republican Glenn Youngkin's term in office; Youngkin worked hard during his time in office to make the commonwealth attractive to major businesses and corporations, bringing in the likes of Eli Lilly and Amazon.
Steve Parker, CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, said in a statement that the move will allow company leaders the chance to work “side-by-side” with coworkers in the St. Louis area. “The headquarters move, coupled with our senior leaders being based at and spending their time at major engineering, production and manufacturing centers across the U.S., reflects our continued focus on disciplined performance across our business,” he added.
The company also said it would be making a multibillion-dollar investment in "the world’s most advanced combat aircraft production facilities," in places like St. Louis. That is money that Virginia will now lose out on.
VA Gov Democrat @SpanbergerForVA just lost @Boeing’s HQ in Arlington, VA
— NOVA Campaigns (@NoVA_Campaigns) February 18, 2026
Boeing announced on Wednesday that it will shift its Defense, Space and Security HQ back to St Louis after relocating to Chicago & then Arlington, VA, in 2022
Companies fleeing VA
https://t.co/MmqJ5ZjMxy
We've seen this movie before. Democrats take over a state, pass all kinds of taxes and regulations that are onerous to both businesses and residents alike, and the mass migration from said state begins. California comes to mind, and, indeed, Spanberger and her fellow Democrats have made quick work of turning Virginia into the California of the East.
New: Convicted Sex Offender Snagged Amid Spanberger's ICE Freeze
Since she took office on January 17, Spanberger and her fellow Democrats have proposed and passed a slew of bills that will make Virginia an expensive place to both live and operate a business, including raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, mandating increased sick leave, taxing food deliveries, and even implementing a mattress recycling fee.
And that's just scratching the surface:
In a flurry of executive orders after her inauguration, the Democrat rescinded Youngkin’s 287(g) order that instituted cooperation with ICE, reprioritized diversity, equity and inclusion, and seized on broad affordability initiatives, including housing regulation reviews that align with progressive approaches to zoning.
It was only 18 months ago that Virginia was named America’s Top State for Business by CNBC. This distinction came as the Youngkin administration worked to reverse an outward migration trend that began during the tenures of his Democrat predecessors Ralph Northam and Terry McAuliffe. Part of reversing that was to make Virginia a destination for business.
“We are seeing real changes in that trend,” Youngkin said at the time. “Businesses choose every day, ‘Where am I going to invest and grow?’ and they are choosing Virginia now more often than not.”
It looks like that rosy picture just got spat on by Abigail Spanberger and her fellow Virginia Democrats.
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