Democrats in Virginia promised affordability, lower costs, and relief for working families. Then they took power and immediately did what Democrats always do, raise taxes, grow government, and help themselves first. If voters are feeling a little whiplash, that means they were paying attention.
Virginia is now on track to have the highest tax rate in the nation, higher even than California. Let that sink in. California, the state people flee because they cannot afford to live there anymore, is about to be outdone by Virginia Democrats who swore they were different. Alongside that dubious achievement, Democrats in Richmond are pushing a whole menu of new taxes that will hit gas, groceries, and everyday household expenses. Apparently affordability only applies during campaign season.
Now comes the part that really tells you everything you need to know. With Democrats controlling the legislature and the governor’s mansion under Abigail Spanberger, they have decided it is time to give themselves a massive pay raise. Not a modest bump. Not an adjustment for inflation. A raise that would more than double their salaries, roughly a 150 percent increase.
Absolutely astounding.
Virginia Democrats are now trying to give themselves a PAY RAISE after proposing thousands of dollars in new taxes hammering working families.
They ran on “affordability,” but all they’ve done is introduce insane left-wing policies and take from your… pic.twitter.com/hr0ychancV
— VA Senate GOP (@VASenateGOP) January 24, 2026
Virginia democrats in a Nutshell
1. Campaign on 'Affordability'
2. Increase existing Taxes
3. Make entirely new Taxes
4. Give ourselves a 150% Raise https://t.co/ni0lwKvllL— Jen Kiggans (@JenKiggans) January 26, 2026
According to NewsBusters, Democrats introduced a budget amendment that would hike legislative pay in both chambers. The proposal comes from Democrat leaders L. Louise Lucas in the state Senate and Vivian Watts in the House of Delegates. Their justification is not exactly clear, unless “we finally have total control” counts as an argument.
Republicans in Virginia did not mince words. The Virginia Senate Republican Caucus summed it up perfectly, pointing out that Democrats ran on affordability, then turned around and proposed thousands of dollars in new taxes while lining their own pockets. Calling it a total con job might actually be generous.
What makes this especially galling is how little time Democrats have even been in charge. They have barely unpacked their offices. There is no record of historic reforms, no sweeping successes, no dramatic turnaround that would justify a payday like this. What they have done is introduce left-wing policies, chase businesses away, and make life more expensive for the very voters they claimed to champion.
This was predictable. Every time Democrats regain power in a state, the same pattern emerges. Taxes go up. Government grows. Politicians get richer. Working families get lectures about sacrifice and fairness. Virginia voters have seen this movie before, and it never ends well.
The question now is whether the people of Virginia are prepared to learn this lesson again the hard way. When politicians campaign on affordability and then vote to double their own pay while pushing record taxes, it tells you exactly who they think the system is supposed to work for. Spoiler alert, it is not you.
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