WASHINGTON 鈥� After four years of exuberance, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe leaves office Saturday proud of his term and with a plan for the future that includes crisscrossing the country for campaign stops and speeches.
Republicans in the General Assembly argue McAuliffe should have done more to reach across the aisle both in style and in substance, and bristled at some direct attacks in his final State of the Commonwealth address Wednesday, but in a final interview from the Executive Mansion McAuliffe sold his term as one of progress.
鈥淲e had a great working relationship on job creation, on economic development,鈥� McAuliffe said, seated in Patrick Henry鈥檚 chair, 鈥渂ut we disagreed violently on social issues.鈥�
鈥淭hey were trying to play to their base; my point is, you cannot grow an economy if you put walls up around it,鈥� he said.
McAuliffe vetoed a record 120 bills over the course of his term, benefitted from newly available transportation funding finalized by his predecessor Bob McDonnell, and overhauled the way that money was allocated to projects across the state.
McAuliffe, who turns 61 in a few weeks, regularly launches into a long list of accomplishments over the course of his term that cites transportation projects, promises of $20 billion in investment in Virginia from businesses that have yet to be fully realized and more.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 do anything in 10 seconds,鈥� McAuliffe laughed when asked to boil it down.
His proudest moment was restoring voting rights to more than 170,000 Virginians who had completed sentences for felonies 鈥� something he had to do in each case individually after the Supreme Court of Virginia struck down his initial attempt at blanket restoration.
The court鈥檚 majority included the justice whom Republicans in the General Assembly elected over 惭肠础耻濒颈蹿蹿别鈥檚 recess appointment to the court, Jane Marum Roush of Fairfax County.
惭肠础耻濒颈蹿蹿别鈥檚 of the term was the violence in Charlottesville.
Family members of Heather Heyer and the two Virginia State Police troopers killed in a helicopter crash that day were guests in the House of Delegates chamber Wednesday night for 惭肠础耻濒颈蹿蹿别鈥檚 final address to the General Assembly.
鈥淚t was the honor and privilege of my life to be governor. I鈥檓 very proud of leaving this state in great shape,鈥� McAuliffe said.
What鈥檚 next for McAuliffe
When he leaves office shortly after noon Saturday, McAuliffe plans to shift to campaign mode for Democratic candidates in the 36 states with governor鈥檚 races this fall.
鈥淵eah, I鈥檒l probably make it to Iowa to help that governor鈥檚 race,鈥� McAuliffe said.
The 2020 Iowa Caucuses are two years away.
鈥淥h really?鈥� McAuliffe said sarcastically. 鈥淟et鈥檚 get through this year [first].鈥�
McAuliffe 鈥� who is always exuberant and never shy to resort to hyperbole or deadpan 鈥� suggested on MSNBC Thursday night he would punch President Trump if hovered over in a presidential debate the way Trump appeared to do to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In addition to campaign stops, McAuliffe plans to spend more time with his family, give speeches, volunteer with veterans and work on redistricting reforms.
Asked about the failure of the state鈥檚 Department of Elections to fully investigate reports as early as 2015 about voters being assigned to the wrong districts in the Fredericksburg area, McAuliffe said he hoped to fix problems in the future.
鈥淚t all comes back to these gerrymandered districts,鈥� McAuliffe said.
He also blamed gerrymandering, which can lead to districts that are safe for one party or the other, for polarization in politics and his failure to get the Medicaid expansion allowed under the Affordable Care Act approved by the General Assembly.
Republican leaders have expressed reservations about the costs of the existing program, but McAuliffe is hopeful that the 15-seat Democratic gain in the House of Delegates could mean the expansion gets done this year.
He included it, again, in his budget proposal.
鈥淭he state鈥檚 in great shape; the economy鈥檚 in great shape; you know he [Gov.-elect Northam] needs to get Medicaid expansion, which I think will get done this year 鈥� very excited about that,鈥� McAuliffe said.
Stands by tolls
McAuliffe stands by the many major transportation projects underway across the state, including new tolls on Interstate 66 and Interstate 64 and plans to build new toll lanes or extensions on Interstate 95 toward Fredericksburg and Interstate 66 outside the Capital Beltway.
鈥淭his is what you have to do going forward on a transportation system,鈥� McAuliffe said.
He sees few options to get major projects done without tolls now.
鈥淟et鈥檚 just not say tolls 鈥� people are now given choices,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e adding more capacity, incentivizing getting people out of cars or [doing] more carpooling.鈥�
鈥淒oing nothing was not an option in Northern Virginia,鈥� McAuliffe said.
Advice to Northam?
Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam will be sworn in on the steps of the state capitol shortly after noon on Saturday in front of about 4,000 people.
When he walks into the Executive Mansion a few hundred feet away, he will get some advice from McAuliffe.
鈥淚 will have a letter for him at his desk when he opens it up, and I also am leaving some special surprises for him that we鈥檒l talk about after Saturday,鈥� McAuliffe said.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been very close for four years 鈥� so it鈥檚 more of a letter of just how proud I am of him and to continue on the 鈥� great legacies that he and I got together,鈥� McAuliffe said.
Opening his term as House Speaker on Wednesday, Republican Kirk Cox expressed more optimism that he will be able to comfortably work with Northam than McAuliffe, due to their different styles and Northam鈥檚 experience in state government as a state senator and lieutenant governor.
In the past, Northam has also held more moderate positions on many issues, although he campaigned on a more progressive platform.
惭肠础耻濒颈蹿蹿别鈥檚 most fun moment?
He also cited his most fun experience as governor.
鈥淭he most exhilarating is when I jumped out of an airplane, with a parachute, to land at a wounded warrior concert in Virginia Beach. That 鈥� moment when that door opened up and they pushed me out was exhilarating,鈥� McAuliffe said.
He volunteered for it.
鈥淥f course I volunteered. Yeah, I鈥檝e got no one to blame but myself on any of this stuff,鈥� he said.
McAuliffe called his term as governor 鈥� Virginia鈥檚 executives are constitutionally barred from serving consecutive terms 鈥� the honor and privilege of his life.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of fun; we鈥檝e gotten a lot of great things done 鈥� I鈥檝e loved every, every minute of it,鈥� he said.
