Creigh Deeds, a long-serving member of Virginia’s General Assembly, reflects on both political gains and looming economic pressures facing the state. With decades of legislative experience, he recalls difficult fiscal periods, such as during Tim Kaine’s governorship when downturns required severe budget reductions. Today, new challenges have emerged. “Tariffs are increasing expenses, and federal workforce reductions have had a serious impact,” Deeds noted.
Northern Virginia contributes over 40 percent of the state’s revenue, yet Deeds avoided commenting on potential tax increases as a solution. Instead, he emphasized innovation and efficiency: “We’ll need to be inventive in how we operate.”
He also expressed concern about healthcare access under shifting federal policies. If tax credits expire by year-end, he warned that between 200,000 and 300,000 Virginians could lose coverage due to unaffordable premium hikes of $500 to $1,000 per month—progress undone after years of reducing uninsured rates.
Despite these hurdles, Deeds sees room for bipartisan, low-cost reforms. He supports legislation targeting gun safety, such as limiting access to assault-style weapons and introducing waiting periods for purchases. Additionally, he advocates for criminal justice reform, referencing a prior initiative—dubbed Second Chance—that would allow nonviolent offenders imprisoned for at least 15 years to seek re-sentencing. Though previously unsuccessful, such measures may gain traction in 2026.
With Democrats holding their largest legislative majority in nearly four decades, Deeds believes momentum exists for meaningful change. He also backs governance updates for state universities and wants data centers to shoulder the financial burden of increased energy demands they create.
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Senior Democrat’s Joy tempered by economic reality
Creigh Deeds has served in Virginia’s General Assembly for more than three decades, and he has not forgotten hard times for Democrats. n n“You know when Tim Kaine was governor, at the end of the Bush administration, the economy was not good. He had to make drastic budget cuts.” n nNow, he says, the Commonwealth faces new economic threats. n n“Tariffs have raised costs, the layoffs for federal employees have been devastating.” n nHe says more than 40% of this state’s revenue comes from Northern Virginia, but he was not prepared to discuss possible hikes in state taxes. n n”I don’t want to think about that, but we are going to have to roll up our sleeves and be very creative in the way we do things.” n nAnd he’s worried about how Virginia will cope with Trump administration changes that will eliminate healthcare coverage for many. n n“We’ve worked hard to reduce the number of people that are uninsured in Virginia, but if these tax credits have lapsed by the end of the year we could see 200-300,000 Virginians who lose healthcare coverage, because people can’t deal with $500-$1,000 monthly premium increases.” n nBut he hopes the General Assembly and the new governor will support changes that cost little, like additional gun control measures. n n”Assault style weapons – restrictions on ownership, restrictions on the sale.Some form of waiting period legislation could pass.” n nAlso on his wish list, prison reform. n n”There are certainly some people who are incarcerated for extremely long periods of time for offenses that don’t involve violence. We’ve got to figure out how to be smarter about that. I carried legislation several years ago called Second Chance legislation that would allow people who have been incarcerated for at least 15 years to have a new sentencing.” n nThat measure was not approved, but Democrats could make it happen in 2026. n n”We haven’t had a majority this large in nearly 40 years,” Deeds explains. n nHe would also support changes in the way state universities are governed and a requirement that data centers cover the costs of generating more electricity.