Republican Sturtevant expects taxes to rise under new state leadership

Posted December 12, 2025 at 11:36 AM, Filed Under: All News, Front Page, Meetings

By Greg Pearson

Republican State Senator Glen Sturtevant predicts taxes will increase with Democrats in full control of both houses of the legislature and Democrat Governor-elect Abigale Spanberger being sworn in on January 17. Currently, Democrats hold a 64-36 majority in the House of Delegates and a narrow lead of 21-19 in State Senate.

Speaking at the January meeting of the Brandermill Region Men’s Club (BRMC), the 12th District Republican estimated Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin used 400 vetoes during his four years in office, often to hold the line on proposed Democratic spending — the most vetoes ever, he said. Former Democratic Governor Terry McAuliffe, serving four years starting in 2014, held the previous veto record of “about 115,” according to Sturtevant.

With the Democrats in full control of state leadership, the Republican senator expects legislation to institute paid family leave to pass using higher taxes on employers and employees to pay for it. Such a benefit will create the opportunity for waste, fraud and abuse, Sturtevant predicted. Youngkin had vetoed a previous paid family leave bill. The senator also anticipates higher state spending on Medicaid.

Sturtevant plans on introducing a bill that will cause data centers to pay higher energy costs for those providers’ use. He called so many data centers being built in Northern Virginia “a data center alley.” Data centers are facilities that store, process and manage digital energy, and those businesses are expanding rapidly nationwide. Chesterfield County is considering three sites. Sturtevant said data centers “also use a lot of water.”

In comments to the 34 members and guests at the BRMC meeting, Sturtevant was also critical of his party’s messaging during the 2025 election period. He reported that state Republicans expected incumbent Jayson Miyares to be re-elected as attorney general, hoped that candidate John Reid might be elected lieutenant governor, but expected Winsom Earle-Sears to be defeated as the gubernatorial candidate. The Democrats swept all three statewide races by margins of 7%, 11% and 15% respectively.

Affordability was the central issue in the November election, and Republicans “didn’t have a message or answer,” he commented in response to one BRMC member’s query. “You can’t dispute what people are feeling,” he explained.

Sturtevant said he has spoken with Chesterfield County leaders regarding the increasing amount of multi-family housing comprised of townhouses, condos and apartments. “It’s too much,” he said, and was concerned about their impact on traffic congestion and classroom sizes. What is needed is more single-family housing at varying selling prices like Brandermill has, he commented.

The Republican also expressed concern at Virginia’s ability to provide energy to its growing population. He supports small modular reactors, whose approval and construction process is shorter and more-timely than building large nuclear facilities.

Sturtevant said he knows Delegate Leslie Mehta, the Democrat who assumes her House of Delegate’s seat on January 14 representing the 73rd District after defeating incumbent and Republican Mark Early last November. “I have met her and get along with her very well,” he added.

The BRMC first asked Mehta to speak at the Club’s January meeting but when she delayed in accepting, Sturtevant was asked to preview the upcoming General Assembly session to the BRMC membership. The Club has asked Mehta to provide a wrap up of the GA session at its April 2 meeting.