"No one has worked harder and smarter than Governor McAuliffe in order to grow Virginia's economy and provide opportunity for all of its citizens, and tonight he showed that he'll be working even harder during his final year in office.

"As we move forward, I echo the Governor's call to work together to enhance the lives of Virginians by protecting women's access to health care, rejecting discrimination toward members of the LGBT community and tackling the tough issues facing our Commonwealth.

"His address made one thing abundantly clear: Virginia thrives with Democrats in our top offices. A Republican governor would be disastrous for Virginia. If it weren't for Governor McAuliffe, we'd have anti-LGBT laws that that harm our communities and harm our economy, restrictions on women's access to health care, and laws that hold back middle class families.

"We know what it's like to have a fighter in the Governor's mansion - and we're not ready to give that up. We will fight to preserve Governor McAuliffe's legacy by electing another Democrat who will build on his progress - not take us back.

"With Donald Trump in the White House, a Democratic Governor will be the only thing standing between the people of Virginia and his disastrous and reckless policies."