RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has 30 more days on the job before fellow Democrat Ralph Northam takes over. 10 News reporter Tommy Lopez went to Richmond Wednesday to speak with McAuliffe about what he's been able to accomplish, the challenges of improving the economy in the southwest part of the state, certain controversial topics and a possible run for president.
McAuliffe said Wednesday he's going to stay busy in his final few weeks in the Governor’s Mansion. He said it's been a great four years for him.
"I've loved the job. I've probably loved this job more than any governor in the history of America," he said.
He said that he's followed through on his focus to improve the economy and transportation.
"It's a great job. The one thing I'll miss is you can get out of bed every day and help people. You can change people's lives," he said.
He's tried to do that, in part, through boosting the commonwealth's economy. More than 200,000 new jobs have come to Virginia in the past four years, including many in southwest Virginia. The unemployment rate has dropped and investment deals have totaled nearly $20 billion.
"People are really looking at Virginia today and saying 'that model works,'" he said.
And his efforts to improve on that aren't over.
"I'm still doing 10 events a day and I'm hoping we'll be making jobs announcements up until the morning of Jan. 13. I've got until noon," he said.
He said he's happy with the progress specifically in southwest Virginia.
"I'm very proud. I've done a fair amount of job announcements in southwest Virginia. I've been there constantly," McAuliffe said.
He said he likes making the pitch to companies that there's a workforce ready go, particularly in Virginia's rural areas.
"I love it. In southwest Virginia, the hardest-working folks, honest, hardworking. They just want to have their shot at a good paying job," he said.
Some of the successes include the Deschutes Brewery coming to Roanoke, the Virginia Tech-Carilion research expansion in Roanoke and the Eldor Corp. coming to Botetourt County.
He says tax breaks are one key to getting new businesses in the area but if a state bends too much, then it's not worth the effort.
"There's no one project you have to have. If you have to have it then you shouldn't be bidding on it," he said.
He said education is key to being able to fill the jobs Virginia has created.
"Now, in high school in Virginia, in your junior and senior year we want you out of the classroom. We want you in internships, externships," he said.
He added that he's been happy he's been able to get most of what he's wanted on economic through the legislative process.
He said the Governor's Mansion is in good hands with Northam ready to step in.
"This has been the easiest transition. He's been my lieutenant governor for four years," he said. "This has been teamwork along with Mark Herring, our attorney general."
Rumors have been swirling for a few weeks that he's seriously considering a 2020 presidential run.
"I'm flattered that I keep getting asked," he said.
He said a decision on a run for president would come in 2019.
He said he now wants to focus on doing work to help veterans and help get Democratic governors elected around the country.
In his time as governor, McAuliffe has dealt with a lot of issues that have affected southwest Virginia.
The battle over pipelines could be the hottest subject. He said primarily the pipelines are about jobs and businesses but he still isn't voicing strong support for either side as he prepares to leave office.
"Nothing should be done unless we're convinced we can do this environmentally correct," he said.
He said the approval process is in place to ensure that it'll be safe to move forward, if that's what is decided.
A case that has drawn the attention of people in the region for almost 30 years will not get his attention before he leaves office. McAuliffe said he will not make a new decision on whether or not to pardon Jens Soering, a man convicted of murdering his girlfriend’s parents in 1990. Some supporters say Soering is innocent.
"They're looking at the new evidence. It will not come to my desk before I leave office and you never interfere during the investigative stage of it," he said.
The case has already come before him once in his term.
"Governor Northam will have to make a decision when it finally comes back to his desk," McAuliffe said.
He said Virginia has moved on after losing money on the failed deal with the Chinese firm Lindenburg, which didn't come through on its promise in 2014 to create hundreds of jobs in Appomattox County.
"You never want one to go bad but it's $1 million out of $20 billion. I have the lowest default rate out of any governor in the history of the state," he said.
A new scrutiny on vetting emerged afterward.
"The good news is we got together in a bipartisan way and it's now fixed. Before any money goes out the door, any taxpayer money goes out the door, there's a whole process," he said.
He said the people who were involved in the bad deal are no longer with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.
Northam will be sworn in as Virginia's 73rd governor on Jan. 13.