VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin got a warm welcome during a rally at Froggie's in Virginia Beach on Thursday afternoon.
Youngkin was there to thank supporters from Hampton Roads who helped propel him to victory last week. He flipped Chesapeake and Virginia Beach red to help him win.
"A lot of people said this race was going to be lost in Northern Virginia. This race was won or lost in Hampton Roads," he told the packed crowd.
Youngkin made it a point to come to Hampton Roads on Veterans Day, where many veterans live.
"The primary reason we're here today is to celebrate our veterans and to stop for a moment and just say thank you," he said.
News 3 asked Youngkin about his plan for veterans over the next four years. He said he hopes to cut taxes from their retirement and wants to help families transition from the military to civilian life.
"We actually have a big effort to make sure that the transition from military service into the civilian community is one that can go smoothly with extended child care and increased support for job training and transition," he said.
He's hoping transitioning members will stay in Hampton Roads or Virginia.
"We're going to do everything we can to make sure our veterans stay here and don't move away because they make our communities better," he said.
He pledged to help them connect with their benefits.
"We're going to have a gold standard hub to make sure that veterans can find their benefits because they deserve them and they're hard to find," he said.
While he's never held office before, Youngkin is getting advice from four former governors in the transition, including Doug Wilder.
He's hoping his outsider statusYoungkin is getting advice from four former governors in the transition will lead to success.
"The combination of great advice from people who have been through it before, but also some pretty fresh perspective from an outsider is going to translate into a very, very capable leadership team that's going to put our day one game plan to work," said Youngkin.
Youngkin says he's already met with lawmakers from both parties. He takes office in January.
Related: Northam, Youngkin pledge to work together during transition of power