RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says Virginia has taken a "nose dive" under Gov. Terry McAuliffe's leadership and is no longer economically competitive.
Haley attended an event in Richmond Tuesday hosted by 2017 Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Ed Gillespie's political action committee.
Haley is a GOP rising star who said Tuesday that Gillespie would make Virginia competitive again.
McAuliffe, a Democrat, has made economic development a top priority, but Virginia has been hurt by a slowdown in federal spending.
Gillespie, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee, is one of at least three Republicans running to be the GOP nominee for governor in 2017. U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman and Corey Stewart, who is chairman of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump's Virginia campaign, are also running.