In the presence of steady drizzle at the Virginia State Capitol, Abigail Spanberger was officially inaugurated on Saturday, becoming the first woman to hold the governor's office in the state's long history dominated by male leadership. Her election victory over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears sets a new precedent as Spanberger succeeds outgoing Governor Glenn Youngkin.
This event also coincides with Democratic control of Virginia's state government, all while Republican President Donald Trump maintains his seat in Washington, D.C. Acknowledging the significance of the moment, Spanberger remarked during her inauguration speech, "The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me. I maintain an abiding sense of gratitude to those who work, generation after generation, to ensure women could be among those casting ballots, but who could only dream of a day like today."
During her campaign, Spanberger pledged to safeguard Virginia's economic interests against aggressive federal policies enacted by the Trump administration. She criticized the federal level’s erosion of the civil service, emphasized increasing prices for goods, and addressed concerns regarding disruptions to an already vulnerable health care system in Virginia.
Without directly naming President Trump, Spanberger called for local solutions to challenges perceived as originating from Washington, stating, "I know many of you are worried about the recklessness coming out of Washington. You are worried about policies that are hurting our communities, cutting health care access, imperiling rural hospitals and driving up costs."
On the same day, two other prominent Democrats were sworn into key statewide offices. Ghazala F. Hashmi became lieutenant governor, notably taking her oath with a hand on the Quran, marking her as the first Muslim woman to serve in a statewide role in the U.S. Jay Jones took office as Virginia's attorney general, becoming the state's first Black individual to hold the position; his oath was administered in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederacy.
Following the inauguration ceremony, Hashmi and Jones joined Spanberger as she signed her first 10 executive orders. Among these actions was the reversal of a directive by former Governor Youngkin, which had ordered state law enforcement and prison officials to support federal immigration enforcement efforts. Spanberger stated, "Local law enforcement should not be required to divert their limited resources to enforce federal civil immigration laws."
Spanberger's installation as the 75th governor of Virginia is a historic event, as no woman had ever held this office since Virginia's establishment as a commonwealth in 1776. She will be formally addressed as "Madam Governor" or "her excellency," reflecting longstanding protocol traditions where men wear morning coats and women wear dark suits for inauguration events. Spanberger diverged from this custom by donning an all-white outfit, symbolically honoring the women's suffrage movement. Affixed to her white coat was a gold pin embossed with the words, "One country. One destiny."
The inauguration attracted prominent Democratic leaders, including New Jersey Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, with U.S. Senators Elissa Slotkin and Adam Schiff among the attendees.
On this occasion, former Governor Douglas Wilder, who turned 95 years old on the day, was present behind Spanberger. As the nation's first elected African American governor, Wilder's presence underscored the historical nature of Spanberger's inauguration. "On these steps, Virginia inaugurated our 66th governor and our nation's first elected African American governor," Spanberger acknowledged in her speech, recognizing Wilder's role in reshaping expectations within the state and the nation.
Virginia Democrats have expressed commitment to collaborating with Governor Spanberger to advance their agenda, which includes efforts to redraw congressional district boundaries ahead of the upcoming midterm elections. The party has gained momentum in the state's House of Delegates, picking up 13 seats following national setbacks in the 2024 presidential elections.