Democrat Abigail Spanberger has been sworn into office as Virginia’s first female governor. Spanberger was sworn in at noon Saturday amid a cold drizzle outside the state Capitol after centuries of men holding the state’s top office.
“The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me — I maintain an abiding sense of gratitude to those who worked generation after generation to ensure women could be among those casting ballots, but who could only dream of a day like today,” Spanberger said in her inauguration speech.
“I stand before those who made it possible for a woman to also participate in that peaceful transfer of power and take that oath…” she added.
Spanberger defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to succeed Gov. Glenn Youngkin, also a Republican. During the election, Spanberger, a former CIA officer and congresswoman, positioned herself as an adversary of the Trump administration. She frequently capitalized on frustrations over federal layoffs in a state with nearly 150,000 federal civilian jobs to cinch the role.
Her victory marks a new chapter as Democrats pull the levers of power in Virginia while Republican President Trump sits in the White House next door.
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Two other Democrats were also sworn in. Ghazala F. Hashmi, the first Muslim woman to serve in statewide office in the U.S., is the new lieutenant governor. Jay Jones is the first Black person elected attorney general in Virginia, winning the race despite a text message scandal.
She will be referred to with traditional formality: “Madam Governor” or, as some officials phrase it, “her excellency.”
Spanberger’s inauguration marks a new chapter in the state, with Democrats pulling the levers of power in state government while Republicans run neighboring Washington. The state Democrats picked up 13 seats in the House of Delegates a year after the party’s stunning losses nationwide in the 2024 presidential election.
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The governor ran on a vow to protect Virginia’s economy from the aggressive tactics of Mr. Trump’s administration. On the trail, she spoke of the White House’s gutting the civil service, rising costs of goods and changes impacting the state’s already fragile health care system.
She addressed these issues during her inauguration speech, saying she knows many “are worried about the recklessness coming out of Washington,” which is cutting healthcare access, imperiling rural hospitals, and driving up costs. She added she know many are worried about “Washington policies that are closing off markets, hurting innovation and private industry, and attacking those who have devoted their lives to public service.”
Democrats in the statehouse have vowed to work with Spanberger to push through their bullish agenda, which includes redrawing the state’s Congressional district map ahead of the midterm elections this year.
