Former Democratic congresswoman Abigail Spanberger was sworn in Saturday as Virginia’s 75th governor, pledging a centrist, bipartisan approach at a time of deep political division.
RICHMOND — Abigail Davis Spanberger, a former CIA undercover officer and three-term member of Congress, made history as the first woman elected governor of Virginia — a state that did not ratify the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote until 1952. The inauguration took place at noon on the steps of the State Capitol, a site once used by suffragists advocating for women’s rights more than a century ago.
Spanberger, 46, won last fall’s election by a 15-point margin after campaigning on lowering consumer costs, improving access to health care, and strengthening job security. She blamed rising economic pressures on policies enacted in Washington and by President Donald Trump’s Republican administration, while also highlighting her record of bipartisanship representing a conservative congressional district.
Her inauguration marked several historic firsts. Former state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi was sworn in as lieutenant governor, becoming the first Muslim and first person of Indian descent to hold the office. Former Del. Jay Jones took office as Virginia’s first Black attorney general. Together, the new executive team represents a sharp shift from the Republican-led administration of outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin.
Youngkin formally transferred power Saturday morning, urging Democrats in his final legislative address to preserve his business-friendly policies and maintain cooperation with the Trump administration. However, Democrats now hold consolidated power in Richmond, controlling the governor’s office along with commanding majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.
Party leaders have pledged restraint, emphasizing an affordability-focused agenda. National Democrats are also spotlighting Virginia and Spanberger as key symbols ahead of this fall’s congressional midterm elections.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, a fellow Democrat, attended the ceremony, calling the moment “history being made” and expressing hopes for closer cooperation between the two states on transportation, energy, and protecting federal workers.
Even before inauguration day, Spanberger’s administration began taking action. Jones dismissed top legal officials at George Mason University and the Virginia Military Institute, while Spanberger sought resignations from University of Virginia board members, signaling an effort to depoliticize higher education governance. She was expected to sign several executive orders later Saturday to launch her agenda.
Spanberger framed her victory as part of a broader legacy of women breaking barriers in Virginia politics, noting that her own mother spent years lobbying for the Equal Rights Amendment, which the state finally ratified in 2020.
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