Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) called for unity and pledged to “work tirelessly” for Virginians as she was sworn in as the Commonwealth’s first female governor on Saturday.
“It is the honor of my life to stand before you and take the oath today,” Spanberger said as she stood on the steps of the Virginia Capitol, wearing an all-white suit in an apparent nod to the suffragettes’ movement.
She added, “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 reflected on the significance of taking the helm as two milestones in American history with ties to Virginia mark their 250th anniversary this year: the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the inauguration of Virginia’s first governor, Patrick Henry.
Invoking Henry’s famous refrain, “United we stand, divided we fall,” Spanberger warned against further fracturing in the political system and urged Virginians to continue working together to preserve democracy.
“That was the challenge Governor Henry put to Virginia at the close of the 18th century, and it is the charge we must answer again today,” she said. “I know that the work of perfecting our democracy has never been finished. But I am heartened by the fact that so much of that work has done right here, on these very steps and across this city, where Virginia’s history and America’s history has so often been written.”
She went on to frame her inauguration as being about shaping Virginia’s future and acknowledged fears about the “recklessness coming out of Washington,” just across the Potomac River.
“Today, I stand before you on these steps not only as Virginia’s 75th governor, but as someone who believes it is our duty to write the next chapter of our Commonwealth’s story,” she said. “It is our duty to demonstrate for the generations to come that when faced with hardships, challenges, divisions, and even bitterness, we too forged a path forward and pursued progress.”
She laid out an agenda centered largely around affordability, a cornerstone of her campaign, vowing to tackle the rising cost of goods, housing, and energy, and “grow Virginia’s economy in every corner of the Commonwealth.”
She also pledged her administration would work to combat gun violence, address mental health crises, and improve public education, but called for members of the General Assembly to “stand shoulder to shoulder” with her.
“We will write this next chapter together, because throughout our history, no leader has ever made progress alone,” Spanberger said.
Spanberger defeated former Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears (R) in November’s election, which also saw Democrats pick up 13 seats in the House of Delegates. Democrats now hold a trifecta in the state government, controlling both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s mansion.
Two other Democrats were also sworn into statewide office on Saturday: Ghazala F. Hashmi as lieutenant governor and Jay Jones as attorney general. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to serve in a statewide office in the U.S., and Jones is Virginia’s first Black attorney general.
The Democratic victories were less than certain in the waning months of the campaign after texts from 2022 surfaced in which Jones openly talked about shooting then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R). Spanberger swiftly condemned the messages, kept her distance, and all three candidates ultimately managed to overcome the controversy.
Concluding her speech on Saturday, Spanberger once again pleaded for togetherness.
“My fellow Virginians, as we set an example for the country, the world, and most importantly, our children, let us choose to stand united. Choose to serve one another. Choose to act together. As we continue forward, let us be united for Virginia’s future,” she said.