RICHMOND, Va. — Amid a cold drizzle, Democrat Abigail Spanberger was sworn into office Saturday at the state Capitol as Virginia’s first female governor after centuries of men holding the state’s top office.

The inauguration of Spanberger, who defeated Republican Winsome Earle-Sears to succeed GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin, marks a new chapter in Virginia as Democrats pull the levers of power in state government while Republican President Trump sits in the White House in neighboring Washington.

“The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me,” Spanberger said in her address. “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.”

Spanberger ran on a vow to protect Virginia’s economy amid uncertainty wrought by the aggressive tactics of the Trump administration. On the trail she spoke of the White House gutting the civil service, the rising costs of goods and changes affecting the state’s already fragile healthcare system.

In a thinly veiled dig at the president, Spanberger said it was time for Virginians to fix what was broken.

“I know many of you are worried about the recklessness coming out of Washington,” she said. “You are worried about policies that are hurting our communities, cutting healthcare access, imperiling rural hospitals and driving up costs.”

Two other Democrats also were sworn in. Ghazala F. Hashmi, the first Muslim woman to serve in statewide office in the U.S., is Virginia’s new lieutenant governor. Hashmi placed her hand on a Quran as she was sworn in. Jay Jones is Virginia’s first Black attorney general. He was sworn into his post, notably, in the former capital of the Confederacy.

After the ceremony Hashmi and Jones stood behind Spanberger as she signed her first 10 executive orders, including one rescinding a Youngkin directive from last year instructing state law enforcement and corrections officers to assist with federal immigration enforcement.

“Local law enforcement should not be required to divert their limited resources to enforce federal civil immigration laws,” she said.

Spanberger’s inauguration as the state’s 75th governor is a historic first: Only men have held the post since Virginia first became a commonwealth in 1776. And no woman served as a colonial governor prior to that, long before women even had the right to vote.

She will be referred to with traditional formality: “Madam Governor” or, as some officials phrase it, “Her Excellency.”

According to “A Guide to Virginia Protocol and Traditions,” males in the official party wear morning coats and women wear dark suits for the inauguration, and many, including the new governor’s husband, kept to that tradition Saturday.

But as the first woman to serve as governor, Spanberger wore all white, a possible tribute to the women’s suffrage movement. She wore a gold pin on her long, white coat that said: “One country. One destiny.”

Prominent Democrats attended the ceremony, such as New Jersey Gov.-Elect Mikie Sherrill and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. U.S. Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Adam Schiff of California were seated in the crowd.

On his 95th birthday, former Virginia Gov. Douglas Wilder also sat behind Spanberger and watched her inauguration.

“On these steps, Virginia inaugurated our 66th governor and our nation’s first elected African American governor,” Spanberger said in her speech. “Gov. L. Douglas Wilder changed what so many of our fellow citizens believed was even possible.”

Democrats in the statehouse have vowed to work with Spanberger to push through their agenda, which includes redrawing the state’s congressional district map ahead of the midterm elections.

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.

Diaz writes for the Associated Press.

RICHMOND, Va. (WCYB) — With Virginia lawmakers returning to Richmond this week, education has remained a big topic for both parties.

According to recent projections from the Virginia Department of Education, state schools will need about $1.2 billion over the next two years to simply operate.

With this hurdle to overcome, lawmakers are also planning an improved public school funding formula.

A step in the right direction according to Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi.

“This is an opportunity to do it in a very thoughtful way, to make sure that we are positioning Virginia to support those localities that have students with the highest needs. Those include our students with special needs, students that are English language learners and students coming from lower economic situations,” Hashmi said.

On the topic of school funding there is also the School Construction and Modernization Fund.

Developed by Delegate Israel O’Quinn back in 2022, the fund is set aside for localities to invest in school construction projects putting a portion of funding in, while the state matches the rest.

Bristol, Virginia Public Schools were the first to utilize these funds, building the Virginia Intermediate School in 2024.

“Being able to have a school building with the latest technology and students not having to sit beside a rain barrel in the middle of their classroom really changes the student experience. There’s been a lot of really good upgrades done around Southwest Virginia and really across the whole Commonwealth,” O’Quinn said.

With the expense of some major projects, O’Quinn says some localities have found it difficult to match their portion of the funding. This paved the way for bill O’Quinn filed this year which would allow counties and school districts to finance these projects by borrowing from the state, receiving the state’s low interest rate.

“This would allow localities to be able to build up on those efforts and hopefully get to the point where they can fix those problems faster,” O’Quinn said.

Richmond, Virginia, will make way this weekend for a host of events related to the inauguration of Abigail Spanberger, who will become the first woman to serve as the state’s governor.

Events are scheduled Friday through Sunday, some of which are open to the public and some of which are ticketed.

The theme of the weekend’s events is “United for Virginia’s Future,” a slogan which Spanberger’s team says reflects the deep pride and collective strength that will move the state forward.

Friday’s events

Made in Virginia Market, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., 17th Street Market (100 N 17th St., Richmond, Virginia)

The market is open to the public and will include performances by Pusha T, ELONCE, SynHERgi, Holy River and TeezySoDope.

More than 40 Virginia artisans, small businesses and food vendors will pack the market and offer a wide array of products, eats, art, games and more. Details are available on the Spanberger Inaugural Committee website.

Welcome reception, Friday evening, Virginia Museum of History and Culture

Tickets are required to attend the reception, which will be hosted by Spanberger and her husband, Virginia’s incoming first gentleman, Adam Spanberger.

Saturday’s events

Interfaith prayer breakfast, Saturday morning, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

Spanberger and her husband will host a breakfast ahead of the inauguration ceremony to bring together Virginians from different faith backgrounds. Admission to the event is by invitation only.

Inauguration ceremony, noon, Virginia State Capitol

The main event will be held at noon, outdoors on the South Portico of the state Capitol. During the historic ceremony, Spanberger, Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General-elect Jay Jones will be sworn in.

While the event is free, tickets were awarded by a lottery. Winners have been selected and notified. The ceremony will be livestreamed on WTOP.com when it begins.

Inaugural parade, following inauguration ceremony, Capitol Square in Richmond

More than 25 groups from across Virginia will march through Capitol Square in Richmond immediately following the inaugural ceremony. The parade is open to attendees of the ceremony.

A full list of parade participants is available on the Spanberger Inaugural Committee website.

Inaugural ball, doors open at 6:30 p.m., program begins 8:15 p.m., Richmond Main Street Station

Tickets are required to attend the inaugural ball, which will be hosted by the Spanbergers. The celebration will feature live performances, food and libations.

Sunday’s events

First gentleman’s breakfast, Sunday morning, Science Museum of Virginia

Pancakes are on the menu for Sunday morning’s breakfast, which is intended to allow incoming first gentleman Adam Spanberger to introduce himself to his fellow Virginians. Tickets are required to attend.

Executive Mansion open house, 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Virginia Executive Mansion

Sunday’s open house at the Executive Mansion, as the name implies, is open to the public. However, entry into the governor’s residence is first come, first served.

Guests are invited to enter at the Capitol Square entrance.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.