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.
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.
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.
“For the next generation of kids, it’ll be normal to see a woman in this role, whether it’s doing the joyful things of ribbon cuttings or the hard things of contending with whatever challenges we might be facing into the future,” Spanberger has said.
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.
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.
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.