Abigail Spanberger becomes VA's first woman governor, honoring history and diversity in inaugural speech

On a cold, gray, and drizzly morning in Richmond, thousands of Virginians gathered on the steps of the state capitol to witness a moment more than two centuries in the making: the inauguration of Abigail Spanberger as Virginia’s 75th governor and the first woman ever elected to the office.

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Shortly before noon, Spanberger arrived at the Virginia State Capitol in a motorcade, pulling in behind the building, out of view of the crowds that had gathered in Capitol Square. Joined by her husband, the Democrat wore a brilliant blue-purple pantsuit. Most supporters never saw her arrival. Moments later, she emerged onto the dais to sustained applause, beaming, dressed in a striking white coat with a gold brooch, a bright contrast against the gray sky and rain-darkened stone.

Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger views her inaugural parade with her daughters in Richmond on January 17, 2026.Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate

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Organizers anticipated the cold and wet, handing out plastic ponchos, hand warmers, seat cushions, hot chocolate, and water as people arrived early and waited through intermittent light rain. The discomfort only sharpened the sense of purpose that defined the day — a peaceful transfer of power in the state that Spanberger herself would describe as “a cornerstone of our American democratic experiment,” one begun by Virginian George Washington.

Just moments before Spanberger took the oath, Democrat Ghazala Hashmi was sworn in as Virginia’s lieutenant governor, and Democrat Jay Jones was sworn in as attorney general, completing a Democratic sweep of the Commonwealth’s top statewide offices. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman elected to state office in the U.S., and Jones is the first Black man to serve as Virginia's attorney general.

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The crowd reflected the political and historical weight of the occasion. U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine and Mark Warner attended, alongside a bipartisan lineup of former governors. Democrats Ralph Northam, Terry McAuliffe, and L. Douglas Wilder were present, as was former Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell. Wilder, the first Black governor elected in Virginia and in the nation, drew sustained applause when Spanberger acknowledged that he was celebrating his 95th birthday. State Sen. Danica Roem, the first transgender person elected to state office in Virginia, was among the invited guests.

Diversity Richmond and Virginia Pride marched at Gov. Abigail Spanberger's inaugural parade in Richmond, Virginia.Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate

Standing at that intersection of past and present, Spanberger delivered an address that functioned as both an inaugural speech and a guided history lesson, deliberately walking the crowd through Virginia’s outsized role in shaping American democracy. “Seventy-five times in Virginia’s storied history, we have witnessed this transfer from one governor to the next,” she said. “It is the honor of my life to stand before you and take the oath today. The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me.”

She invoked Patrick Henry’s warning against factionalism, recalled the suffragists who returned to those steps year after year seeking the vote, noted Virginia’s long delay in ratifying the 19th Amendment, and cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1960 address in Richmond, urging compliance with Brown v. Board of Education. The through line was unmistakable: Progress in Virginia has come through persistence, coalition-building, and the gradual expansion of who is included in the promise of democracy.

From history, Spanberger pivoted sharply to the present, voicing what she said many Virginians are feeling amid turmoil in Washington.

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“I know many of you are worried about the recklessness coming out of Washington,” she said, pointing to federal policies she said are “hurting our communities, cutting health care access, and hollowing out rural hospitals,” while “closing off markets, hurting innovation in private industry, and attacking those who have devoted their lives to public service.” She warned of an administration she said was “gilding buildings while schools crumble,” “breaking the social safety net,” and “sowing fear across our communities,” betraying “the values of who we are as Americans.”

LGBTQ+ people and allies marched with a giant Pride flag at Gov. Abigail Spanberger's inauguration in Richmond, Virginia, on January 17, 2026.Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate

She tied those concerns directly to daily life in Virginia. “Across the Commonwealth, everything keeps getting a bit more expensive,” Spanberger said, listing groceries, medicine, child care, electricity, rent, and mortgages. Families, she said, are strained, and “so much seems to be getting harder and harder.”

Still, she struck a note of guarded unity. Acknowledging disagreement in the crowd and beyond it, Spanberger said differing perspectives need not preclude cooperation. “Your perspective may differ from mine,” she said, “but that does not preclude us from working together where we may find common cause.”

Spanberger framed Virginia as a commonwealth whose government exists to serve the common good and whose strength depends on embracing the full diversity of its people. She spoke of inclusive educational experiences, respect for immigrant neighbors, and the need to ensure that every Virginian, regardless of background, has a stake in the state’s future. Inclusion and diversity, she argued, are not abstract ideals but foundational to unity and prosperity.

At the same time, she addressed the anxieties weighing on families across the state. “Across the Commonwealth, everything keeps getting a bit more expensive,” she said, naming groceries, rent, health care, and energy bills. Her answer, she promised, would be pragmatic governance focused on affordability, stability, and results rather than ideological theater.

Those priorities were already visible in her first hours as governor. On her first day as governor, Spanberger signed a slate of executive orders aimed at lowering the cost of living, strengthening public education, protecting workers, and reversing select policies of her Republican predecessor, Glenn Youngkin. She rescinded Youngkin’s directive encouraging state and local law enforcement to assist in federal civil immigration enforcement, while leaving other late-term directives intact for now.

As the oath concluded, the atmosphere shifted. The rain stopped. The clouds lifted. And as the inaugural parade stepped off, sunlight broke through, turning the sky a clear, defiant blue.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi (left) with Gov. Abigail Spanberger (right) and First Gentleman Adam Spanberger.Christopher Wiggins for The Advocate

Thousands remained to watch, cheering as marching bands, unions, community groups, and advocacy organizations passed the reviewing stand. Diversity Richmond and Virginia Pride were among those represented, painting the area in rainbow colors under the banner “We belong here” as more than 50 LGBTQ+ people and allies carrying Progress Pride and trans Pride flags walked together. The crowd erupted in cheers. From the reviewing stand, Spanberger smiled broadly and blew kisses as the flags passed.