TL;DR
- Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as Virginia’s first woman governor on Jan. 17, 2026.
- Her inauguration marked a Democratic sweep of statewide offices.
- Spanberger explicitly embraced diversity, inclusion, and democracy in her speech.
- LGBTQ+ groups marched openly in the inaugural parade with Pride flags.
- She immediately began undoing select policies tied to Glenn Youngkin’s anti-queer governance.
Virginia’s inauguration day didn’t just mark a change in leadership — it marked a tonal reset. As thousands gathered under gray skies in Richmond, Abigail Spanberger took the oath of office as the 75th governor of Virginia and the first woman ever elected to the role, a milestone more than two centuries overdue. The rain-soaked ceremony underscored the gravity of the moment, but it was Spanberger’s words — and who she chose to center — that made the break from the past unmistakable.
Spanberger framed her address as both an inaugural speech and a history lesson, tracing Virginia’s role in American democracy while acknowledging the state’s long record of exclusion. From suffragists to civil rights leaders, she emphasized that progress has never been accidental — it has come from pressure, persistence, and expansion of who counts. That framing mattered, especially in a state emerging from the governorship of Glenn Youngkin, whose administration repeatedly injected anti-trans rhetoric and policies into public life.
The symbolism continued beyond the podium. The inauguration also featured the swearing-in of Virginia’s first Muslim lieutenant governor and its first Black attorney general, completing a Democratic sweep of statewide offices. Among the attendees was Danica Roem, the first openly transgender person elected to state office in Virginia — a quiet but powerful reminder of how representation has shifted in just a few years.
Spanberger didn’t avoid the present moment. She spoke directly to anxieties about rising costs, strained families, and political chaos in Washington, criticizing federal actions that “sow fear across our communities” and weaken public institutions. But rather than leaning into partisan spectacle, she promised pragmatic governance focused on affordability, education, and stability — a deliberate contrast to culture-war politics.
That contrast was made visible during the inaugural parade. LGBTQ+ organizations like Diversity Richmond and Virginia Pride marched openly, carrying Progress Pride and trans Pride flags under banners declaring, “We belong here.” The crowd erupted in cheers as they passed. From the reviewing stand, Spanberger smiled, waved, and blew kisses — a small gesture, but one that landed loudly after years in which queer Virginians were treated as political targets rather than constituents.
Spanberger’s first actions as governor reinforced the message. She signed executive orders aimed at lowering costs, strengthening public education, protecting workers, and rolling back select directives tied to Youngkin’s approach — including rescinding encouragement for state cooperation with federal civil immigration enforcement. It was governance-by-signal: calm, corrective, and intentionally unglamorous.
By the time the parade ended, the rain had stopped and sunlight broke through the clouds — a cliché, maybe, but an earned one. Virginia didn’t just inaugurate a governor. It closed a chapter.