Abigail Spanberger Sworn In as Virginia’s First Female Governor

Spanberger won 57 percent of the vote in the Nov. 4 election, while Republican Winsome Earle-Sears received 42 percent.

Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger speaks after being sworn into office at the Virginia State Capitol in in Richmond, Va., on Jan. 17, 2026. Alex Wong/Getty Images

Abigail Spanberger made history on Jan. 17, as she became the first female governor of Virginia.

“The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me,” Spanberger, a Democrat, said outside of the Virginia Capitol in Richmond during her noon inauguration address.

Spanberger was dressed in white as she took the oath of office, surrounded by her husband and their three daughters.

“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,” she said.

The former CIA case officer and member of Congress thanked outgoing Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his wife, Suzanne, for their service, wished them the best, and shared her hopes for the future.

“Today must be about our future and the story we will write together,” Spanberger said.

She voiced concerns about rural hospitals, health care, affordability, and the Trump administration.

“Families are strained, kids are stressed, and so much seems to just be getting harder and harder. Growing up, my parents always taught me that when faced with something unacceptable, you must speak up, you must take action, you must right what you believe is wrong and fix what isn’t working,” Spanberger said.

She said that despite differences between supporters and lawmakers in the commonwealth, she hopes they can work together.

The inauguration was attended by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and former Democratic Virginia Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, the first African American elected governor in the United States. Wilder, now 95, served as Virginia’s governor from 1990 to 1994.

Spanberger won 57 percent of the vote in the Nov. 4 election, according to certified election data. Republican Winsome Earle-Sears received 42 percent of the vote.

Spanberger’s election was backed by former President Barack Obama, who campaigned with her in the final days before the election.

The Jan. 17 inauguration consisted of a series of firsts. Lt. Gov. Ghazala F. Hashmi, a Democrat, became the first Muslim woman in the United States to serve in a statewide office.

Jay Jones, who held one of his children while he took the oath of office, became Virginia’s first black attorney general.

Hashmi and Jones stood behind Spanberger as she signed 10 executive orders hours after she was sworn in.

One of the orders aimed to address costs related to housing, health care, child care and energy.

“I pledged to act on Day One to make Virginia more affordable,” Spanberger wrote in an X post hours after entering office.

“My first Executive Order as Governor directs my entire administration to identify where we can reduce costs for Virginians.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.