Abigail Spanberger Sworn In as Virginia’s First Woman Governor
Democrat Abigail Spanberger was sworn in Jan. 17, 2026, in Richmond as Virginia’s first female governor, taking the oath around noon outside the state Capitol amid a cold drizzle in a ceremony administered by Senior Justice William Mims. Spanberger, who campaigned as an opponent of the Trump administration and has said she will focus on protecting Virginia’s economy and health-care system, will work with a strengthened Democratic team — including Lt. Gov. Ghazala F. Hashmi, the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office in the U.S., and Attorney General Jay Jones, the first Black person elected to that post — on an agenda that may include redrawing the congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.
📌 Key Facts
- Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as Virginia governor on Jan. 17, 2026, in Richmond outside the Virginia state Capitol; the ceremony took place around noon amid a cold drizzle (Associated Press timestamp reported at 12:33 p.m. local).
- Spanberger is Virginia’s first female governor in state history.
- The oath was administered by Senior Justice William Mims.
- Lieutenant Governor Ghazala F. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to serve in a statewide office in the U.S., and Jay Jones is the first Black person elected Virginia attorney general (election followed reports of a text-message scandal).
- Virginia Democrats gained 13 House of Delegates seats after 2024 and plan to work with Governor Spanberger on an aggressive agenda, including redrawing the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- Spanberger campaigned as an explicit opponent of the Trump administration, leveraging anger over federal layoffs and civil service cuts in a state with nearly 150,000 federal civilian jobs, and pledged to protect Virginia’s economy from administration tactics and address rising costs and strains on the state’s health-care system.
📊 Relevant Data
In the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election, Abigail Spanberger received 96% support from Black women voters, 78% from Latinas, and 54% from White women.
Women Voters Key to Democratic Gubernatorial Wins in 2025 — Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), Rutgers University
As of 2024, Virginia's population demographics are 67.9% White alone, 18.4% Black or African American alone, 7.3% Asian alone, 0.5% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, 3.7% two or more races, and 10.5% Hispanic or Latino (of any race).
QuickFacts: Virginia — U.S. Census Bureau
About three-quarters of Virginia's population growth over the past year (2023-2024) came from international immigration, driven by economic opportunities such as jobs in federal government, defense, and technology sectors.
Virginia's population growth is driven mostly by immigration — Cardinal News
In the 2025 Virginia gubernatorial election, there was a 17-point gender gap in voter support, with 65% of women and 48% of men supporting Abigail Spanberger.
Women Voters Key to Democratic Gubernatorial Wins in 2025 — Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), Rutgers University
📰 Source Timeline (3)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- CBS piece details Spanberger’s inauguration occurring at noon outside the Virginia state Capitol amid a cold drizzle, administered by Senior Justice William Mims.
- Confirms that Ghazala F. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to serve in statewide office in the U.S. as lieutenant governor, and Jay Jones is the first Black person elected Virginia attorney general despite a text-message scandal.
- Adds that Virginia Democrats picked up 13 House of Delegates seats after 2024, and that state Democrats plan to work with Spanberger on an aggressive agenda including redrawing the state’s congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterms.
- Highlights Spanberger’s campaign framing as an explicit adversary of the Trump administration, capitalizing on anger over federal layoffs and civil service cuts in a state with nearly 150,000 federal civilian jobs.
- Notes Spanberger’s stated focus on protecting Virginia’s economy from Trump administration tactics, including complaints about rising costs of goods and changes to the state’s fragile health-care system.
- Confirms the swearing-in has formally occurred on Jan. 17, 2026 in Richmond.
- Reaffirms that Spanberger is the first female governor in Virginia history.
- Attributes the report to the Associated Press, giving a timestamp of 12:33 p.m. local time.