VIRGINIA - Abigail Spanberger has been sworn into office as Virginia's 75th governor today at the state Capitol in Richmond. She is the first woman to ever hold the position in the Commonwealth.
The Democrat succeeds Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, beating out the Republican nominee, Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears in a hotly-contested race last November.
Spanberger's inauguration marks the start of a new Democratic trifecta in Virginia, with the blue party having won the governorship, the State House, and the State Senate.
In her inaugural speech, Governor Spanberger said, "It is the honor of my life to stand before you and take the oath today... My fellow Virginians, as we set an example for the country and the world, and most importantly for our children, let us choose to stand united. Choose to serve one another. Choose to act together."
Governor Spanberger, a former CIA case officer and member of Congress, will be referred to with traditional formality, “Madam Governor," or “her excellency.”
Two other officials also made history in Virginia being sworn in today: Ghazala F. Hashmi is the first Muslim woman to serve in statewide office in the U.S. as the new lieutenant governor and Jay Jones is the first Black person to be attorney general in Virginia.