Virginia inauguration ceremony will be filled with history making firsts
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Virginia is steeped in political history, but Saturday’s inauguration for governor will be unprecedented.
Never before has a woman been sworn in to take the state’s top office. Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger will be the first, becoming Virginia’s 75th governor when she takes the oath with her hand on her grandmother’s Bible at noon in Richmond.
It caps a rapid political rise for the Democrat, a former CIA officer elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2018 and who served three terms before deciding to leave Congress.
History will also be made by Ghazala Hashmi, the first Indian-born woman to be elected lieutenant governor. She is also the first Muslim woman in the U.S. to be elected to statewide office.
Spanberger will succeed Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who also had a quick ascension in politics. His first run for public office was for governor in 2021. Youngkin was the first Republican since 2009 to win statewide office in the Commonwealth.
Inaugural weekend packed with events
Spanberger’s swearing-in ceremony will get the most attention, but a wide range of events are taking place this weekend related to her inauguration.
A “Made in Virginia Market” was set up Friday in Richmond, featuring the state’s artisans, small businesses and vendors. The market included a pull-your-own tap wall of local beers and ciders from Virginia breweries.
The inauguration ceremony takes place Saturday on the South Portico of the Virginia State Capitol Building. Along with Spanberger and Hashmi, Jay Jones will be sworn in as the state attorney general. He will be the first Black man to serve in that post.
The inaugural parade through Richmond’s Capitol Square will immediately follow the swearing-in ceremony.
Abigail and Adam Spanberger will host an inaugural ball Saturday night at Main Street Station. The Executive Mansion, where the governor resides, will have an open house Sunday on a first-come, first-served basis.
From one governor to another
U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine praised Spanberger for running a “superb” campaign, getting elected over GOP candidate former Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears. Kaine said he got to know Spanberger when she was first running for Congress in 2018 and he was seeking reelection to the upper chamber.
They speak fairly frequently, though Kaine said she is a talented politician who doesn’t need his advice.
“Her focus is going to be affordability issues and on lifting up education,” Kaine said.
Kaine noted that higher education, in particular, was dealt with some tough issues in recent years, as Youngkin and Republicans sought to put their imprint on the University of Virginia and George Mason University.
“I’ve told her I have an open phone line, and I want to do anything I can to help her at the federal level, or to brainstorm about things at the state level,” Kaine said.