RICHMOND — Abigail Spanberger was already known in the Fredericksburg area as the region’s former congresswoman, but she took on even more responsibility Saturday, stepping up to a lectern in front of what’s known as “Mr. Jefferson’s Capitol” and stepping into the history books as the first woman to serve as Virginia’s governor.
Spanberger, who was sworn in along with fellow Democrats Lt. Gov. Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General Jay Jones, pledged to work across the aisle for the good of the commonwealth in a speech that mixed history, a look forward to the future and some comments about the present.
“It is the honor of my life to stand before you and take the oath today,” she said. “The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me. 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.”
Spanberger also mentioned Martin Luther King Jr., Virginia suffragists and Virginia’s first two governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.
And she saluted Virginia’s 66th governor and America’s first elected Black governor, L. Douglas Wilder, who was present for the ceremony.
“Governor L. Douglas Wilder changed what so many of our fellow citizens believed was even possible,” Spanberger said. “And today, on your 95th Birthday, I thank you, Governor, for being here to celebrate this Virginia tradition as we continue to write our commonwealth’s story.”
The nod seemed particularly noteworthy Saturday as Jones became the state’s first Black attorney general and Hashmi, the first statewide officeholder of Indian descent. The new lieutenant governor is also the first Muslim woman elected to a statewide office in the nation.
For the future, Spanberger mentioned bipartisanship, which elicited applause from state Sen. Richard Stuart, whose 25th District includes Caroline and King George counties. Stuart and Del. Joshua Cole — who represents Fredericksburg and parts of Spotsylvania and Stafford counties — were on Virginia’s inaugural committee.
“To my friends in the General Assembly — on both sides of the aisle — I look forward to working with you,” she said. “I know what it means to represent your constituents, to work hard for your district and to pursue policies you believe in.
“We will not agree on everything, but I speak from personal experience when I say that we do not have to see eye-to-eye on every issue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder on others.”
Turning to the present, the governor seemed to refer to President Donald Trump. She didn’t mention him by name but pointed to what she said was the “recklessness coming out of Washington” that is “cutting health care access” and “driving up costs.”
“You are worried about an administration that is gilding buildings while schools crumble, breaking the social safety net and sowing fear across our communities — betraying the values of who we are as Americans, the very values that we celebrate here on these steps,” she said to the crowd.
Spanberger, the first governor to hold the customary title of “Her Excellency,” even appeared to refer to the proliferation of data centers, perhaps the Fredericksburg region’s biggest political issue. The technology businesses are known to require lots of electricity.
“We will work to lower energy costs by producing more energy and by ensuring that high energy users pay their fair share,” she promised.
The speech, which lasted a bit more than 20 minutes, resonated with Fredericksburg-area residents who made the trip to the state capital for the event.
Del. Nicole Cole, who represents parts of Spotsylvania and Caroline counties, said she liked the bipartisan nature of Spanberger’s words.
“I was proud that she set the tone, similar to her time in Congress, where she was, I believe, voted as the most bipartisan member,” the Democrat said.
Similarly, Howard Rudat, who chairs Stafford’s Democratic Committee, said Spanberger was candid about the issues facing Virginia and the U.S. while also speaking of hope and unity.
“To me, the thing that came through was we’re in this together, and we need to fix it together,” he said.
Stafford County Supervisor Pamela Yeung wrote in a text message to the Free Press that Spanberger’s words “spoke to the urgency of the times we are living in and the responsibility leaders must carry right now.
“As a woman stepping into leadership after generations of men, there is an undeniable weight on her shoulders but also a sense of purpose and possibility,” Yeung wrote.
