Virginia’s gubernatorial inaugurations are historic because, almost always, someone new is sworn in, courtesy of the Commonwealth’s limit that a governor cannot serve a second consecutive term.  Saturday’s inauguration ceremony had some stuffy traditions – dozens of men in morning coats and the occasional top hat (one wonders how many men’s formal rental stores had to be contacted to ensure that enough morning coat outfits, in multiple sizes, were available), judges in somber black robes, and the Speaker of the House conducting the ceremonies like an orchestra maestro. The extraordinary nature of the ceremony quickly was apparent when Abigail Spanberger, wearing a splendid maxi-coat in suffragist white, appeared on the steps of the Capital in Richmond.  With a dazzling smile for everyone, Governor-elect Spanberger shone like a sunbeam on a cold, drizzly day.

Her oath as the first female governor in the Commonwealth’s 250th year history was the culmination, not only of a hard-fought two-year campaign for the office, but more than 100 years of women’s voting rights, as she noted “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.”  Her three daughters, two teens and a 10-year-old, were clearly on her mind, and the youngest captivated cameras as she wavered between watching her mother take the oath and staring out at the thousands of people watching her mother take the oath. Maintaining a normal life for their daughters in the Governor’s Mansion will be challenging for the family.  The historic house is on the grounds of the Capital, surrounded by security and state office buildings.  You can’t just go next door to play with friends after school.

Poignant moments preceded the governor’s oath.  Attorney General Jay Jones held his young son in his arms to take the oath; the judge’s voice cracked as she administered the oath, clearly emotional about the Commonwealth’s first Black attorney general.  Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi took the oath with her hand on the Koran, another first for the Commonwealth and its broad diversity of faiths. 

The Governor’s formal inaugural speech featured a history of Virginia’s role in the new American experiment.  Her selection of Patrick Henry, the Commonwealth’s first governor, echoed issues of today, quoting “Let us not split into factions which would destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.”  It is a charge, she said, that we must answer again today.  Moving forward nearly 200 years, she quoted Governor Linwood Holton in a similar vein: “No longer can we be divided into opposing camps of political philosophies.  Let us act together…”  Governor Holton’s daughter, Anne, was visibly moved as the new governor quoted her late beloved father. Children and education were highlighted in the speech and the parade following.  The entire cadet brigade from Virginia Military Institute marched, Spanberger’s suburban high school band played, all of Virginia’s state colleges and universities were represented, and dozens of Girl Scouts from across the Commonwealth walked by as the parade emcee asked how many boxes of cookies the new governor would sign up for.  Most of the seats in the reviewing stand emptied out early, but the governor and her family stayed engaged to the very end, shaking hands with the final performers.  

The ceremonies are done, and the hard work of governance begins.  All three branches of government are under Democratic control, but House Speaker Don Scott has cautioned that restraint must be practiced.  The new governor’s centrist approach may rankle some progressives, but Spanberger concluded her inaugural speech with a pledge inspired by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, that the path forward must be a Pilgrimage of Promise, Progress, and Prosperity. Virginia’s election results captivated the nation in November and raised hopes for the mid-terms.  Can Virginia “act together” and show other states how governance should be done?