With her hand on her grandmother’s Bible, former House Democrat and CIA officer Abigail Davis Spanberger took the oath of office Jan. 17 and became the first female governor in Virginia history.
“It is the honor of my life to stand before you and take the oath today. The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me,” Spanberger said in a speech on the South Portico of the Virginia State Capitol Building, at times indirectly criticizing President Donald Trump and the partisan politics in Washington.
“I maintain an abiding sense of gratitude to those who worked, generation after generation to ensure women could be among those casting ballots,” Spanberger said, “but who could only dream of a day like today.”
The outdoor ceremony, on the South Portico of the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, was rich with pomp and circumstance.
Male lawmakers wore tuxedo-like ‘morning jackets,’ or formal wear with a long tail while female participants dressed in dark colors according to Virginia political tradition.
Hymns were sung, prayers were offered and the Star Spangled Banner was performed by the Hampton University Concert Choir. Members of 11 Indian tribes from Virginia joined in a “blessing dance” to honor the grounds, and Spanberger’s inauguration.
