By — Steff Staples Steff Staples Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-abigail-spanberger-inaugurated-as-virginias-first-woman-governor Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH LIVE: Abigail Spanberger inaugurated as Virginia's first woman governor Politics Jan 16, 2026 3:28 PM EST History will be made in Virginia on Saturday as Abigail Spanberger is sworn in as the state's first woman governor. VPM will be streaming the inauguration ceremony, with coverage starting at 11:20 a.m. EST. Watch it live in our video player above. Spanberger will be inaugurated as the state's 75th governor at noon on the South Portico of Virginia's State Capitol in downtown Richmond. Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General-elect Jay Jones will also be sworn in. Following the ceremony, there will be an inaugural parade through Capitol Square featuring more than 25 groups and organizations from across the commonwealth. Spanberger, a former CIA officer who served three terms in the U.S. House, defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by 15 points in November. Her victory was a boost for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. WATCH: Democrat Abigail Spanberger wins Virginia's governor's race, flipping control from GOP She succeeds Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In Virginia, governors are term-limited to a single, four-year term. Spanberger will deliver her first address to the Virginia General Assembly on Monday. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Steff Staples Steff Staples
History will be made in Virginia on Saturday as Abigail Spanberger is sworn in as the state's first woman governor. VPM will be streaming the inauguration ceremony, with coverage starting at 11:20 a.m. EST. Watch it live in our video player above. Spanberger will be inaugurated as the state's 75th governor at noon on the South Portico of Virginia's State Capitol in downtown Richmond. Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General-elect Jay Jones will also be sworn in. Following the ceremony, there will be an inaugural parade through Capitol Square featuring more than 25 groups and organizations from across the commonwealth. Spanberger, a former CIA officer who served three terms in the U.S. House, defeated Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by 15 points in November. Her victory was a boost for Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. WATCH: Democrat Abigail Spanberger wins Virginia's governor's race, flipping control from GOP She succeeds Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. In Virginia, governors are term-limited to a single, four-year term. Spanberger will deliver her first address to the Virginia General Assembly on Monday. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now