Abigail Spanberger sworn in as Virginia’s first female governor, signs executive orders

Virginia marked a historic day as Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as the commonwealth’s first female governor. In her inaugural address, Spanberger struck a unifying tone, calling for cooperation across party lines and pledging to focus on service, accountability and restoring trust in government. Within hours of taking office, Spanberger signed 10 executive orders aimed at setting the tone for her administration, with a focus that includes housing affordability, lowering health care costs and academic excellence. She also emphasized making Virginia more affordable, strengthening public education, expanding access to health care, growing the economy and governing with transparency and respect. Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin delivered farewell remarks highlighting economic projects and education efforts. The Justice Department also filed a lawsuit against Virginia alleging it did not hand over statewide voter data, according to the report.