It was on a pencil-grey Saturday morning irritated by bouts of rain and wind that Abigail Spanberger took the oath of office, and thus became the 75th Governor of Virginia. Governor Spanberger donned a powder white trench coat and was joined on the risers by her family, the Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General, and all living former governors; L. Douglas Wilder, Tim Kaine, Bob McDonnell, and Terry McAuliffe were in attendance.
Glenn Youngkin was present for the inauguration but left shortly after the swearing in ceremony, slipping out of the stands between the booming bark of the howitzer fanfare and the twin jets streaking overhead. By the time Spanberger took the oath, he was on his way out of Capitol Square. Seasoned spectators to the handing-down of the keys to the Commonwealth will tell you (and did, in fact, tell us) that such an exit is tradition for governors of the Commonwealth, not opprobrium.
In her first address to the public as Governor, Spanberger spoke to the concerns of everyday Virginians and echoed promises that she made on the campaign trail; affordability, healthcare access, and, increasingly, the presence of ICE officers in Richmond and other metro areas.
Spanberger vowed to work towards preserving the “safety and security of all of our neighbors” and stressed that this effort should include “hardworking, law-abiding immigrant neighbors,”
In the spirit of her remarks, Governor Spanberger and Attorney General Jay Jones wasted little time in reversing some of the measures put into place by the previous administration. Spanberger signed ten executive orders on the day of her confirmation, the last of which was a rescission of former Governor Youngkin’s Executive Order 47, which permitted the deputization of state and local law enforcement by federal agencies. In the text of the order, the administration does not indicate a refusal to cooperate with ICE, but rather denies the Commonwealth’s dedicated resources for law enforcement to be applied to federal action:
Since 2025, Virginians have been deprived of critical public safety resources due to the directives in Executive Order No. 47 (2025) that require and encourage state and local law enforcement to divert their limited resources for use in enforcing federal civil immigration laws. Federal authorities should enforce federal civil immigration laws—law enforcement in the Commonwealth should prioritize the safety and security of all residents in Virginia, the enforcement of local and state laws, and coordination with federal entities on criminal matters.
On Saturday, Jay Jones released a Day One plan which includes the naming of 14 federal lawsuits against the federal government that Jones plans to join. Among his other plans, Jones echoed calls for a 30 day review of the former administration’s procedures in all matters, but specifically named those actions pertaining to ICE:
I am directing my team to review my predecessor’s opinion regarding United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers and develop clear guidance that balances public safety and trust between communities and law enforcement as it relates to how our immigration laws are implemented.
Jones also issued an advisory opinion on the redistricting measure, only his office neglected to switch out the letterhead and caused some confusion among eagle-eyed viewers— including the former Attorney General himself.
What has gotten the most play of all of these, at least in national news, is the removal of members of the board from the University of Virginia, Virginia Military Institute, and George Mason University. Of the 17 seats on the board of visitors for the University of Virginia, 12 were filled, and of those 12, five submitted letters of resignation on Friday. All five members that resigned were appointed by Youngkin. This leaves a ten-seat hole in UVA’s board, ripe with real estate for the Spanberger administration to name new members.
Many questions are to be answered during Abigail Spanberger’s term as Governor, and there will be many differences from her predecessor’s successes, thanks to having a trifecta in the Virginia government. You can stick with our coverage for the answers, but one thing’s for sure: expectations are high.
