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Spanberger to become Virginia’s first woman governor during historic inauguration

WTOP Staff

January 17, 2026, 8:08 AM

Abigail Spanberger will be sworn in during a historic inaugural ceremony Saturday at noon, at which point she’ll become Virginia’s first woman to serve as governor.

The ceremony will be held outdoors on the South Portico of the Virginia State Capitol Building in Richmond, Virginia. The ticket lottery is now closed and winners have been notified.

If you weren’t lucky enough to score a ticket to the event, you can still watch a livestream of the ceremony below once the feed kicks on.

Also being sworn in Saturday are Lt. Gov.-elect Ghazala Hashmi, the first Muslim woman to win statewide office anywhere in the country, and Jay Jones, who will become Virginia’s first Black attorney general.

The inaugural parade will start immediately after the noon ceremony and will travel through Richmond’s Capitol Square. More than 25 groups and organizations will participate. The day’s festivities conclude with an inaugural ball in Richmond’s Main Street Station. Click here to see a full rundown of the day’s events.

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