So, you're wondering who is sitting in the big chair in Richmond right now? Honestly, the answer just changed. As of yesterday, January 17, 2026, Abigail Spanberger is officially the Governor of the state of Virginia.
She's the 75th person to hold the job, and yeah, it’s a big deal because she’s the first woman to ever do it in the Commonwealth's long history. She took over from Glenn Youngkin, the Republican who’d been running things since 2022.
If you haven't been following the local news, the handoff happened right on the steps of the State Capitol under some pretty gloomy, cloudy skies. But the mood was anything but dull.
Why Spanberger is a big shift for Virginia
Spanberger isn't just a "typical" politician. Before she ever got into Congress—where she served three terms—she was a CIA case officer. That background sort of defined her campaign. She leaned hard into the "security and stability" vibe.
Basically, she won the 2025 election by beating Winsome Earle-Sears, the former Lieutenant Governor. It wasn't even that close in the end; Spanberger pulled in about 57% of the vote. People in the suburbs, especially places like Henrico and Prince William County, really showed up for her.
What happened to Glenn Youngkin?
You might be asking, "Wait, why didn't Youngkin just run again?"
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In Virginia, we have this quirky rule. You can't serve two terms in a row. It’s the only state in the country that does this. So, even though Youngkin was pretty popular with his base, he had to pack his bags and move out of the Executive Mansion. He gave his final "State of the Commonwealth" address just a few days ago, on January 14, 2026, and then officially handed over the keys.
Who is the governor of the state of Virginia right now?
Abigail Spanberger. She was sworn in at noon on Saturday by Senior Justice William C. Mims.
It wasn't just her making history, though. The whole "Class of 2026" is a bunch of firsts:
- Ghazala Hashmi is the new Lieutenant Governor. She’s the first Muslim to hold a statewide office in Virginia.
- Jay Jones is the Attorney General. He’s the first Black person to hold that specific role.
If you’re keeping track, that’s a total sweep for the Democrats. It’s a massive change from the divided government Virginia had for the last few years.
What is her first move?
Literally hours after the ceremony, Spanberger got to work. She rescinded one of Youngkin’s old orders—Executive Order 47. That one was about local police helping out with federal immigration enforcement. She’s making it very clear that her administration is going in a different direction.
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In her speech, she talked a lot about "protecting the middle ground." She knows Virginia is a purple state. You've got the deep blue areas in Northern Virginia and the deep red areas in the Southwest. Balancing those is basically the hardest part of the job.
The CIA connection
It’s worth mentioning again because it’s so unusual. Being a former "spy" (as some people like to call it, though case officer is the technical term) means she approaches things through a lens of risk management. During the campaign, she talked about the economy and health care more like national security issues than just policy points.
She grew up in Henrico County and has kids in the public school system there. That "local mom" identity actually helped her a lot when things got heated over school policies, which was a huge topic during the Youngkin years.
A quick look at the numbers
If you like data, here’s how the 2025 election shook out:
- Abigail Spanberger (D): 1,976,857 votes
- Winsome Earle-Sears (R): 1,449,586 votes
She basically flipped places like Virginia Beach and kept the margins high in Richmond and Norfolk.
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What’s next for Virginia?
Now that the party is over and the inaugural balls are finished, the real work starts in the General Assembly. With Spanberger in the Governor’s mansion and a friendly legislature, expect to see a lot of movement on:
- Climate Change: Rejoining regional carbon pacts.
- Education Funding: Specifically looking at how teacher salaries are handled.
- Gun Control: This is always a massive fight in Richmond, but with a Democratic sweep, new bills are almost a certainty.
Honestly, the "Virginia Model" of switching parties every few years seems to be holding steady. We go back and forth.
Actions you can take today
If you want to keep up with what the new Governor is doing, there are a few things you should probably do:
- Check the official governor.virginia.gov website. They usually post all the new Executive Orders there within 24 hours of them being signed.
- Sign up for the Virginia General Assembly's "Legislative Information System" (LIS). It’s an old-school looking website, but it's the best way to track the actual laws Spanberger is trying to pass.
- Follow local Richmond reporters on social media. Since the session just started, things are moving fast, and the big national outlets usually miss the small, important details about state-level budget tweaks.
Virginia’s political landscape just got a massive facelift. Whether you voted for her or not, Abigail Spanberger is the one calling the shots for the next four years.