RICHMOND, Va. — In about 10 weeks, a new governor will take over leadership of the Commonwealth: Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger. On Wednesday, the current Governor, Glenn Youngkin, discussed how he plans to pass the baton of leadership for Virginia.
“I want to begin with my congratulations for Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger,” Youngkin said.
On Wednesday morning, Governor Youngkin opened his press conference regarding the election results by congratulating Spanberger on her victory. He also praised the election teams across the Commonwealth who worked during the 45 days of early voting and on Election Day.
Youngkin shared his thoughts on whether the government shutdown was a driving factor in the election results.
“People are going without paychecks; they are worried about mortgages and rent, and they are concerned about how they will feed their families,” Youngkin said. “The challenge of this government shutdown is real, and I am incredibly aware of that challenge for all Virginians. I think it caused quite a turnout yesterday.”
He continued, emphasizing that his focus is on ensuring his administration finishes strong and that he will support Spanberger in ensuring her administration has what it needs.
“Over the course of the next roughly 10 weeks, Governor-elect Spanberger will build her team and run her transition, and we will support her in that process so that she and her team can hit the ground running,” Youngkin said.
Some of the future work was outlined on election night. In her speech, Spanberger outlined several actionable policies she is ready to implement on day one, including protecting women’s reproductive rights and standing up for Virginia workers, particularly those impacted by the current government shutdown.
“My job will be to put Virginia first, full stop, and tonight, as governor-elect, I call on Congress—Republicans, Democrats, and our president—to make real progress on bringing this shutdown to an end,” Spanberger said.
Spanberger will be sworn in on January 17, 2026.
