Moms bring daughters to witness history at Spanberger inauguration: 'That could be them someday'

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia entered a new chapter Saturday as Abigail Spanberger was sworn in as the Commonwealth's first female governor, marking a historic moment that drew crowds to the state capitol to witness the milestone inauguration.

"It is the honor of my life to take the oath today," Spanberger said during the ceremony.

The inauguration also marked another first for Virginia — the first all-Democratic ticket with Spanberger joined by Lieutenant Governor Ghazala Hashmi and Attorney General Jay Jones.

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For supporters like Uva Branham, who has followed Spanberger's political journey since 2018, the moment felt surreal.

"It's so historic. I mean, she's going to be in the history books. Abigail Spanberger is going to be in the history books," Branham said.

Branham recalled Spanberger's early days when she first announced her political ambitions to the Liberal Women of Chesterfield County.

"She came to one of our meetings and told us she was going to run — she hadn't actually declared yet," Branham said.

"And we decided to support her from that point," added Joanne Sweeney, another early supporter.

The historic nature of the day wasn't lost on attendees like Wilbert Tiller, who made the trip specifically to be part of the moment.

"The atmosphere is wonderful. I just woke up this morning and said I want to be a part of something, so I came on out," Tiller said.

WATCH: Abigail Spanberger’s inaugural address as Virginia's 1st female governor

During her inaugural address, Spanberger acknowledged the significance of the moment for future generations.

"My fellow Virginians, as we set an example for the country and the world and most importantly our children, let us choose to stand united," Spanberger said.

Young attendees were particularly excited about witnessing history. Coppy Schmitt and Annabelle Schmidt expressed their enthusiasm about seeing Virginia's first female governor take office.

"She's the first female governor. I'm really, really excited," one of the girls said.

"The speeches just feel really important and the dances and the music just felt fun. It's something that's going to get remembered for a while," another added.

Parents brought their daughters specifically to witness this groundbreaking moment. Lauren Schmitt attended with her two young daughters, viewing it as an invaluable learning experience.

"I just think this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and it means even more to me to be able to witness this with my two little girls and for them to see firsthand that that could be them someday," Schmitt said.

Liz Carrier echoed similar sentiments about bringing her daughter to the historic event.

"To have our girls here seeing the first female governor of Virginia be inaugurated was very special. I was given one guest ticket and my daughter was at the top of my list," Carrier said.

At the close of her speech, Spanberger invited all Virginians to participate in the changes she hopes to implement during her tenure. Voters who attended the inauguration cited education, housing and unity as top priorities they hope the new administration will address.

WATCH: Abigail Spanberger takes oath of office to become Virginia's 1st female governor

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