Crew (00:01):
All right. Are we clear? Paul, can we get paddles, please? Could you scroll for a second? Yeah. Prompter looks good for someone who's taller than me. Nate, do you want to double check?
Nate (02:07):
Oh yeah, it's perfect.
Crew (02:07):
Perfect. All right. Great.
Announcer (05:59):
Joined by the next first family of Virginia, please welcome the Governor Elect of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Abigail Spanberger.
Crowd (06:18):
Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi.
Abigail Spanberger (06:33):
Thank you. Thank you. Avery. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
Crowd (08:02):
Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi, Abi.
Abigail Spanberger (08:02):
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you all so much. My fellow Virginians-
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Tonight we sent a message. We sent a message to every corner of the Commonwealth, a message to our neighbors and our fellow Americans across the country. We sent a message to the whole world that in 2025, Virginia chose pragmatism over partisanship. We chose our Commonwealth over chaos. You all chose leadership that will focus relentlessly on what matters most. Lowering costs, keeping our communities safe and strengthening our economy for every Virginian. Leadership that will focus on problem-solving, not stoking division, we chose leadership that will always put Virginia first. And Virginia, I cannot wait to get to work for you. Tonight we turned a page. We turned that page by listening to our neighbors, focusing on practical results, laying out a clear agenda and leading with decency and determination.
(11:11)
To everyone who helped us achieve this win, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I thank you for the trust that you have placed in me, and it is the honor of my lifetime to be elected the 75th governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. I would like to thank my opponent for a hard-fought race. The Lieutenant Governor's story, her military service, and her years of service here in Virginia deserve our respect and our gratitude. And I ask that you join me in wishing her and her family well. I also know that those who were supporting my opponent are disappointed today. And to those Virginians who did not vote for me, I want you to know that my goal and my intent is to serve all Virginians. And that means that I will listen to you. I will work for you and with you. That is the approach that I've taken throughout my entire career. I have worked with anyone and everyone, regardless of political party, to deliver results for the people that I serve. And that's because I believe in this idea that there is so much more that unites us as Virginians and as Americans, than divides us. And I know I know in my heart that we can unite for Virginia's future and we can set an example for the rest of the nation. Our founders understood this from the very beginning. They didn't choose to call Virginia a Commonwealth by accident. They chose it to signify that our government would be based on the power of the people united for a common good.
(14:11)
Not for a political party, not for a president, not for a monarch, but for a common good together. And tonight, Virginia proved that that tradition is alive and well. We are still a Commonwealth in every sense of the word. We are built on the things we share, not the things that pull us apart. And I am proud that our campaign earned votes from Democrats, republicans, independents, and everyone in between. That's the Virginia I know, that's the Virginia I love, and that's the Virginia I will have the honor of serving as your next governor. I want to thank so many people for the support that they have given to our campaign. Thank you for your work. Thank you for your support. To our tireless volunteers, to those who believed in me, thank you.
(15:39)
Thank you for devoting your time, your energy, and your conviction to this campaign. Thank you for braving the weather, the heat, and then the cold, and then the rain, and then the sun. It's Virginia after all. Thank you. Thank you for talking to your neighbors about the importance of this race. Thank you for recognizing that when we went person to person, engaging, that we could bring people not just into supporting our campaign, but into engaging in our democracy. Thank you. We won this race because of you.
(16:29)
To our campaign team, you're the best in the country. Every single member of our team, every single one of you, you worked tirelessly for the change, the progress, the policies, the connection, and the respect that you want to see in our communities. Thank you for working so hard. Thank you for giving people hope. Thank you for knocking on doors in the sweltering heat. Thank you for showing kindness. Thank you for showing up in every corner of Virginia. Thank you for diving deep on policy. Thank you for capturing moments and the essence of our campaign. Thank you for reaching voters everywhere. And thank you for believing that Virginia could and would send a hopeful and joyful message tonight. Thank you for giving everything, everything to this campaign and then some. And thank you to my family.
(17:54)
To my husband, Adam.
Speaker 1 (18:04):
My partner in everything, I love you with my whole heart. I am grateful for you. And it is very strange to declare my love for you in front of millions of people. But every adventure we have ever been on has been worth it because you have been by my side. I love you. I'm grateful for you and I cannot wait to see what the next couple years bring. To my daughters, Claire, Charlotte and Catherine, you inspire me and motivate me every single day. Everything I do, I do to build a better future for you and for all of Virginia's children. And I am so proud of you every single day. I am lucky to be your mother. And Catherine, you did not clean your room today as you promised me.
Speaker 2 (19:22):
I'm working on it.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
She's working on it. If I was working on it, we wouldn't have won this election, okay? To my sisters, my dearest and earliest friends. I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you. To my friends who have traveled from around the world to be here with me today, thank you. Thank you for making me who I am and thank you for always believing in me. And to my parents, I love you. Thank you for leading by example every day. And I know that today is a day that you all could have never imagined, but you taught me the importance of service to others and relentless hard work. And mama, when I think about your life, from the time spent in foster care to putting yourself through nursing school and the challenges along the way, you made clear to us that to whom much is given much is expected. And you, you have given me so much born of your own struggles and your own challenges, and I know much is expected. And dad, thank you for your example of service and tireless devotion to family and country. Nothing has made me prouder than to follow in your footsteps, so many steps along the way. I love you. I've talked a lot throughout this campaign about the importance of service and how it would shape my life and my approach to public office, and that all came from my parents. But this commitment to service, it is not unique to my family. It's ingrained in so many of Virginia's families. It is part of Virginia's story. Here in Virginia, this is where American democracy was born and where we are still working to perfect it today, where James Madison built the framework for our constitution to protect us from tyranny, where Washington and Jefferson fought to establish a government of by and for the people.
(22:16)
It is also the place where Barbara Johns, a 16-year-old student from Farmville, led a walkout of students that became part of the Brown versus the Board of Education case to integrate public schools. Barbara Johns never gave up, and she showed us that no matter your age, you can be part of the change and the progress that you want to see here in Virginia and across the nation. We are a nation founded on ideas, but we are a country where it is up to us, the citizens, who must put those ideas into action. It is us, the citizens who work to make the change and progress and build upon the foundations laid out over so many years. And Virginia, now it is our time to lead. Tonight, it's hard not to reflect on the nearly two-year journey that we've taken together on this campaign. And just a few minutes ago, Adam said to our daughters, "Your mom's going to be the governor of Virginia." And I can guarantee those words have never been spoken in Virginia ever before. It's a big deal that the girls and the young women I have met along the campaign trail now know with certainty that they can achieve anything. It's a big deal to the women older than I am, who forged the path in dreams, hard work, and in a belief that change and progress would be possible so that so many of us could follow in their footsteps, in any career, in any role, in any challenge. The history Virginia is making tonight, it is yours. And I thank those who have come before me and Mary Sue Terry in particular.
(24:54)
She was the first woman elected statewide in Virginia, and because of her and the continued work of so many, there will be many more women to come for generations to come. So now that the campaign is over, the real work begins because this was never about just winning an election. It was about what comes next. It's about the governing. Virginia voters made our choice tonight, and that choice was loud and clear. We are going to work to lower costs of renting, buying, or staying in your home. We are going to cut red tape and build homes families can actually afford. We're going to lower healthcare costs. We're going to crack down on predatory pharmaceutical practices and surprise billing. And we're going to produce more energy, and we are going to lower costs, and we're going to do it by producing more energy here in Virginia.
(26:13)
And we're going to make sure that large utility users make sure that they pay their fair share. We're going to grow Virginia's economy by investing in apprenticeships and job training of the future. We're going to leverage AI and cutting edge manufacturing to bring more capital investment into our Commonwealth. We are going to take politics out of our schools. We're going to make sure that teachers are well paid and well respected.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
We are going to make sure that our teachers are well-paid and well-respected, so that our students can focus on actually learning and so that parents know that their children will succeed. And we are going to make our communities safer by providing the training, pay, and support that our law enforcement community needs and deserves. These aren't slogans on a bumper sticker. They are actionable policies that I am ready to implement, starting on day one. And starting now, that work begins. So, as we begin this transition to a new administration, I want to be absolutely clear about a couple things. First, Virginia is the only state in the South that hasn't restricted women's reproductive rights since the Dobbs decision. And under my watch, it will stay that way.
(29:23)
In Virginia, healthcare decisions about contraception, fertility treatments, and reproductive care will continue to be made between women and their doctors, not politicians. That's a promise I've made and a promise I intend to keep. Second, I will always stand up for Virginia workers, always. And right now, our federal workforce is under attack, and the chaos coming out of Washington is killing Virginia jobs, and creating economic uncertainty for tens of thousands of families. Government employees, government contractors, small business owners who are impacted by the chaos coming out of Washington. Virginia's economy doesn't work when Washington treats our Virginia workers as expendable. To those who have been impacted by the mass layoffs, by furloughs, by the hardships that you are experiencing, please know that I will direct the full power of the governor's office to support you. And to those across the Potomac who are attacking our jobs and our economy, I will not stand by silently while you attack Virginia's workers. I will fight every single day for every single Virginia jobs, the ones we have now and the ones we will bring to our Commonwealth into the future. I will stand up to anyone who tries to harm our economy or the livelihoods of our Virginians. As governor, my job will be to put Virginia first, full stop. And tonight, as the governor-elect, I call on Congress, Republicans, and Democrats, and our president to make real progress on bringing this shutdown to an end. The Virginians, the Americans who work tirelessly for their fellow citizens deserve nothing less. I know we're living in a time filled with chaos. We live in a time marked by uncertainty. And along the way, we do our best to try and explain it to our kids. I know the list of challenges that we are facing is long, but I also know that the only way we're going to solve these problems is by tackling them together. Democrats, Republicans, independents, all of us, because that embodies the message that we sent tonight.
(32:37)
That is what being a Commonwealth is all about, standing united for our future. That is what Virginia is about. So, let's show the world what we're made of. Let's get to work. Thank you all so very much. And I'm so excited we got this party started a little earlier than expected.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Happy birthday.