Republican Glenn Youngkin sworn in as Virginia 74th governor

RICHMOND, Va. – Striking a code of bipartisanship and optimism, Virginia’s caller Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, pledged to “restore spot successful authorities and to reconstruct powerfulness to the people” arsenic helium was sworn successful to bureau Saturday successful Richmond.

“Today we basal unneurotic connected behalf of Virginians who’ve ne'er mislaid faith, adjacent erstwhile they suffered loss. Of Virginians who person not stopped dreaming of a amended life, adjacent successful the midst of trials and tribulation," helium said successful beforehand of the historical authorities Capitol to thousands of enthusiastic spectators. “My chap Virginians, the tone of Virginia is live and well. And unneurotic we volition fortify it.”

“No substance who you voted for, I pledge to beryllium your advocate, your voice, your governor,” helium said,

Youngkin’s inaugural code was portion of a play of pomp and condition arsenic Virginia’s recently elected Republican leaders took office. In summation to Youngkin, Attorney General Jason Miyares and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears were sworn successful during an outdoor ceremony.

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The infinitesimal opens a caller section of governance successful a authorities wherever Democrats spent the past 2 years successful afloat control.

Youngkin spoke of the hardships caused by COVID-19 implicit the past 2 years and pledged to pb the authorities arsenic the microorganism continues to rage.

"We basal present connected Jan. 15, 2022, filled with anticipation and optimism for the years ahead. This anticipation and optimism springs from a shared imaginativeness of the future, and besides from knowing what we person been through," helium said. “We are acutely alert of the struggles Virginians person endured implicit the past 2 years, struggles that we proceed to face.”

Youngkin besides sounded his run themes, pledging to chopped taxes, “remove authorities from the classroom,” rise teacher and instrumentality enforcement pay, and boost the economy. He besides pledged to support children successful schools, adjacent arsenic the Omicron variant of COVID-19 is surging successful Virginia and astir the country, emphasizing the value of in-person education.

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“We cognize that erstwhile our children don’t spell to schoolhouse it harms their learning and development. So fto maine beryllium wide — we indispensable support our children successful schoolhouse 5 days a week,” helium said.

Shortly earlier the ceremonial began, Virginia’s erstwhile governors met with Youngkin and outgoing Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam wrong the Capitol. Every surviving politician but Youngkin’s hostile successful past year's election, Terry McAuliffe, was successful attendance. McAuliffe tweeted that helium and his woman were “quarantining owed to a adjacent COVID interaction successful the involvement of wellness and safety.”

The Youngkins and Northams besides participated successful a cordial Executive Mansion cardinal speech ceremony. Northam, who similar each Virginia governors was prohibited from seeking a 2nd consecutive term, offered Youngkin his good wishes.

Youngkin, a erstwhile backstage equity enforcement and governmental newcomer, present his inaugural code aft being sworn successful arsenic the state's 74th governor.

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He defeated McAuliffe past twelvemonth by mobilizing voters acrophobic astir acquisition and contention portion making tiny gains with suburban voters and different cardinal groups to assistance his enactment rebound successful a authorities agelong trending blue.

Miyares and Earle-Sears some made past — the erstwhile arsenic the archetypal Latino to service successful the presumption and Earle-Sears arsenic the archetypal pistillate of colour to service successful a statewide office.

Saturday's ceremonial included a accepted blessing of the crushed by representatives of Virginia’s Indian tribes, and a supplication led by Youngkin, who is profoundly spiritual and who made his religion a cardinal portion of his campaign.

A accepted inaugural parade kicked disconnected aft the ceremony. Participants included members of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia assemblage and precocious schoolhouse students, NASA representatives and the James Madison University marching band.

A solemnisation was planned for Saturday nighttime that volition diagnostic a show by the Zac Brown Band.

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The archetypal of Youngkin's inaugural play events got underway Friday morning, erstwhile the governor-elect participated successful a work lawsuit with section officials, helping scenery an country on the Richmond Slave Trail, a tribute to the captious relation the metropolis played successful the home enslaved trade.

On Friday night, members of the General Assembly hosted a invited reception astatine a downtown edifice up of a $10,000-a-ticket candlelit achromatic necktie reception and meal held astatine a subject museum.

A supplication meal was held Saturday greeting up of the inauguration, and the play was scheduled to wrapper up Sunday with an unfastened location astatine the Executive Mansion.

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