Virginia’s 75th Governor Will Be Inaugurated Saturday, January 17, 2026
Since the late 19th century, citizens of the Commonwealth and public officials have come together every four years in Capitol Square to witness the governor take the oath of office. Virginia’s Inauguration, per the Constitution of Virginia, (Article V, Section 1), is held on the Saturday succeeding the second Wednesday in January. The ceremony is an official function of the General Assembly sitting in Joint Session.
Many of the traditional activities associated with gubernatorial inaugurations include: receptions at the Executive Mansion; inaugural balls; a parade with bands and local organizations; the governor-elect’s prayer breakfast; the key transfer between outgoing and incoming governors; and an inaugural speech delivered from the Capitol Portico broadcast via radio, television, and the internet.
Historical information on Virginia’s inaugurations can be seen in the Library of Virginia exhibit Taking Office: Inaugurations of Virginia Governors, 1942-2010. It includes inaugural ephemera (tickets, passes, invitations, souvenirs), photographs, videos and radio broadcasts. In addition, there is a blog post about the exhibit that includes links to C-SPAN’s video archive of inaugural ceremonies from 1990 to 2014.
Click to listen to the LIbrary of Virginia blog post on Virginia’s inaugurations.