Republican Glenn Youngkin Sworn in as Governor of Virginia: 'We Will Compete and We Will Win'

RICHMOND, Virginia — Republican Glenn Youngkin became the 74th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia Saturday at a noon ceremony on the steps of the Capitol building in Richmond.

As the new governor took the oath of office, his words were punctuated by Howitzer artillery blasts and a military flyover.

Youngkin gave an optimistic speech about the “spirit of Virginia” detailing a “path forward … to a new and better day” grounded in a “deep and abiding respect for individual freedom.” He also thanked outgoing Gov. Ralph Northam (D) for his service.

Inauguration of Glenn Youngkin in Richmond, Virginia. (Breitbart News / Breccan F. Thies)

That “spirit,” he said, is not one that “rests in government,” saying that his “mission” is to both restore trust in government and return power to the people of the Commonwealth.

Calling the Commonwealth the “home of American democracy,” Youngkin’s message drew from Virginia’s history, invoking Virginian Founding Fathers like Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, and Patrick Henry — who insisted on the inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the U.S. Constitution.

The new governor touched on policy areas such as coronavirus policy, business, education, and law enforcement.

The place to start, he said, was “where the future is determined: in the classroom.” Youngkin was met with likely the largest applause of the speech when he vowed to “remove politics from the classroom,” continuing to promise to “teach all of our history, the good and the bad,” and keep schools open.

Inauguration of Glenn Youngkin in Richmond, Virginia. (Breitbart News / Breccan F. Thies)

Youngkin turned to business development, lamenting that for too long, Virginia was being skipped over for investment in favor of its neighbors like Maryland, North Carolina, and Tennessee. He vowed to “get all Virginians back to work,” by adding 400,000 new jobs and 10,000 new startups. “Starting today … Virginia is open for business,” he declared. “We will compete and we will win.”

Saying he is “troubled by the recent attacks on our police,” the Virginia Republican promised to “restore safety by fully funding law enforcement,” saying he plans to protect qualified immunity and invest in community policing.

Returning to education, the issue that likely catapulted him to victory, Youngkin declared “parents should have a say in what is taught in schools.”

“Parents have a fundamental right to make decisions with regard to their child’s upbringing,” he concluded.

Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears (R) and Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) were also sworn into office.

Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.