Abigail Spanberger's day one in office: All on executive orders Virginia Governor signed

Abigail Spanberger was inaugurated as Virginia's 75th governor. She signed 10 executive orders on her first day.

Abigail Spanberger took office as Virginia's 75th governor on January 17, 2026, at the State Capitol, as she began her tenure with a decisive action. On her first day, she signed 10 executive orders targeting critical areas. The press release stated that these orders target critical areas such as affordability, education, and public safety with initiatives spanning across health care, housing, and economic stability.

Virginia's new governor, Abigail Spanberger, began her term on January 17, 2026, by signing 10 executive orders. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg (Bloomberg)

According to an official press release, she signed several executive orders to “start building a stronger, more affordable future for all Virginians,” as reported by Newsweek.

List of executive orders signed by the Governor of Virginia

Shortly after her inauguration, Governor Spanberger signed the executive orders, with the first three instructing all executive branch agencies to:

• Identify immediate measures to lower living costs for Virginia families, focusing on housing, health care, energy, education, child care, and groceries, with each agency required to submit actionable plans within 90 days.
• Create a cross-agency Interagency Health Financing Task Force tasked with developing a coordinated strategy for health care spending, optimizing federal funding, eliminating redundant expenses, and improving long-term infrastructure and operational efficiency.
• A thorough review of housing development regulations and permitting processes to promote increased construction, reduce costs, and remove obstacles, to expand housing supply across the state.

Additional seven executive orders

The additional seven executive orders include:

• Measures to uphold high academic standards, directing the Department of Education to strengthen core instruction in literacy and mathematics, enhance school accountability, and conduct a statewide listening tour with students, parents, and educators.
• Establishing an economic resiliency task force focused on responding to federal workforce reductions, funding cuts, tariffs, and shifts in federal law that impact key programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• A formal review and evaluation of the process used to appoint members to the boards of Virginia's public higher education institutions, including public colleges and universities.
• Establishing clear emergency decision-making protocols for the governor's chief of staff and designated officials in situations where the governor is unreachable or incapacitated, setting defined limits on authority, and requiring timely notification when such powers are exercised.
• Deligating certain administrative and budgetary responsibilities to the governor's chief of staff, while explicitly maintaining the governor's ultimate authority over all final decisions.
• Implementing a statewide non-discrimination policy covering state employment, appointments, procurement, and public services, while preserving protections for veterans and individuals with disabilities, and establishing disciplinary consequences for violations.
• The final executive order rescinds Executive Order 47, which has required Virginia law enforcement agencies to cooperate with federal civil immigration enforcement, redirecting their focus toward core public safety responsibilities.