By Jessica Dillon
Martinsville officials traveled to Richmond on Jan. 17 to attend the inauguration of Gov. Abigail Spanberger, who was sworn in Saturday as Virginia’s first woman governor, marking a historic moment.
Melody Cartwright, Martinsville Mayor LC Jones, and City Council member Rayshaun Gravely were among those in attendance as Spanberger outlined priorities ranging from housing affordability and energy costs to health care and education.
“Seventy-five times. Seventy-five times in Virginia’s storied history, we have witnessed this transfer from one governor to the next,” she said. “Seventy-five times, a governor has taken this oath, and so many of those times it’s been right here, on these steps, that those words have been spoken.”
She acknowledged the generations of women who fought for political inclusion.
“The history and the gravity of this moment are not lost on me,” Spanberger said. “I maintain an abiding sense of gratitude to those who worked generation after generation to ensure women could be among those casting ballots, but who could only dream of a day like today.”
Spanberger emphasized the role of government as serving the public good.
“There’s no difference in how we operate or function as a state,” she said. “The difference lies in the intention of our forefathers and the choice to indicate that here our government should serve the common good — that the voices of everyday Virginians, not kings or aristocrats or oligarchs, should drive us forward.”
She called for unity across political divisions.
“That our leaders and our fellow Virginians should join in common cause, find common ground and pursue common purpose — this is the concept at the heart of what it means to be a Commonwealth,” she said.
Spanberger also criticized what she described as misplaced priorities in government.
“You are worried about an administration that is gilding buildings while schools crumble, breaking the social safety net and sowing fear across our communities — betraying the values of who we are as Americans,” she said.
Acknowledging differing viewpoints, Spanberger said cooperation remains essential.
“I know that some who are here today or watching from home may disagree with the litany of challenges and hardships I laid out,” she said. “Your perspective may differ from mine, but that does not preclude us working together where we may find common cause.”
She outlined policy goals that include addressing housing costs, lowering energy expenses, and preparing for what she called an “impending health care crisis.”
“We’ll work to cut red tape, increase housing supply and help communities keep housing affordable,” Spanberger said. “We will work to lower energy costs by producing more energy and by ensuring that high energy users pay their fair share.”
She also pledged to strengthen education statewide.
“We will work to ensure every child in the Commonwealth receives a world-class education at every level — providing them a solid foundation in reading and math and preparing our kids for a prosperous future,” she said.
Spanberger said her administration would also focus on gun violence prevention, addiction, mental health, and immigration.
“And in Virginia, our hardworking, law-abiding immigrant neighbors will know that when we say we’ll focus on the security and safety of all of our neighbors, we mean them too,” she said.
She closed her address by calling on Virginians to move forward together.
“We will write this next chapter together, because throughout our history, no leader has ever made progress alone,” Spanberger said. “As your governor, I pledge to you that I will work tirelessly for you and for our Commonwealth.”
Referring to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Spanberger urged unity over division.
“Our path forward must be not a pilgrimage of politics, certainly not a pilgrimage of partisanship,” she said, “but rather a pilgrimage of promise, progress, and prosperity.”
Cartwright, who announced her intention to run again for the Virginia House of Delegates, praised Spanberger and other newly elected statewide Democratic officials.
“Over the course of several years, I have met, introduced, and supported all three Democratic upper ballot candidates, now elected public servants,” Cartwright said. “Now the hard work begins.”
Additionally, “I would like to notify everyone in District 48 that I have updated on the Virginia Department of Elections my intention to again run for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2027,” Cartwright said.
Neither Jones nor Gravely could be reached for comment.
