Youngkin waves to the crowd before his inauguration ceremony, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Glenn Youngkin turned Virginia from blue to red
"The spirit of Virginia is alive and well. And together we will strengthen it," Youngkin said. "Together we’ll renew the promise of Virginia, so it will be the best place to live, work and raise a family."
Youngkin, a former private equity executive and political
novice, beat Democrat former Gov. Terry McAuliffe in November to flip the swing
state red in the highly-watched race. He's the first GOP governor since 2014.
In an olive branch to Democrats, Youngkin said Saturday:
"No matter who you voted for, I pledge to be your advocate, your voice,
your governor."
Virginia
Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, left, speaks with Virginia first lady Suzanne Youngkin
during an inauguration ceremony, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022, in Richmond,
Va. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Youngkin, who mobilized voters on issues like race and
education, said that children must be in school "five days a week"
and not subjected to political teachings, alluding to a campaign pledge to ban
critical race theory education.
"We will remove politics from the classroom and
re-focus on essential math, science and reading," Youngkin said. "And
we will teach all of our history the good and the bad."
He said "parents should have a say in what is taught
in school."
"To parents I say we respect you," Youngkin
said. "And we will empower you in the education of your children."
On coronavirus, Youngkin paid respect to those who have
died and to the first responders and healthcare workers who have been on the
front lines of the pandemic. He said he trusted modern medicine and
"individual freedom" to guide Virginia out of the COVID-19
crisis.
"Despite the continuing challenges posed by
COVID-19, I see a path forward," Youngkin said. "Not to some
pessimistic new normal, but to a new and better day."
On the economy, Youngkin said he wants to suspend for a
year the recent tax increase on gasoline, and eliminate the grocery tax
altogether to address the higher cost of living. He said he'd reduce
regulations, create 400,000 jobs and "get all Virginians back to
work."
He said he wants to raise teacher pay, fully-fund law
enforcement and protect qualified immunity for officers.
Youngkin talked of the record-high turnout in November and said Virginians were on "a mission to restore trust in government and to restore power to the people."
Youngkin
greets supporters at a reception Friday Jan. 14, 2022, in Richmond,
Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
The inauguration is "not about me," he said,
but a celebration of that movement.
"We stand here today as the messengers of that
movement," Youngkin said. "Entrusted to protect liberty create
opportunity and build unity for the hard work ahead."
Youngkin, a first-time candidate who hails from the
business wing of the GOP, ran a disciplined campaign, focusing on taxes, crime
and holding public schools accountable to parents, while McAuliffe spent much
of his firepower linking Youngkin to former President Donald
Trump.
Youngkin had the support of Trump and also mobilized
voters in the suburbs by running on issues like banning critical race theory
teaching in schools. Liberals have fretted that Youngkin's win spells trouble
for Democrats nationwide in this year's midterm elections with President
Biden's dismal approval ratings.
Youngkin
and his wife Suzanne greet supporters at a reception Friday Jan. 14, 2022, in
Richmond, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
On Friday night, he kicked off the inauguration weekend
with a pre-inauguration celebration at the Omni Richmond Hotel.
"I hope you can feel the spirit of Virginia because
it’s alive and well!" Youngkin told supporters
Youngkin reflected on his victory over McAuliffe as
something more than just a regular political campaign.
"It was a movement that brought people together like
never before in the commonwealth," Youngkin said, according to pool reports.
Youngkin was sworn in with other newly elected
Republicans: Attorney General Miyares and Lieutenant Gov. Winsome Sears in
front of the state Capitol.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/youngkin-inauguration-virginia-republican-sworn-in-governor
