Abigail Spanberger

Governor of Virginia - Declared state of emergency, National Guard on standby

Winter Storm Fern ranks among the deadliest recent U.S. winter events with over 150 confirmed fatalities across multiple states as of early February 2026, following 106 deaths reported on January 28. The storm brought crippling ice and heavy snow across a 2,000-mile path from Texas to Maine, leading President Trump to approve federal emergency declarations for at least 10 states amid over 1 million peak power outages, 14,000+ flight cancellations—the worst aviation disruption since COVID-19—and wind chills to minus 50°F. Fatalities included hypothermia, traffic accidents, and ice-related incidents, with Tennessee reporting 29 deaths, Mississippi 28, and others in states like Louisiana (8), New York City (8 frozen outdoors), Kentucky, and Texas (3 boys drowning after falling through pond ice).

Updated Feb 5

75th Governor of Virginia - Inaugurated January 17, 2026

For 250 years and 74 governors, Virginia had never elected a woman to its highest office. Abigail Spanberger, a former CIA case officer, changed that on January 17, 2026, taking the oath on the Capitol steps in Richmond alongside two other history-makers: Ghazala Hashmi, the first Muslim woman to hold statewide office in the U.S., and Jay Jones, Virginia's first Black attorney general. Within hours, she signed 10 executive orders and appointed 27 new members to public university boards, including filling vacancies at UVA following recent board resignations.

Updated Jan 20