Members of 11 of Virginia’s Native American tribes perform a blessing for the new governor during the ceremony outside the South Portico of the Capitol.
With his wife, Pam Northam, at his side, Gov. Ralph S. Northam addresses the crowd at the inaugural ball Saturday night before leading his wife in a dance around the floor. Behind him are, at left, Attorney General Mark R. Herring and his wife, Laura, and, at right, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax and his wife, Cerina.
By tradition, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, top left, slips out of the inaugural ceremony when new Gov. Ralph S. Northam takes the podium to address the crowd for the first time as the state’s chief executive.
Former state Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, now a commissioner on the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, has a front-row seat for the ceremony.
Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax, only the second African-American to be elected to statewide office in Virginia, waves to a cheering crowd after taking the oath of office. His wife, Dr. Cerina Fairfax, a dentist, seated at left, held the Bible while their two children watched. Seated with him on the platform are, from left, Attorney General Mark R. Herring, Pam Northam and her husband, Gov. Ralph S. Northam.
Among the crowd of dignitaries Saturday was former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, right, who enjoys a laugh with two other former governors and their wives, A. Linwood Holton, far left, and his wife, Jinx, and their daughter and son-in-law, Anne Holton and U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine.
Larry Bland and the Volunteer Choir accompany the mother-daughter country group, Marna & Macy, in the final song at the inaugural ceremony. They are, from right, Marna Bales; her daughter, Macy Kaczmarek, center; and Ms. Bales’ husband, Jody Boyd, on acoustic guitar.
The Virginia State University Trojan Explosion Marching Band carries the beat during the 25-unit inaugural parade.
The Pride Chinese Lion Dancers from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville perform a Dragon Dance during the parade.
Deborah Pratt of the Eastern Shore, who holds the title of Virginia’s fastest oyster shucker, waves to the crowd during the parade.
Cadets from Virginia Military Institute, Gov. Ralph S. Northam’s alma mater, lead the parade following a Black Hawk helicopter flyover by the Virginia National Guard.
Members of the ADAMS Center Muslim Boy and Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts of Dulles led the inaugural crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Virginia National Guard fires a 21-gun salute after Gov. Ralph S. Northam takes the oath of office, another Virginia tradition.
Dueling gun rallies //
Kaaleah Jones, front left, whose father was shot and killed in Newport News, gets a hug after speaking at a vigil and rally Monday in Capitol Square urging tougher state laws to curb gun violence.
Gov. Ralph S. Northam, seen at right among the crowd, also spoke at the rally sponsored by the Virginia Center for Public Safety. Many state lawmakers attended the afternoon event that called for universal background checks before all gun purchases.
Gov. Northam and others pledged to continue their support for such laws despite the fact that measure and 19 other gun control proposals were killed just hours earlier by a Senate committee.
Earlier on Monday, Congressman Dave Brat and fellow Republican state lawmakers attended a rally at the Bell Tower in support of gun rights and their expansion. That rally was sponsored by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, a pro-gun rights group that describes itself as “more radical than the National Rifle Association.”
Gov.-elect Ralph S. Northam speaks as retired Judge Birdie Jamison listens at a pre-inaugural reception hosted Jan. 11 at a Downtown hotel by four area NAACP branches. The event was held for the incoming governor, Lt. Gov. Justin E. Fairfax and Attorney General Mark R. Herring to meet members of various African-American organizations and churches that played a significant role in their election on Nov. 7.
NAACP chairs and presidents attending the event included, from left, Tavorise Marks, chairman of the Chesterfield Branch NAACP Legal Redress Committee; Jesse Frierson of Richmond, NAACP Area 4 chair; the Rev. Kevin Chandler of South Boston, president of the Virginia State Conference NAACP; Frank Thornton, president of the Henrico Branch NAACP; Donna Waddell of Pittsylvania County, a member of the state NAACP executive committee; and Eddie Nelson, president of the Hanover Branch NAACP.