Governor-elect Gretchen Whitmer was sworn in as Michigan’s 49th governor on January 1, 2019. Detroit Public Television provided a live feed of the swearing in ceremony.
The ceremony, including the oath of office, took place outside of the Capitol building in Lansing. The theme for the inaugural celebration was “Building Bridges Together,” underscoring the Governor-elect’s commitment to working with a diverse group of stakeholders on the issues most important to Michigan citizens.
Lieutenant Governor-elect Garlin Gilchrist II, Secretary of State-elect Jocelyn Benson, Attorney General-elect Dana Nessel and those members of the Michigan Supreme Court, Michigan Court of Appeals, State Board of Education, University of Michigan Board of Regents, Michigan State University Board of Trustees, and Wayne State Board of Governors who were elected November 6 also took their oaths of office during the ceremony.
The swearing-in ceremony began with a musical performance by the 126th Army Band of the Michigan National Guard. Other ceremony highlights include recognition of tribal nations, a parade of flags, an invocation by Rabbi Amy Bigman of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, a 19-Gun Salute by the 119th Field Artillery, a flyover by the Michigan Air National Guard and prayers by Pastor Solomon Kinloch, Jr. of Triumph Church and Imam Sheik Ahmad Hammoud of Islamic Center of America.
