## Inaugural Speech **Sacramento, CA — September 7, 2026** My fellow Cascadians, Today we begin. I am here not as the representative of any single party, region, or interest, but as the servant of this entire region. From the ports of the Pacific to the high deserts of the east, from the timbered mountains to the fertile valleys that have long sustained us, and will continue sustaining our kids. Cascadia enters this century with unrivaled advantages. A spirit of innovation that the rest of the world can't catch up to, natural wealth that demands our gratitude and responsibility, and a people who have never been afraid of hard work or hard problems. In the months and years ahead, we will measure our success by clear standards. We will grow an economy that creates real opportunity and jobs for working families and businesses. We will improve our schools so that every child in our region receives an education worthy of their potential. We will protect the land, water, and forests we inherited that define us as a duty to those who come after us. And we will keep our communities safe, our infrastructure sound, and our government honest and competent. None of this will be accomplished by speeches alone. It will require a lot of work, cooperation across old lines, and willingness to choose the long-term good over the short-term applause. I ask for your support and partnership in this journey that will define our region for decades. We invent. We build. We endure. And we will govern in that same spirit. Our work begins today. --- *Signed,* **Governor Alex V. W. de Beaumont** Governor of the Commonwealth of Cascadia