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“When you’re in a state of shock like I was, we don’t always think as clearly as we should,” said Northam, who worked for years as a pediatric neurologist before entering politics.

But “when I stepped back and looked at it, I just said I know it’s not me in the Klan outfit. And I started looking in the picture of the individual with blackface. I said that’s not me either,” he said.

His first lesson from all this, Northam said, was to understand what it means to be “born in white privilege.”

“I have also learned why the use of blackface is so offensive, and yes, I knew it in the past. But reality has really set in,” Northam said. “I’ve still got a lot to learn but this has been a week that has been very eye-opening for me.”

Northam also charted a path forward, saying he would dedicate the rest of his tenure to policies aimed at helping his black constituents.

“I really believe that things happen for a reason,” he said. “I will focus on race and equity. That’s something that, for the next three years, is going to be my commitment to Virginia. And I really think we can make impactful changes.”

Political considerations will be key to what comes next. Virginia is among a handful of states electing lawmakers this year, and Democrats had hoped to flip the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

It’s possible that lawmakers will launch some sort of investigation of Fairfax, even if impeachment isn’t immediately in the cards. Meredith Watson and Vanessa Tyson have accused him of sexual assault and offered to testify.

The Associated Press generally does not name people who say they are victims of sexual assault, but both women have come forward voluntarily.

Watson alleges Fairfax raped her while they were students at Duke University in 2000, her attorney said in a statement. Tyson, a California college professor, accused Fairfax of forcing her to perform oral sex on him at a Boston hotel in 2004.

Fairfax denies ever sexually assaulting anyone. He has made clear that he does not intend to immediately step down, and has urged authorities to investigate.

“Frankly, we really want any entity with comprehensive investigative power to thoroughly look into these accusations,” Fairfax spokeswoman Lauren Burke said. “There needs to be verification of basic facts about these allegations. It feels like something bigger is going on here.”

Some political observers noted that the threshold to start an impeachment process is remarkably high in the House of Delegates. The lawmakers are set to leave town before February ends, and have limited time and resources to immediately take on the complicated issue.