Seat. Secured. Thank you for continuing to Aim High, Virginia Beach. #AimHighVB #HD97

Over the past week, I had the opportunity to visit various schools across HD97 to recognize just a few of the 2026 Teachers of the Year with House Commending Resolutions. Congratulations to Kelly Kilbourne (Windsor Oaks Elementary), Michele Wolford (Larkspur Middle), Mary Froelich (Kempsville Meadows Elementary), Helen Costulis (Fairfield Elementary), and William H. Johnson III (Kempsville Middle). Thank you for everything you do for our students, and thank you to all the hardworking staff in Virginia Beach Public Schools for another great school year!

In 2024, I was proud to lead the passage of the Made in Virginia Act, legislation that gives Virginia businesses a fair opportunity to compete for government contracts and helps keep more taxpayer dollars supporting jobs and economic growth here in the Commonwealth. As the Commonwealth continues to compete for manufacturing investment, we should build on the success of the Made in Virginia Act to support Virginia-made products, strengthen supply chains, and create more good-paying jobs.

I just finished joining my colleagues and community leaders today for the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of the Virginia Black Chamber of Commerce's new headquarters in Fredericksburg. As Vice Chair of the Virginia Minority Business Commission and a former small business owner, it's so great to see the continued growth of an organization that helps entrepreneurs and small businesses succeed across Virginia. Congratulations on this exciting milestone and the launch of 360Forward!

I started the day off in Richmond with my colleagues at the Virginia Manufacturing Development Commission to discuss policies that support Virginia’s manufacturing base. My Offshore Wind Workforce Development Act was highlighted, as well as my 2024 bill, the Made in Virginia Act, which supports businesses that manufacture products here in the Commonwealth.

Congratulations to the members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Lambda Gamma Omega Chapter, on celebrating 50 years of service, leadership, and impact in Virginia Beach. Tonight at their 50th Anniversary Gala, we presented a resolution commending the chapter for five decades of strengthening our community through scholarship, service, and advocacy. Thank you for your continued commitment to uplifting others and building a stronger Virginia Beach. 🤙

Rural hospitals are closing across Virginia. Patients are driving hours for emergency care. Communities are losing their only doctors. And Trump only cares about the size of a decorative pool.

Dawann always reminded us that while the work we do is important and the problems difficult, we should have fun doing it, and do it in style. He was instrumental in so many races here in the 757. His ability to connect with people, to put you in rooms with community leaders, and to do it with a big smile on his face was incredible. At such a young age, he provided me with advice and friendship during some of the most difficult times of my life. I'm now able to serve the community I love because of the behind-the-scenes work he did to help me get elected, and he did this for so many of us in Virginia Beach and around the area. From the first time I met him as an intern working for Alex, and from seeing him rise through the ranks, I saw his hustle and determination. I know God always has a plan, but when you lose someone this young to cancer, it's hard not to ask why. To the freshest to ever do it, Rest In Power, Dawann Steagall Jr.

Yesterday, we gathered for the 5/31 Remembrance Ceremony and the unveiling of the permanent memorial honoring the 12 lives lost in the Virginia Beach Municipal Center tragedy. The memorial's thoughtful use of water, trees, and stone tells a powerful story of loss, healing, resilience, and hope. As we remember those taken from us, we stand with their families, survivors, and all those whose lives were forever changed. #VBStrong

I started today off with our Chesapeake neighbors and community leaders at Delegate Cliff Hayes' Annual Pancake Breakfast event, a great tradition that brings community partners from across the region together. We also had the opportunity to present House commending and memorial resolutions recognizing several individuals whose contributions have made a lasting impact on Hampton Roads.

When asked, I was happy to volunteer and help co-lead the Mayor’s Task Force for a Safer Virginia Beach with Senator Christie Craig. As a member of the House Public Safety Committee and a longtime Virginia Beach resident, I believe we must continue building data-driven, evidence-based solutions that keep ALL of Virginia Beach safe, from our neighborhoods and business corridors to the oceanfront. My efforts on this task force are working to ensure Virginia Beach remains the safest city of its size in America while continuing to move our city forward.

Thanks to the Virginia NAACP for inviting me to participate in their Virginia Housing Justice Conference to discuss the work Virginia is doing to tackle housing affordability. We did a lot of great work this past legislative session, from tenant protections to housing on faith-based properties, but there is much more work to be done because housing stability impacts every part of our lives.

On this Memorial Day, we gathered near the Tidewater Veterans Memorial in Virginia Beach to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation. Memorial Day is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom and to remember those who have served and are no longer with us. Thank you to the City of Virginia Beach, the Mayor’s Committee for Veterans, keynote speaker, USAF Brig. General Catherine Jumper and all of the organizers, veterans, military families, and community members who came together to continue this important tradition to remember the legacy and sacrifice of our heroes.

Today, my office attended the groundbreaking for the Dry Dock 3 renovation at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Led by NAVFAC Atlantic and MEB General Contractors, these upgrades strengthen Hampton Roads shipbuilding and support the world’s most powerful Navy.

This is vile and dangerous. It’s not just Islamophobic rhetoric; it’s a call to expel American citizens & target a specific faith community. We have seen where this kind of dehumanizing language leads before, and we cannot be silent now. America was founded on religious freedom, not hate.

Virginia House Democrats celebrate the Asian American and Pacific Islander leaders who are shaping our Commonwealth. The seven sitting AAPI House Democrats are writing history in real time. Current AAPI House Democrats include the first Chinese American, Sikh, Vietnamese, Korean-American woman, Filipino-American woman, and Asian-American women to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates. Their fight for representation and dedication to Virginians is instrumental to building a better Commonwealth.

I'm proud to celebrate the ceremonial signing of HB1334, Va National Guard Cybersecurity Support Act, into law. As a retired Air Force veteran, IT professional, and cybersecurity professor, it was important to me to bring my military, technology, and cyber experience into legislation that strengthens Virginia. HB1334 ensures the Governor can deploy Virginia National Guard cyber operators to help respond to cyber incidents and assist localities in protecting critical infrastructure and securing networks before attacks happen.

We did it again! "Flex" with the VSU Class of 2026. Even @SpanbergerForVA got her GREATER@VSU.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026 at @VSU_1882! You have bright futures ahead of you, Trojans.

Congratulations to the @VSU_1882 2026 Graduates! Proud to be on campus this evening to address graduating Trojans on these sacred grounds. My grandfather Hilary and my grandmother Corrine met here at VSU, and it remains a special place for my family and me. Greater Happens Here!

Thank you to Black BRAND for hosting this year’s Inside Politics Forum: What’s at Stake, to discuss legislation impacting Virginia’s business community. It was valuable hearing directly from business owners about the challenges they face navigating local and state procurement systems and discussing ways Virginia can continue investing in small business growth.