City of Virginia Beach

United States Democratic Senator Tim Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012. He served as Virginia’s governor from 2006 until 2010. Prior to that, he was the lieutenant governor. Additionally, Senator Kaine served as Richmond’s mayor from 1998 until 2001 and City Council District 2 representative from 1994 until 2001. In 2016, Hilary Clinton announced Senator Kaine as her running mate in her bid for the presidency. He is married to Anne Holton, former Virginia Secretary of Education. 

On the Issues 
⭐ Champions reproductive rights and access to abortion 
⭐ Was a deciding vote to protect the Affordable Care Act
⭐ Advocated for quality public education since his time in Virginia local and state politics
⭐ Helped pass the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act
⭐ Strong supporter of DACA
⭐ Passed his EMBRACE Act to improve climate resiliency at military facilities
⭐ Supports Equality Act
⭐ Popularly known as America’s Dad

The Opposition
Senator Kaine is facing a challenge from Republican candidate Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain. Cao unsuccessfully ran for Virginia’s Congressional District 10 seat against former Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton in 2022. Cao is anti-abortion, regularly uses anti-immigrant rhetoric, and boldly supports former president Donald Trump. 🤬

Recommendation (Note: Not an endorsement!)
Because of his decades-long proven track record of being a champion for the people, Senator Tim Kaine is the progressive candidate in this race. 
 

Virginia’s 2nd district includes 6 counties and parts of Southampton county and Chesapeake City. With a population of 780,161, this district leans Republican.

This election will be held on November 5, 2024. 

Jen Franklin has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about her on her website here. 

Jen Franklin has called Hampton Roads home since 1989. She came here with the military but stayed because of her love for Virginia Beach and its community. Having worked for many years as a single mom, she understands the rigors of balancing work, raising kids, and supporting the teachers that work with our children every day. Jen has served on the Virginia Beach School Board since 2021. Her passion for supporting the division started over 25 years ago. She worked with the schools through the PTSA, and she spent the last four years of her involvement with PTSA on the Kempsville High School board serving as President. For over 20 years, she served as a Naval Reservist (retired), Small Business Owner, Fitness Instructor, Coach/Trainer, and Career Mortgage Banker in the Hampton Roads area. Born in Korea and then adopted into a hard-working family in Pennsylvania, Jennifer has a great appreciation for everything that this country offers and the opportunities it holds. She never takes that for granted and will work hard to continue to make positive strides on the School Board. She looks at every issue with a thoughtful perspective and stays focused on the solutions needed to create an environment where all students can thrive and school employees can feel supported.

She lives in the Kempsville area with her husband, Rob. Their three children all attended K-12 in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools division. Jen and Rob feel that all their children thrived in the environment of VBCPS. She looks forward to the opportunity to continue to give back to her great community.
 

Melinda Josa Rogers has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about her on their website here.  

Melinda’s connection to Virginia Beach began in 2016 when her husband, Josh, secured a position with Armada Hoffler in Town Center. A dedicated family woman, Melinda and Josh are proud parents to three children: Alex (17), enrolled in the Visual Performing Arts Academy at Salem High School; Lilly (14), a student at Kellam High School; and Jacob (12), attending Princess Anne Middle School.

Beyond their roles as parents, the family actively engages in community service. They have contributed to cleanup initiatives with “Lynnhaven Now” and frequently participate in the Walk for Alzheimer’s, demonstrating a commitment to both environmental and health-related causes. Melinda extends her service to the local school division, taking on leadership roles such as President of the Band Boosters for Salem High School and involvement with the Friends of the Academy (FOTA) at Salem. Through these volunteer efforts, Melinda and her family embody a commitment to community well-being and actively contribute to the enrichment of educational and civic life in Virginia Beach.
 

Matthew Cummings has earned the endorsement of our education partners at The Virginia Voter Guide, which we have included below. You can also learn more about him on their website here.  

Matt Cummings is a proud parent of two children in the Virginia Beach Public School System—one attending Salem Middle School and the other enrolled in the Global Language Academy at Tallwood. With over 13 years of experience in education, Matt is running for the Virginia Beach District Seven School Board. His career includes three years teaching ESL in Shanghai, China, five years working in higher education with college access programs, and five years as a Vice President, where he scaled a vocational training program that provided certifications in Cybersecurity, UX Design, and Software Engineering to retail workers, distribution center employees, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Matt's platform emphasizes the need for advocating for recruitment and retention of our educators and support staff, strong student outcomes, safe learning environments, robust support for music and arts education, expanded vocational training opportunities, enhanced dual-credit partnerships, and a strong commitment to equity and justice within the school system. Through Matt’s professional experiences, he has expertise in student interventions, operations, data analytics, and equity-driven leadership make him a compelling candidate with the vision and experience to make a significant impact on the school board. Matt has been married for 19 years and currently resides in the Salem Woods neighborhood of Virginia Beach
with his two kids and three dogs.