Welcome to Notes from the Square, a roundup of state politics and policy news. Each week, we bring you updates on the movers and shakers in Virginia politics as well as the legislation they’re supporting or opposing — with a Southwest and Southside Virginia focus.
Got a tip or story idea? Email me at elizabeth@cardinalnews.org.
Spanberger overseas: The governor’s trade mission to the UK, Italy and France
Gov. Abigail Spanberger concluded the first leg of her first economic trade mission as the commonwealth’s chief executive on Tuesday, after four days in the United Kingdom.
Spanberger and her delegation met with more than 30 companies in the aerospace, aviation, defense, biopharmaceutical, agriculture and forestry industries over the course of those four days.
The governor, along with Secretary of Commerce and Trade Carrie Chenery and Virginia Economic Development Partnership leaders, met executives from around the world at the Farnborough International Airshow to explore opportunities for new and expanded investment in Virginia’s aerospace, aviation and defense sectors, Spanberger’s office said.
The next leg of the trade mission includes Italy and France, where the Virginia delegation is slated to meet with senior business executives in industries including aerospace and defense, advanced manufacturing, agriculture and forestry, food and beverage manufacturing, energy and biopharmaceutical manufacturing.
“These industries are experiencing notable growth, and it’s important that Virginia be aggressive in securing these jobs and fostering continued innovation,” Spanberger said in a statement. “Just as importantly, agriculture, forestry, and aquaculture are vital Virginia industries, and this trade mission provided unique opportunities to build on important trade relationships.”
Earle-Sears hits the campaign trail?
Former Republican gubernatorial candidate and lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears announced that she plans to hit the road this fall to campaign against two constitutional amendments that will be on the ballot in November.
HJ 1/SJ 1 guarantees access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion, and HJ 3/SJ 3 protects same sex marriage.
Her announcement came in the form of a fundraising email to supporters from her political action committee. Dates and locations of the tour have not yet been announced.
She previewed the upcoming campaign tour in an article published Tuesday on the conservative news outlet Daily Signal. Earle-Sears’ chief of staff did not return calls or emails from Cardinal News regarding the tour.
Earle-Sears lost her bid for governor to Spanberger by a 15.360-point margin in November.
$1.3 million to Tazewell County for Hurricane Helene relief
The office of U.S. Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, announced Monday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded nearly $1.3 million in Hurricane Helene-related grants to Tazewell County.
That includes:
- $715,795 for Bluefield University to lead interior and exterior site repairs,
- $429,270 for the Virginia Department of Transportation to repair damaged guard rails and culverts in Tazewell County, and
- $143,118 for the town of Richlands to deliver an improved access route to the local community.
The nearly $1.3 million is the latest in federal funding to be allocated to help Southwest Virginia recover from the September 2024 storm. The region was also slated to receive from the feds:
- $46.67 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced in January 2025;
- Nearly $6 million in a separate grant for Washington County water line repairs, announced in April 2025;
- More than $4.2 million for a Wytheville wastewater treatment system, announced in January;
- More than $8.6 million for water line repair, announced in February;
- More than $1.7 million for bridge repair, announced in April;
- More than $2.8 million for road repair, announced in June;
- More than $9.3 million for waterline repairs and $1.2 million in bridge repairs, announced in July; and
- $7.3 million for the repair or replacement of damaged homes for low- and moderate-income households in Giles and Washington counties and $322,712 for a water treatment facility generator in the town of Fries, in Grayson County, announced in July.
2 Southwest Virginia residents named in Spanberger’s latest round of board appointments
Spanberger included two residents of Southwest Virginia among a slew of new board appointments that her office announced on Monday.
Both were assigned to the governor’s Student Advisory Board:
- Vivienne Eaton of Salem High School, Salem City Schools
- Will Duncan of Patrick Henry High School, Washington County Public Schools
