Democratic-Backed Candidates Win Virginia Beach School Board
Four candidates endorsed by the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee won seats in the November 2026 school board election.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Administration
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Four candidates supported by the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee won seats on the 11-member Virginia Beach School Board in the November 2026 election. The results will give the board a seven-member majority supported by the city's Democratic committee when new members are sworn in during January 2027.
Why it matters
School board races in Virginia Beach are nonpartisan, but candidates are endorsed by the city's Republican and Democratic parties, and this result shifts the board's balance of power. The change follows a period in which the board's conservative-leaning majority had evolved since 2022.
Unofficial results show four Democratic Committee-backed candidates won seats, bringing the number of such members on the 11-member board to seven, up from three elected in 2024. The margin in Weems's race was 105 votes, and Berman is considering a recount, so final totals have not been certified.
The players
Virginia Beach Democratic Committee
The local Democratic Party committee in Virginia Beach that endorses candidates for city and school board races.
Virginia Beach School Board
The 11-member elected body that sets policy and oversees the public school system in Virginia Beach.
Kathleen Brown
The school board chair who was defeated in the November 2026 election after joining the board in 2022.
Betty Spencer
A school board candidate who defeated chair Kathleen Brown in the November 2026 election.
The details
Michael Callan, David Culpepper and Kim Melnyk did not seek re-election. Antionette Kahan and Natalie Bray won Callan's and Culpepper's seats, Zach Taylor won Melnyk's seat, and Betty Spencer defeated chair Kathleen Brown. Alveta Green won re-election, and candidates were endorsed by both the Democratic Committee and the teachers' union.
Timeline
2022: Kathleen Brown joined the board as the conservative-leaning majority evolved.
2024: Three current members were elected with Democratic Committee endorsements.
November 3, 2026: The school board election was held.
January 2027: New board members are sworn in and the new majority takes seats.
Season Trajectory
The result builds on the three Democratic Committee-endorsed members elected in 2024, extending that pattern to a seven-member board majority. It marks a notable shift in the board's composition heading into 2027.
Virginia Beach families will see a board whose majority is now supported by the city's Democratic committee when the new members take office in January 2027. Policy decisions on school operations will be made by this new majority, so residents interested in board votes should track the January 2027 meetings.
The takeaway
Voters in Virginia Beach shifted the school board's balance this cycle, so residents who want to influence decisions should follow board meetings starting in January 2027. Checking the final certified results after any recount will confirm the new majority.
What happens next
New board members will be sworn in January 2027, when the seven-member Democratic-supported majority takes its seats. Berman's possible recount could still alter the Weems result before final certification.
Further reading
For more on how local education leadership is organized, see Administration coverage on Virginia Beach school governance.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WHRO Public Media.
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