May 27, 2023

Neighbors, 

I hope you take the time to observe Memorial Day this weekend and reflect on the brave men and women who gave their lives to protect our freedom. I look forward to honoring them with the American Legion Post 176 on Monday.

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and my family and I are enjoying longer days and the return of baseball! 


I recently got to see the West Springfield Little League 1A Orioles play their last regular season game — I was honored to sponsor them this season! ⚾️

In this newsletter, I’ve included information about the following:


  • Elections Update

  • Attack at Congressman Connolly’s District Office

  • Community Updates

    • Silverbrook Elementary 

    • Capital Area Food Bank

    • Braddock District Council

    • Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

    • Eagle Fest

    • UNITE HERE Local 25

  • AAPI Heritage Month Celebrations

    • Roundtable with Ambassador Tai and Congressman Beyer

    • Eden Center Tour with Senator Kaine

    • Fairfax County Celebration

    • SEIU 512 Celebration

    • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia

  • Transportation Updates

  • WMATA Bus Feedback

  • Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail 

  • Richmond Highway Speed Limit Change


As always, let me know if you have questions or need assistance by calling my office at (804) 698-1042 or emailing me at DelKTran@house.virginia.gov. 


Best, Kathy


Kathy KL Tran

Delegate


Elections Update


As a reminder, early voting is now open for the June 20 primary elections. You can vote at the following times and locations until June 17. For more details, click here.


Fairfax County Government Center, Conference Rooms 2 and 3

12000 Government Center Pkwy, Fairfax, VA 22035

Weekdays: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Two Saturdays (June 10, June 17): 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


Mt. Vernon Governmental Center

2511 Parkers Lane Alexandria, 22306

Weekdays: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Two Saturdays (June 10, June 17): 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


North County Governmental Center

1801 Cameron Glen Drive Reston, 20190

Weekdays: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Two Saturdays (June 10, June 17): 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.


The primary elections will be held under new district lines as part of our decennial redistricting. 


You can see which new House of Delegates and state Senate districts you reside in on the General Assembly’s website. Just input your address, click “find now,” and then “**NEW IN 2024.” Sample ballots for the primary elections are available; you can look for the sample ballot for your polling location at this link.


Attack at Congressman Connolly’s District Office

On May 15, an individual armed with a baseball bat attacked members of Congressman Gerry Connolly’s staff at his district office. My staff and I work closely with Congressman Connolly’s staff to serve our mutual constituents. They are dedicated public servants and always go above and beyond to help.


There is no place in our society for violence. Full stop. My thoughts are with Congressman Connolly’s staff as they recover from this senseless act of violence.


Community Updates

Silverbrook Elementary 

Congratulations to Silverbrook Elementary School! It was wonderful to join the Seahawks to present a resolution commending them on being a Purple Star School and thanking them for all they do to support the educational and social-emotional needs of their nearly 200 military-connected students.

Capital Area Food Bank

I was so pleased to join Capital Area Food Bank for the groundbreaking of their new distribution center in Lorton. Last year, the Bank provided 17 million meals to neighbors in Northern Virginia. Now, its capacity has doubled — this is an important step to help address food insecurity in our region.

Braddock District Council

Thank you to the Braddock District Council and Supervisor James Walkinshaw for having me at the Council’s quarterly meeting. I appreciated the opportunity to share a legislative update and hear about the Council’s priorities.

Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated

Congratulations to the Fairfax County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated on its 30th anniversary! I joined Senator George Barker at their celebration to present commendations from the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate recognizing their service, social action, and advocacy. 

Eagle Fest

My family and I had a wonderful time celebrating the 25th Annual Eagle Fest at Mason Neck State Park! Senator Scott Surovell and I presented a commendation to the Mason Neck Friends Association thanking them for organizing this festival, which features live wildlife, hands-on educational opportunities, and outdoor recreational and educational activities.

UNITE HERE Local 25

I joined UNITE HERE Local 25 and NoVA Labor Federation on the picket line at the Intercontinental Hotel at the Wharf after IHG Hotels announced they would oust award-winning Vietnamese American Chef Kevin Tien’s restaurant Moon Rabbit during Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month — rather than give workers a seat at the table. A third of the affected workers live in Virginia.

AAPI Heritage Month Celebrations

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month. As chair of the General Assembly’s legislative AAPI Caucus, I have been busy celebrating and uplifting AAPI heritage across our district and county.

Roundtable with Ambassador Tai and Congressman Beyer

I was honored to join Ambassador Katherine Thai, the United States Trade Representative, Congressman Don Beyer, Falls Church Vice Mayor Letty Hardy, New Virginia Majority’s ACE Collaborative, SEIU 512, Viet Place Collaborative, and other leaders to talk about our collective efforts to uplift Virginia’s growing AAPI community.

Eden Center Tour with Senator Kaine

I joined United States Senator Tim Kaine on a tour of Eden Center in Falls Church. The Eden Center is the heart of Vietnamese American commerce on the East Coast and a hub for the AAPI community in Virginia.

Fairfax County Celebration

I was glad to join my fellow Chairman Jeff McKay, Senator George Barker, Senator Dave Marsden, and other Fairfax residents for the County’s AAPI Heritage Month Celebration.

SEIU 512 Celebration

It was a joy to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with SEIU Virginia 512 and talk with members how building a strong community and economy starts with ensuring that working people, including AAPI people, have a seat at the table.

Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia

I was honored to join the Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Virginia for a discussion about contributions, achievements, and experiences of AAPI judges and lawmakers.

Transportation Updates

WMATA Bus Feedback


Metro is looking for your feedback on their new draft bus network. They are considering an overhaul of the bus routes and schedules to make the network faster, more frequent, and more reliable. You can find out more information about the new draft network on their website.

Mount Vernon Memorial Highway Trail Completed

[Photo from the Connection Newspaper]


I enjoyed participating in a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the Mount Vernon Highway Trail Project. This trail completes the NoVA Loop Trail, a 68 mile paved loop connecting communities in Northern Virginia — Can’t wait to check it out with my family!

Richmond Highway Speed Limit Change

After completing a speed study, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) recently changed the speed limit on Richmond Highway (Route 1) between Jeff Todd Way and the southern border of Alexandria. The speed limit on this stretch of road will now be 35mph. You can find out more information about the speed change on VDOT’s website.