Kiggans, Luria to duke it out in rematch for battleground Virginia House seat

Campaign Kiggans, Luria to duke it out in rematch for battleground Virginia House seat Comments: by Sarah Davis - 08/04/26 7:19 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 08/04/26 7:19 PM ET Comments: Link copied

NOW PLAYING

Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) and her predecessor, former Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), will face off in the November election to represent the state’s 2nd Congressional District.

Since Kiggans unseated Luria in 2022, she has supported President Trump’s key policy objectives during her time in the House, including the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility America Act.

The November House race is considered a tossup, according to the Cook Political Report. Trump won the district by less than a percentage point over former Vice President Harris in the 2024 presidential election, while Virginia’s Democratic governor, Abigail Spanberger, carried the district by eight points in 2025.

Kiggans, a retired U.S. Navy helicoper pilot who previously served in the state Senate, is running for reelection on promises to focus on lowering the cost of living, grow employment opportunities and safeguard national security, according to her campaign website.

During her four years in Congress, Luria served as one of the original members on a House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She is also a Navy veteran and has been a vocal critic on the campaign trail of the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran war.

The Democrat told NBC News in announcing her run last fall that the “chaos” of politics motivated her to join the race.

“I’ve watched the chaos here in Washington — really, it’s a do-nothing Republican Congress, and they haven’t even been to work for about 50 days,” Luria told the outlet. “I said to myself, this is the time for me to continue to serve in that capacity and go back to being representative for Virginia’s 2nd District again.”

The former naval commander bested a field of Democratic candidates, including a physician, a former USAID official and the state’s soil and water commissioner in Virginia’s primary race.

Virginia’s 2nd District encompasses the Virginia Beach area, and it represents one of the largest military populations in the country.

Add as preferred source on Google Tags Abigail Spanberger Donald Trump Elaine Luria Jen Kiggans Kamala Harris

Comments: Link copied