VIRGINIA BEACH (WAVY) — Virginia State Sen. Jen Kiggans will try to unseat Congresswoman Elaine Luria in the 2022 race for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.
Kiggans, a Republican and nurse practitioner, has represented part of Norfolk and Virginia Beach in the State Senate since January 2020.
If Kiggans wins the Republican nomination, that would set up another showdown between two former Navy service members.
Kiggans served as a helicopter pilot for 10 years in the Navy, while Luria served as a Navy officer for 20 years, operating on combat ships.
In her announcement video, Kiggans echoed messaging from statewide Republican candidates about “liberal, one-party rule” in Richmond and Washington and “cancel culture,” though didn’t include Luria.
Kiggans also focused on job creation, health care and education, and other traditional GOP issues such as her pro-life support and smaller government.
Luria is in her second term and is now the Vice Chair of the United States House Committee on Armed Services. She beat former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor in 2018 and 2020. The 2020 race was decided by just over 20,000 votes, 51.6% to 45.9%.
President Joe Biden won the district in 2020, 52% to 47%.
