Rematch Confirmed: Elaine Luria Wins Democratic Primary, Will Face Rep. Jen Kiggans in November

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Elaine Luria, a Navy veteran and two-term former congresswoman, won the Democratic primary for Virginia's Second Congressional District and will challenge incumbent Rep. Jen Kiggans in a November rematch.

Luria, who represented the Hampton Roads-centered district from 2019 to 2022, earned a majority of votes in the party primary on Tuesday. She lost the seat to Kiggans in 2022 by just over three percentage points after redistricting made the district more favorable to Republicans.

What Luria Says

At her watch party, Luria emphasized affordability, military family concerns and checks and balances as central issues in the upcoming campaign. "The message is clear that we have to have a strong candidate that can win this race and can send Jen Kiggans home," she told reporters.

"It's incredibly important that people across the district have a voice. I find many similarities between this time and 2018, but I find it even more urgent because we really have to put a check on what's happening. The checks and balances that our government is designed with, they're not working," Luria said.

She also pointed to the human cost of current international conflicts, saying roughly 20,000 people from Hampton Roads have either deployed or are currently deployed in support of the war, and argued voters need representation that will stand up for affordability and oversight of the federal administration.

Republican Response

After media projected Luria's primary victory, Rep. Jen Kiggans issued a sharply worded statement criticizing her former colleague. Kiggans accused Luria of using public office to enrich herself, alleging $21 million in stock trading while in Congress and quoting Luria as opposing restrictions on insider trading.

"The results of tonight's primary give voters a clear choice: a self-serving politician who used public office to enrich herself as a former member of Congress, or a current proven leader who brings people together and gets results for our military and families in Virginia's Second District," Kiggans said.

Kiggans framed her campaign around lowering costs and working across the aisle, and said she would continue campaigning to win support across the district.

Primary Challengers And Criticism

Luria defeated three primary challengers: Bill Fleming, Patrick Mosolf and Nila Devanath. Fleming is serving his second four-year term as Director of the Soil and Water Conservation District Virginia Dare; Mosolf and Devanath were political newcomers.

All three challengers criticized Luria for skipping multiple candidate forums, saying voters were denied opportunities to compare the full field. "She's been acting as if she doesn't have to run with any opponents," Fleming said, adding that voters deserved a chance to evaluate every candidate.

Support And Stakes

Former Virginia governor Ralph Northam spoke at Luria's watch party, urging voters to replace Kiggans and describing the contest as part of Democrats' broader effort to flip control of the U.S. House in November.

The rematch sets up a competitive general election in a district that has swung between parties in recent cycles. Both campaigns are expected to intensify outreach and fundraising as they head into the fall.