When Jen Kiggans decided to run for Virginia’s state Senate in 2019, she cited Elaine Luria as her inspiration. That was odd enough — Luria’s a Democrat while Kiggans is a Republican. But things got stranger still just three years later, when Kiggans decided to run for Congress … against her political muse, Luria.
Kiggans edged out Luria in what might be the most swinging district in the country, an area around Virginia’s Hampton Roads. Like her role-model-turned-rival, Kiggans is a Navy vet in an area full of them, thanks to nearby Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval base. Between flying military helicopters and writing laws, Kiggans was a stay-at-home mom and geriatric nurse.
Kiggans spoke to Roll Call about her career jumps, EPCOT’s accuracy, and how she intends to buck recent trends in Virginia’s 2nd District and win reelection.
