RICHMOND, Va. (AP) 鈥� Democratic U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria and her GOP challenger, Jen Kiggans, tangled over federal spending, the economy and abortion restrictions during a combative debate Wednesday, as the two Navy veterans sought to present themselves as the best equipped to represent Virginia鈥檚 military-heavy 2nd Congressional District.
Kiggans, a state senator, nurse practitioner and former Navy helicopter pilot, is trying to block Luria, a retired naval commander, from a third term representing the highly competitive district that could help determine party control of the U.S. House in .
In sometimes-fiery exchanges, the candidates offered vastly different perspectives on the state of America's economy and the other's record during the approximately hour-and-a-half debate hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber at an oceanfront hotel.
Luria called Kiggans 鈥渁n election denier鈥� who is 鈥渘ot fit to serve鈥� because she has repeatedly refused to say plainly that President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Kiggans has answered questions on the topic 鈥� including during an interview with The Associated Press 鈥� by simply acknowledging Biden resides in the White House; she declined to answer questions about the 2020 election in a brief exchange with reporters after the debate.
Kiggans said Luria campaigns as a moderate but is actually unwilling to buck Biden or congressional leadership. She said 鈥渄anger and insanity鈥� in the halls of the Democrat-controlled Congress and what she cast as out-of-control spending have led to an economy 鈥渋n shambles" and contributed to .
鈥淭his November will be a referendum on what I consider to be failed economic policies from the Joe Biden administration,鈥� she said.
When asked how they would rate the health of the U.S. economy on a scale of one to 10, Kiggans responded with a rating of one or 鈥渕aybe a half.鈥� Luria offered 鈥漚bout a six."
Luria, who referred to her opponent throughout the debate as 鈥淢rs. Kiggans鈥� rather than by her elected title, said Biden administration policies like its version of the and the helped the economy, and especially small businesses, stay afloat and recover from the pandemic.
The candidates were also asked about abortion policy in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court that overturned Roe v. Wade, constitutional protections for abortion.
Luria said she wants to codify Roe's protections at the federal level and generally supports Virginia law, which allows the procedure during the first and second trimesters and has limits during the third trimester. She argued that limiting abortion would have negative economic impacts by turning away businesses that support abortion rights.
Kiggans called herself a 鈥減ro-life" candidate who supports exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or when the life of the mother is at risk. She said the issue should be left to the states to settle, a position Luria called unreasonable given that legislation has been proposed .
The debate ended with a question about America's divided political climate and what the candidates would do to address it.
Kiggans criticized by Biden, in which the president warned that the 鈥渆xtreme ideology鈥� of former President Donald Trump and his adherents 鈥渢hreatens the very foundation of our republic." In her answer, Kiggans called the Jan. 6 insurrection a 鈥渄ark day鈥� but did not mention Trump or his about widespread fraud in the election.
Luria, of the Jan. 6 committee investigating , said with her voice rising that Trump's rhetoric had led to a 鈥渃lear and present danger in this country."
鈥淚 am not your candidate if you think the election was stolen," she said, calling Kiggans an 鈥渆lection denier.鈥�
The candidates found a handful of points of agreement, including on encouraging vaccinations against COVID-19, boosting defense spending and working to improve care for veterans' mental health.
The 2nd district covers much of Virginia鈥檚 coast, including the Eastern Shore and the state's most populous city 鈥� Virginia Beach. Although it no longer includes Norfolk, home to the world鈥檚 largest naval station, many veterans reside in the district. Luria flipped the district blue under its previous lines; under its new boundaries, GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin would have won it by more than 11 points last year, according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report considers the race a toss-up.
Millions of dollars have been raised and spent already on the race, including over $11.6 million on political ads, according to disclosures compiled by Kantar Media and by VPAP.
Luria, who served as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer, has cultivated as a centrist since flipping the district blue under its previous lines in 2018. She serves as vice chair of the House Armed Services Committee.
Kiggans, who has represented parts of Virginia Beach and Norfolk in the state Senate since 2020, three opponents in the June primary. Kiggans has struggled to overcome Luria's sizeable fundraising lead. Luria did not face a primary challenger.
The two candidates have agreed also to a candidate forum Oct. 17 in Smithfield and a televised debate Oct. 25, according to Luria's communications director, Jayce Genco.
All of Virginia's 11 U.S. House seats, which were during the once-a-decade redistricting process, are being contested in November. Along with the 2nd District, the 7th and 10th Districts in northern Virginia are considered the most competitive.
Early voting began in late September and runs through Nov. 5. Election Day is Nov. 8.
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This story has been updated to correct the wording of one Luria quote.
Sarah Rankin, The Associated Press
