Virginia's Luria, Kiggans clash in 2nd District debate
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — 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’s 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 next month's midterm elections.
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 “an election denier” who is “not fit to serve” because she has repeatedly refused to say plainly that President Joe Biden legitimately won the 2020 election. Kiggans has answered questions on the topic — including during an interview with The Associated Press — 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 “danger and insanity” in the halls of the Democrat-controlled Congress and what she cast as out-of-control spending have led to an economy “in shambles" and contributed to painfully high inflation.
“This November will be a referendum on what I consider to be failed economic policies from the Joe Biden administration,” she said.
When asked how they...