Virginia congressional race in closely watched swing district tied between Luria, Kiggans: poll

The Democratic and Republican candidates in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, one of the most competitive House races in the country, are in a dead heat, according to a Christopher Newport University Wason Center survey released Friday.

Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria and her Republican opponent State Sen. Jen Kiggans are tied 45% to 45% among likely voters in the district, according to the Wason Center poll. 

Approximately 8% of those surveyed in Virginia are undecided. The poll of 820 likely voters in the district has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points

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The Virginia 2nd Congressional Race has garnered notable interest with its unique pair of candidates — both Luria and Kiggans are military veterans.

Luria – who served two decades in the Navy, spending most of her time assigned to ships as she rose to the rank of commander – defeated GOP incumbent Rep. Scott Taylor in 2018, as part of the blue wave that led Democrats back to the House majority after eight years in the minority. 

And Luria, a moderate who’s known as a defense hawk, won re-election in 2020 in a rematch with Taylor.

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Kiggans, who served as a U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, has said she’s “ready to serve” again, in Congress. She won the Republican primary in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional district on June 21, securing her spot in the November midterms.

 

The Virginia Beach-anchored district currently includes parts of Norfolk and Hampton, as well as Williamsburg, Poquoson, and the state’s Eastern Shore. 

But redistricting has done Luria no favors as she seeks a third term in the House, taking away everything north of the James River while adding parts of Chesapeake, Suffolk and the Isle of Wright. 

Political experts say the moves favor Republicans.

Fox News’s Jessica Chasmar, Paul Steinhauser, and Aubrie Spady contributed to this report.