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Jen Kiggans | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Elaine Luria |
| Member of the Virginia Senate from the 7th district | |
| In office January 8, 2020 – November 15, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Wagner |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Rouse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jennifer Ann Moore June 18, 1971 Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Steve Kiggans |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Boston University (BA) Old Dominion University (BSN) Vanderbilt University (MSN) |
| Website | House website |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1993–2003 |
| Unit | Naval Aviator |
| Battles/wars | Gulf War Kosovo War |
Jennifer Ann Kiggans (née Moore;[1] born June 18, 1971) is an American politician and nurse practitioner serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 2nd congressional district. A Republican, Kiggans is a former United States Navy helicopter pilot.[2] She defeated incumbent Elaine Luria in the 2022 election.[3]
Kiggans was born in Tampa, Florida, and graduated from high school in Orlando, Florida.[4] As a high school student, she worked at Walt Disney World.[5] She is an alumna of Boston University.[6] In 1993 and 1994, she taught English in Japan through the JET Programme.[7] She also lived in Japan as a Navy spouse for five years.[5]
Kiggans joined the United States Navy in 1993[8] and was a Navy pilot for ten years, flying H-46 and H-3 helicopters.[9]
After serving in the military, Kiggans attended nursing school at Old Dominion University and Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is an adult geriatric nurse practitioner at Eastern Virginia Medical School and in private practice.[10]
In 2019, Kiggans ran for the Virginia Senate for the 7th district, which was being vacated by Republican incumbent Frank Wagner. In the Republican Party primary, Kiggans defeated Virginia Beach School Board member Carolyn Weems, 52% to 48%.[11]
In the general election, Kiggans faced Democratic state Delegate Cheryl Turpin. The race was viewed as competitive, as the district had very narrowly favored Democrats in recent statewide elections.[12][13] Kiggans and Turpin each spent over $500,000 on television advertisements.[14] Kiggans won, 50.4% to 49.5%.[15]
The Washington Post reported that "Her record didn't always fit neatly along a party line." She voted to expand nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people and for environmental protection measures.
In 2022, Kiggans introduced a bill to prohibit transgender girls from playing girls' sports and voted for an audit of the 2020 election.[16]
Kiggans was the Republican nominee for Virginia's 2nd congressional district in the 2022 election.[17] She narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria in the November 2022 general election, 51% to 48%.
Kiggans ran for re-election in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.[18] Her district was considered relatively competitive, and the Cook Political Report rated her district as "lean Republican."[19] Kiggans defeated Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal to retain her position.[20]
According to The Washington Post, Kiggans "has never beat a 'stolen election' drum", but has hesitated to acknowledge Joe Biden as a legitimate president.[21] She called for a forensic audit of Virginia's 2020 presidential election results; a previous audit of those results found no evidence of fraud.[22] She has said that she does not believe the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago was justified.[21]
Kiggans supports banning abortions after fifteen weeks of pregnancy, except for in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.[23] In June 2022, she expressed support for the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overruled Roe v. Wade.[24]
Kiggans opposes cuts to funding in the Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and supports improving military housing which she has described as, "in disrepair and unlivable".[25]
On December 1, 2023, Kiggans voted to expel Representative George Santos, and was the only Republican from Virginia to vote in favor the resolution.[26]
Kiggans is a lifelong Catholic. She is married to Steve Kiggans, a retired Navy F-18 pilot. They have four children.[5]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jen Kiggans | 153,323 | 51.63 | |
| Democratic | Elaine Luria (incumbent) | 143,204 | 48.22 | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 449 | 0.15 | |
| Total votes | 296,976 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jen Kiggans (incumbent) | 201,023 | 51.04 | |
| Democratic | Missy Cotter Smasal | 184,174 | 46.76 | |
| Independent | Rob Reid | 8,676 | 2.20 | |
| Total votes | 393,873 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
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