# Jen Kiggans ## Summary U.S. Representative from Virginia's 2nd Congressional District (Virginia Beach, Eastern Shore, parts of Chesapeake, Hampton Roads) since January 2023. **Sophomore Republican**. Navy veteran, nurse practitioner. Flipped VA-02 in 2022; reelected 2024 with **~50.7%**, roughly 4 points over Missy Cotter Smasal. Trump-endorsed **2025-05-08**. An early and visible DOGE proponent in 2025; the program's November 2025 disbandment and Virginia's ~23,500 civilian federal-job losses through November 2025 have become her biggest 2026 vulnerability. Named to Appropriations. ## Career highlights - [[U.S. Navy]] officer (two decades) - Nurse practitioner - Virginia State Senate before U.S. House - 2022: flipped VA-02 (post-2022 redistricting map) - 2024 reelection: ~50.7% vs. Missy Cotter Smasal (~45.7%), ~4 pt margin - 2025-05-08: Trump endorsement - February 2025: vocal DOGE supporter / advocate - December 2025: Virginia Mercury describes her as facing "one of the most precarious political balancing acts in the country" as DOGE backfires - November 2025: DOGE officially disbanded ## Congressional profile Sophomore Republican. Navy veteran; nurse practitioner. [[House Appropriations Committee]]. Championed DOGE early in 2025. Facing a weakened position as federal-workforce cuts hit Hampton Roads harder than almost any other GOP district in the country. ## 2026 race See [[VA-02-2026]]. **Cook / Sabato: Leans D. Inside Elections: Tilt D. All three raters shifted same-day (2026-04-21)** after Virginia voters approved a Democratic-drawn redistricting referendum. A Virginia court temporarily blocked map certification 2026-04-22; question now before Virginia Supreme Court. Primary moved to **2026-08-04** via HB 29. Q1 2026: $861K raised. Likely Democratic opponent: former Rep. **Elaine Luria** (2019–2023, Navy vet), who posted **$1.75M Q1 / $2M+ COH** — outraised Kiggans ~2:1. R primary includes William Matthews (low profile). ## Related KB entities - [[VA-02-2026]] — her 2026 race - [[Donald Trump]] — endorser (May 2025) - TBD: [[Elaine Luria]] — likely 2026 D opponent, former VA-02 rep - TBD: [[DOGE Ecosystem]] — signature policy, disbanded November 2025 ## Sources - [Wikipedia — Jen Kiggans](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Kiggans) - [Ballotpedia — Jen Kiggans](https://ballotpedia.org/Jen_Kiggans) - [NRCC — Trump endorses Kiggans (2025-05-08)](https://www.nrcc.org/2025/05/08/president-trump-endorses-representative-jen-kiggans-for-re-election/) - [Virginia Mercury — Musk's DOGE doubts spotlight Kiggans risk (2025-12-17)](https://virginiamercury.com/2025/12/17/musks-doubts-about-doge-spotlight-political-risks-for-u-s-rep-jen-kiggans/) - [VPM — DOGE cuts wipe out years of VA federal job gains (2026-01-20)](https://www.vpm.org/news/2026-01-20/trump-doge-federal-civilian-job-cuts-layoffs-danville-goodyear)