Summary

Current Position: State Senator of District 7 since 2020
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2022 US Representative for District 2

OnAir Post: Jen Kiggans

Twitter

About

Jen Kiggans

Source: Campaign page

Jen Kiggans, former Navy pilot and nurse practitioner is running as a political outsider for Virginia’s 7th Senate district seat. The seat is currently held by retiring Senator Frank Wagner and includes parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

Jen’s support has been overwhelming in the few short months since she began this journey and she looks forward to continuing to share her positive message with the voters of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.

After earning a degree from Boston University in International Relations, Jen stepped up to serve her country in the United States Navy. Jen served for ten years as a helicopter pilot flying H-46 and H-3 helicopters, completing two deployments to the Persian Gulf. Her husband is a retired F-18 pilot who retired after 20 years as a Naval aviator.

Jen is currently a board-certified Adult-Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner and graduate of Old Dominion University’s Nursing School and Vanderbilt University’s Nurse Practitioner program. When she is not at EVMS, she serves as a primary care provider for a small private practice. Jen is a passionate advocate for accessibility and affordability of mental health care and mental health screening.

Jen is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Virginia Geriatrics Society, American Nurses Association, and the American Legion. She is a recipient of the Boston University Scarlet Key Award for exceptional leadership and is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.As an everyday citizen who is frustrated with the present political climate, Jen is running for the State Senate because she knows Virginia can do better than the current status quo. If elected, Jen will be a strong voice for Virginia’s veterans and the hardworking taxpayers of the 7th district. She will be a leader on the issues of job creation, keeping healthcare costs down, and limiting government spending. Jen believes politics is about public service rather than serving one’s self, and would be honored to have your support this November.

 

Experience

Work Experience

Education

Awards

  • Boston University Scarlet Key Award for exceptional leadership (None)

Contact

Legislative Aide: Joe Link

Offices

Jen for Virginia
4734 PRINCESS ANNE ROAD
VIRGINIA BEACH, VA 23462
Phone: (757) 990-3080

Richmond office
Phone: (804) 698-7507

Web

Campaign Site, YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia

Politics

Source: none

Recent Elections

2019

Jen A. Kiggans (R)29,58950.36%
Cheryl B. Turpin (D)29,07449.48%
Write-in (Write-in)91.15%
TOTAL58,754

Finances

KIGGANS, JEN A has run in 1 race for public office, winning 1 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $1,494,557.

Source: Follow the Money

Voting Record

See: Vote Smart

Issues

Source: Campaign page

“The liberal, one-party rule in Washington is destroying what makes
America the greatest nation on earth. Our values, our economy,
and our families are all under attack by big government. I have the
courage to fight back — and I will make sure Virginians get the results they deserve.”

Democracy & Governance

SECURING OUR ELECTIONS
One of the first nursing rules is when the patient tells you they are in pain, you have to believe them. Clearly, our nation is hurting — Americans on both sides of the aisle have openly challenged the security and integrity of our elections, and they have completely lost faith in their elected officials to fix it.

In the State Senate, Jen has prioritized election reforms to ensure every legal vote counts and every voter has complete faith in the outcomes of our elections. She has patroned bills to ensure the accuracy of our voter rolls by comparing the Office of Vital Records lists with the Department of Elections lists with more frequency. Visiting her local Voter Registrar and keeping in close contact with their office through the election cycle is a priority for Jen. She will continue to lead the fight for election reforms in Congress by fighting to stop voting irregularities, maintain a photo ID requirement, prevent ballot harvesting, and ensure all state election officials — not just in battleground states — can keep our process secure and transparent.

Economy & Jobs

GROWING JOBS & THE ECONOMY
As our nation and our economy continues to recover from COVID-19, Jen will focus on pro-growth policies that empower small businesses to do what they do best — create jobs, expand, and bolster our economy. She will stand up to Democrats who want to continue disincentivizing Americans to return to work and help industries critical to Virginia’s economic success hire new workers. She will fight to keep the regulatory burden low and the government out of the day-to-day operations of our businesses.

Jen also knows how important it is to keep taxes low for businesses and working families, which is why she will fight to make permanent critical tax provisions in the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Provisions such as keeping the corporate tax rate low to encourage investments in the U.S., increasing the Child Tax Credit, and lowering individual income tax rates.

Jen believes in fiscal responsibility. She was taught by her parents to pay her bills on time and to not spend more than she had in the bank. She knows that her children and her grandchildren will be responsible for the reckless spending of the current administration. She is opposed to the seemingly endless spending of trillions of dollars by the Democrats without consideration of the national debt or the taxpayers who foot the bill.

CUTTING INFLATION & THE COST OF LIVING
Joe Biden’s big-government agenda, trillion dollar spending policies, and ongoing refusal to prioritize our economic recovery has caused inflation and the cost of living to skyrocket. In January 2022, inflation soared past 7%…the highest since 1982!

For Virginians, this means paying more for gas, groceries, meals, cars, houses, building materials, and everything in between. Inflation is also wiping out wage increases for Americans (including our active duty military) who are still struggling to make ends meet from the COVID pandemic. Business owners are unable to pay higher wages, American workers are unable to save for their future, all while our economy spirals into collapse.

In Congress, Jen will do what Joe Biden and House Democrats have failed to do — prioritize cutting inflation and lowering the cost of living for the American people. That means reducing federal spending — not adding trillions of dollars in spending on socialist spending bills — cutting taxes, reducing regulations on small businesses, and stopping the Democrats’ radical spending priorities at all costs.

Environment & Energy

Health & Education

REFORMING HEALTHCARE
As a Primary Care Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, healthcare affordability and accessibility is one of the top priorities for Jen. She believes all people should have the opportunity to receive quality primary care to maintain overall good physical and mental health. Patients who are engaged in their primary healthcare live well, suffer less chronic conditions, and save healthcare costs overall. Jen believes people with pre-existing conditions and those most vulnerable among us should be afforded quality healthcare and their caregivers supported. She believes that competition between insurance companies and cost transparency are two of the best ways to keep overall healthcare costs down.

With her experience in long term care, home healthcare, nursing home care, and hospice care, Jen understands the need for comprehensive care for our older adult population. After watching the devastation that occurred in our nation’s nursing homes, Jen has been advocating for improved staffing at our facilities in addition to preventing the isolation that patients and caregivers experienced during COVID. She patroned multiple bills that ensured patients would not be isolated from loved ones nor spiritual advisors during future pandemics. A top priority in her healthcare advocacy work is mental health and accessibility. In her first legislative session, Jen introduced bills to screen for depression in emergency rooms as well as provide a continuum of care for individuals who have had an inpatient psychiatric stay. While there is still work to be done, Jen will continue to lead the fight for mental health care. Jen has been an advocate for school nurses and continues to work to have a school nurse in every school in Virginia. She knows school nurses are an invaluable way to provide health education and health screenings to children who might not otherwise have access to care. Perhaps most important is Jen’s legislative work for healthcare providers. She is a staunch advocate for workforce shortages in nursing and other allied health professions. As a healthcare provider, she consistently uses her background to provide insight and awareness of the needs of healthcare providers as an essential part of providing comprehensive and quality care for people of all ages.

PROTECTING MEDICARE & SOCIAL SECURITY
As a Geriatric Nurse Practitioner, Jen has been a champion for the greatest generation and worked tirelessly to deliver the best quality of care possible for our seniors. Jen will remain a fierce advocate for seniors in Congress by fighting to protect and preserve Medicare and Social Security from being dismantled by Democrats.

Jen will also bolster Medicare advantage, expand access to telehealth services, help provide more affordable drug plan options for seniors, and aim to lower the costs of Part B premiums. Coastal Virginians Medicare recipients can rest assured, Jen will be their biggest champion in Washington.

IMPROVING EDUCATION & OUR SCHOOLS
Every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, deserves a high-quality education. In Congress, Jen will prioritize putting students at the focus of our education system and equip our teachers with the tools and resources they need in the classroom to improve outcomes for our children and the next generation. In addition, she will aim to keep big government out of the way of education and empower local teachers and parents to determine the best and most effective way to teach our children. Jen stands against policies that divide our children and will stand up to Democrats who want to keep our students out of the classroom or force our children to learn Critical Race Theory that segregates students into groups based on race and skin color, making unity impossible. She has been a staunch advocate for school choice and prioritizes teaching our children “how to think” and not “what to think” in addition to focusing on basic education components of reading, writing, math, and life skills.

Human Rights

PROTECTING THE SANCTITY OF LIFE
Jen will focus on supporting and improving foster care, adoption, and family support services. For women, Jen has supported expanding access to birth control and contraception. Furthermore Jen will ensure that mothers have access to the highest quality of care and the resources they need to choose life. Jen has been a champion for the unborn and a lifelong defender of our pro-life values as a mother, nurse practitioner, and State Senator. In the Legislature, Jen has stood up against Democrats’ attempts to expand abortion access which force taxpayers to foot the bill for late term elective abortions in the Commonwealth.

DEFENDING THE SECOND AMENDMENT
Jen is a staunch defender of the Second Amendment who will never compromise our right to bear arms. Despite Democrat attempts in the State Senate to curtail our Second Amendment rights, Jen never backed down and voted 100% of the time to protect Virgian’s right to bear arms.

In Congress, Jen will continue to stand up for our Second Amendment rights and support policies that make it easier – not harder – for law-abiding Virginians to protect themselves and their families.

Public Safety

STOPPING THE CRISIS AT OUR BORDER
Joe Biden and his Administration’s reckless open-border rhetoric and policies have led to a dire public health, security, and humanitarian crisis at the U.S. – Mexico border. Given the Biden Administration and the Democrats’ failure to address the situation, Jen will prioritize border security and ensure that federal immigration officials have the funding, training, and resources they need to stop the influx of drugs, crime, and violence into our country.

To effectively combat illegal immigration, Jen will support policies that uphold federal immigration law, defund sanctuary cities, and hold politicians accountable if they refuse to comply with federal immigration officials.

LAW ENFORCEMENT & PUBLIC SAFETY
Jen knows our courageous first responders are heroes and deserve our respect. They put their lives on the line each and every day to keep our families and our communities safe. In the State Senate, Jen has fought tirelessly for our police, firefighters, EMS, and correctional officers to ensure they are fully funded, well-trained, and equipped with the best possible technology and resources necessary to stop crime, provide care, and keep Virginia Beach safe.

Jen has seen first-hand the agenda that is being pushed on the other side of the aisle and it will result in an already demoralized workforce being depleted further. Jen has spoken out against ending qualified immunity, taking tactical resources away from police, and limiting their ability to productively do their job. Additionally, Jen will fight for victims’ rights and will continue to advocate for victims and their families.

In Congress, Jen’s support for law enforcement and our first responders will remain strong. She will always fight back against Democrats’ efforts to defund or abolish our police departments and will never support any legislation that weakens law enforcement in Virginia or makes it harder for our police officers to do their job. Jen will maintain an open line of communication with our first responders across Coastal Virginia as well as our community leaders to facilitate conversations on how best to work together to protect our citizens and promote safety among our communities.

PRIORITIZING NATIONAL SECURITY
Jen served for ten years in the U.S. Navy, completing two deployments to the Persian Gulf as an H-46 and H-3 helicopter pilot. Her father served as a Green Beret in the Army during the Vietnam War, and she has a son at the US Naval Academy. She knows the importance of a well-funded military and strong national defense and will work tirelessly in Congress to ensure our active duty military men and women have the full support of the federal government.

That means securing critical funding for military bases and installations, never voting for defense cuts, and always advocating for military families. Additionally, Jen will focus on policies that ensure American military forces are equipped with the technology and training needed to combat the growing and complex national security challenges around the world. She will hold the Biden Administration and Democrats in Washington accountable for their failures to confront terrorist threats from ISIS, the Taliban, and Al Qaeda and from nuclear threats like North Korea, Iran, China, and Russia that consistently threaten our homeland, our allies, and the American people.

DELIVERING FOR VETERANS
As a 10-year Navy veteran and wife to a retired F-18 Navy pilot, Jen knows how important it is for our veterans to get the care and benefits they earned. She also knows the unique challenges veterans face as it relates to employment and education, which is why she has fought for critical investments into resources that will better the lives of all our heroes. As a State Senator, Jen has been a staunch advocate for military spouses and is the proud patron of a bill signed into law which creates a “Military Spouse Liaison” position within the Virginia Department of Veteran Services. She has been a strong voice for finding innovative ways to encourage veterans to stay in Virginia after their time in service has ended, including reducing taxes on military retirement pay, offering workforce opportunities that translate from military service, and easing the certification process for veterans and their spouses to allow them to enter the local workforce easier.

In Congress, Jen will continue fighting our veterans. She will support policies that allow for more job and career training opportunities for veterans and implement long-overdue reforms to our broken VA so our veterans and their families can get the care they need, when they need it.

HOLDING CHINA ACCOUNTABLE
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Xi Jinping are committing mass genocide, silencing freedom, stealing American jobs and intellectual property, and lying about the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak that has led to the death of hundreds of thousands of Americans. Jen knows we cannot trust China or any politician that puts the interests of the CCP ahead of the American people.

In Congress, Jen will fight for policies that hold the CCP accountable for the COVID-19 outbreak, including implementing new economic sanctions against the CCP, the WHO, or any international organization that has aided in the COVID-19 coverup. Additionally, Jen will prioritize protecting American jobs and intellectual property from being stolen by the CCP to ensure China never dictates America’s future and we remain a leader on the world stage. She believes America must be much less dependent on China for manufacturing of our goods, medications, and technology.

See Also

Google Search

Jen Kiggans politician

More Web Links

Vote Smart

Ballotpedia

Wikipedia

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 and was re-elected in 2024.[3][4]

Early life and career

Kiggans was born in Tampa, Florida, and graduated from high school in Orlando, Florida.[5] As a high school student, she worked at Walt Disney World.[6] She is an alumna of Boston University.[7] In 1993 and 1994, she taught English in Japan through the JET Programme.[8] She also lived in Japan as a Navy spouse for five years.[6]

Kiggans joined the United States Navy in 1993[9] and was a Navy pilot for ten years, flying H-46 and H-3 helicopters.[10]

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.[11]

Early political career

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%.[12]

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.[13][14] Kiggans and Turpin each spent over $500,000 on television advertisements.[15] Kiggans won, 50.4% to 49.5%.[16]

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.[17]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia § District 2

Kiggans was the Republican nominee for Virginia’s 2nd congressional district in the 2022 election.[18] She narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria in the November 2022 general election, 51% to 48%.

2024

Kiggans (center) with Governor Glenn Youngkin and Speaker Mike Johnson the night before the 2024 elections

Kiggans ran for re-election in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.[19] Her district was considered relatively competitive, and the Cook Political Report rated her district as “lean Republican.”[20] Kiggans defeated Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal to retain her position.[21]

Political positions

2020 presidential election

According to The Washington Post, Kiggans “has never beat a ‘stolen election’ drum”, but has hesitated to acknowledge Joe Biden as a legitimate president.[22] She called for a forensic audit of Virginia’s 2020 presidential election results; a previous audit of those results found no evidence of fraud.[23] She has said that she does not believe the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago was justified.[22]

Abortion

Kiggans supports banning abortions after fifteen weeks of pregnancy, except for in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.[24] 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.[25]

Veteran’s issues

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”.[26]

George Santos

On December 1, 2023, Kiggans voted to expel Representative George Santos, and was the only Republican from Virginia to vote in favor the resolution.[27]

Caucus memberships

Personal life

Kiggans is a lifelong Catholic. She is married to Steve Kiggans, a retired Navy F-18 pilot. They have four children.[6]

Electoral history

Virginia’s 2nd congressional district general election results, 2022[29]
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanJen Kiggans 153,323 51.63
DemocraticElaine Luria (incumbent)143,20448.22
N/AWrite-ins4490.15
Total votes296,976 100.0
Republican gain from Democratic
Virginia’s 2nd congressional district general election results, 2024
PartyCandidateVotes%
RepublicanJen Kiggans (incumbent) 201,023 51.04
DemocraticMissy Cotter Smasal184,17446.76
IndependentRob Reid8,6762.20
Total votes393,873 100.0
Republican hold

References

  1. ^ “About”. Jen Kiggans for Congress.
  2. ^ Saksa, Jim (July 6, 2023). “Being a lawmaker is the latest leap for career-hopping Kiggans”. Roll Call. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  3. ^ “Republican Jen Kiggans flips Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District seat”. WRIC-TV. November 9, 2022. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  4. ^ “Unofficial results: Jen Kiggans wins re-election in 2nd Congressional District”. VPM. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
  5. ^ Vozzella, Laura (December 27, 2019). “Virginia Senate gains two political outsiders and friends”. The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Hall, Matt (November 3, 2019). “Interview: Veteran Jen Kiggans Runs for 7th State Senate District”. Bearing Drift. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  7. ^ “Alum a New US Congresswoman | BU Today”. Boston University. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  8. ^ “Jennifer Kiggans’ Biography”. Vote Smart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Russell, Charlie (March 26, 2024). “Congresswoman Kiggans keynotes E.S. Christian Businessmen Prayer Breakfast”. Shore Daily News. Retrieved September 11, 2024.
  10. ^ Mitchell, Lynn (April 1, 2019). “Veteran Navy Pilot Jen Kiggans Enters Race for 7th Senate District”. Bearing Drift. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  11. ^ Albiges, Marie (June 3, 2020). “School board member, Navy pilot face off in Virginia Beach Senate GOP primary”. The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  12. ^ “2019 Senate of Virginia Republican Primary – District 7”. Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Oliver, Ned (September 4, 2019). “Cheat sheet: The House and Senate races most likely to decide control of Virginia’s statehouse”. Virginia Mercury. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  14. ^ “Open Seat Profile – SD7”. Virginia Public Access Project. October 17, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  15. ^ O’Keefe, Jimmy (October 24, 2019). “Va. Senate Candidates Ramp Up Attack Ads Ahead Of Election Day”. WHSV-TV. Capital News Service. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  16. ^ “2019 November General – Member Senate of Virginia (007)”. Virginia State Board of Elections. November 10, 2019. Archived from the original on September 13, 2020. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  17. ^ Flynn, Megan (September 11, 2022). “Ad attacks leave Kiggans trying to reclaim image: ‘I’m not an extremist’“. Washington Post.
  18. ^ Flynn, Meagan (April 12, 2021). “GOP state senator seeks to challenge Luria for Virginia congressional seat”. Washington Post.
  19. ^ “Jen Kiggans for Congress”. January 2, 2024. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  20. ^ “2024 CPR House Race Ratings-The Cook Political Report”. January 2, 2024.
  21. ^ “AP Race Call: Republican Jen Kiggans wins reelection to U.S. House in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District”. Wavy. November 6, 2024. {{cite news}}: |archive-url= requires |archive-date= (help)
  22. ^ a b “Ad attacks leave Kiggans trying to reclaim image: ‘I’m not an extremist’“. Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved September 18, 2022.
  23. ^ “Trump’s influence casts shadow in the Virginia 2nd District race”. Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  24. ^ “Hampton Roads could help decide control of the House of Representatives”. VPM.org. October 24, 2022. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
  25. ^ “Luria, Kiggans react to Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade”. 13newsnow. June 24, 2022. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  26. ^ “Freshman GOP lawmaker sounds alarm about dilapidated military housing in district”.
  27. ^ “Who voted to expel George Santos? Here’s the count on the House expulsion resolution – CBS News”. www.cbsnews.com. December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 3, 2023.
  28. ^ “Candidates”. RMSP PAC. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
  29. ^ “2022 November General”. November 8, 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2022.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by

 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia’s 2nd congressional district
2023–present		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by

 United States representatives by seniority
388th		Succeeded by


source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jen_Kiggans