Summary
Current Position: US Representative since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2021 US Representative
“Today, too many Americans are working hard and getting less. That’s because politicians in Washington aren’t looking out for them. That’s why I am running for Congress.
The core values of Security, Equality, and Prosperity will serve as my compass in representing the 2nd District.”
About
Source: Campaign page
Elaine Luria served her country in uniform for 20 years with the philosophy: Be Good. Do Good Work. Elaine sees this simple, but powerful message lacking in Washington today.
When her peers were heading off to college, Elaine was compelled to be part of something bigger than herself and joined the Navy at 17—so she could give back and help build a safer, stronger, and fairer society for this generation and the next.
On her first day in uniform, she was inspired by the Naval Academy’s Mission, to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government. Elaine served for 20 years as a Surface Warfare Officer and nuclear engineer deploying six times—twice forward-deployed on ships stationed in Japan—conducting operations in the Middle East and Western Pacific on destroyers, cruisers, and aircraft carriers.
Whether it was enforcing sanctions by boarding Iraqi oil smugglers in the Arabian Gulf, launching jets off the deck of the aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean to simultaneously strike terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan, operating complex nuclear reactors, as second in command of a guided missile cruiser, or in command of a combat-ready unit of 400 sailors, providing assault craft to support the U.S. Marine Corps: Elaine never let politics get in the way of doing what was right and getting the job done.
While Elaine’s service to our country was coming to an end – she officially retired from the Navy on June 1, 2017 – she was inspired to help the community that she and her family call home.
That’s why she started a family business, Mermaid Factory, that began as a block of clay on her kitchen table. Since then, Mermaid Factory has created ten jobs in the community, has donated over fifty thousand dollars of our proceeds to charity, and infused more than a quarter of a million tax dollars into our economy. Over 50,000 people have experienced Mermaid Factory– by spending time with family or friends, expressing their creativity, and taking home a souvenir of Hampton Roads’ iconic mermaid and dolphin symbols. Mermaid Factory continues to manufacture our products locally and give back to organizations in the community that support youth and the arts.
In Congress, Elaine will use her experience in the Navy and as a small-business owner to protect our country and create an economy that works for everyone – not just those at the top. Her 20-year Navy career makes her the clear choice to represent this military-rich district with the world’s largest navy base and among the highest concentration of veterans, including the largest number of female veterans nationwide. Through her experience as an entrepreneur, she can relate to the challenges and potential of small businesses and their impact on the community. And, as a mother, she will fight to ensure a brighter future for every child.
To help the families, seniors, and businesses of Hampton Roads, we need leaders with real-world experience. We need leaders who know what it means to serve, have overcome obstacles, faced adversity and became stronger because of it.
Experience
Work Experience
- Surface Warfare Officer and nuclear engineer
Navy - Family business
Mermaid Factory
2017
Contact
Email:
Offices
Washington, DC Office
534 Cannon HOB
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4215
Eastern Shore Office
25020 Shore Parkway
Suite 1B
Onley, VA 23418
Phone: (757) 364-7631
Virginia Beach Office
283 Constitution Drive
One Columbus Center, Suite 900
Virginia Beach, VA 23462
Phone: 757) 364-7650
Fax: 757) 687-8298
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Facebook, Twitter, Government Page
Twitter
Politics
Recent Elections
2018 US Representative
| Elaine Luria (D) | 139,571 | 51.05% |
| Scott W. Taylor (R) | 133,458 | 48.81% |
| Write In (Write-in) | 371 |
| TOTAL | 273,400 | |
Source: Campaign
Finances
LURIA, ELAINE has run in 1 race for public office, winning 1 of them. The candidate has raised a total of$4,241,568.
Source: Follow the Money
Committees
Committees
House Armed Services Committee
Vice Chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee
House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
Chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee
Appointments
Caucuses
Bipartisan Task Force Combatting Anti-Semitism
Chesapeake Bay Task Force
Congressional Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus
Congressional Military Veteran Caucus
Congressional PFAS Task Force
Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus
Congressional Small Business Caucus
Congressional Solar Caucus
For Country Caucus
Gun Safety Task Force
House Oceans Caucus
LGBT Equality Caucus
National Guard and Reserve Components Caucus
New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition Climate Change Task Force (Co-Chair)
Problem Solvers Caucus
Servicewomen & Women Veterans Congressional Caucus
U.S.-Philippines Friendship Caucus
Women Veterans Task Force
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
Issues
Governance
Congress
August 9, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) this week joined 47 members of Congress to call on House and Senate leadership to take immediate action to address the rising threat of white supremacist terrorism.
August 8, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Two months after a mass shooting killed 12 in Virginia Beach and days after 31 died in weekend shootings in El Paso and Dayton, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) this week urged the Senate to reconvene and pass commonsense gun safety legislation passed by the House in February.
July 31, 2019 Press Release
WILLIAMSBURG – To celebrate the birth of representative democracy in America, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) on Tuesday spoke at the Forum on the Future of Representative Democracy. Text of Congresswoman Luria’s remarks are below, and photos from the evening are attached to this email.
Good evening! It’s my pleasure to join in welcoming you to the Forum on the Future of Representative Democracy. My name is Elaine Luria and I have the pleasure of representing Williamsburg in the U.S. Congress.
July 31, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate last night passed legislation mirroring Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s House-passed bill to name a Virginia Beach post office after Ryan “Keith” Cox, a hero of the May 31 mass shooting.
Cox was one of 12 people killed in the shooting, the worst in America so far this year. He sacrificed his own life to save others during the shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center.
July 26, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria this week voted to pass the bipartisan Stopping Bad Robocalls Act, a bill she cosponsored to bring necessary relief to Americans threatened and irritated by abusive robocall practices.
July 18, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) and Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) praised the House Foreign Affairs Committee for unanimously passing a bipartisan resolution opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, calling it a key step in voicing congressional support for Israel.
July 17, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Weeks after tragedy struck Virginia Beach, the House today passed Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s (VA-02) bipartisan bill that would name a city post office in honor of Ryan “Keith” Cox, a hero who died while protecting others.
Cox was one of 12 people killed in the May 31 mass shooting, the worst in America so far this year.
July 16, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced the House will vote this week on a bipartisan bill that would name a Virginia Beach post office in honor of Ryan “Keith” Cox.
July 15, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – A strong advocate of the U.S.-Israel alliance, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced House passage of a bipartisan amendment as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would require an investigation of Hezbollah’s influence on the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF).
June 25, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced House passage of more than $2 billion in funding she requested for important NASA priorities, including a critical project at NASA Langley Research Center that would improve climate modeling abilities and better predict flooding and other damaging weather events in military and coastal communities.
Economy
Economy
July 25, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today voted in support of a bipartisan budget agreement that would permanently end the threat of sequestration, protect the full faith and credit of the United States, and promote military readiness in Hampton Roads and beyond.
July 18, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today voted for the Raise the Wage Act, keeping her promise to stand up for Coastal Virginia’s working families.
Sponsored and introduced by Congressman Bobby Scott (VA-03), the Raise the Wage Act (H.R. 582) would increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 over a six-year period.
May 1, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today pushed the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to consider projects important to Virginia’s Second Congressional District as the panel develops its legislative agenda.
March 27, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today joined a majority of the House in voting to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, a bill that promotes equity in America, closes unfair loopholes, and provides effective remedies for women who are not getting equal pay for equal work.
An original cosponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act, Congresswoman Luria cheered the bill’s House passage and urged the Senate to follow suit.
March 14, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced she is an original cosponsor of bipartisan legislation that would increase accountability and oversight over private contractor-provided housing for military families, which have suffered from serious health, safety, and environmental problems.
Education
Education
August 14, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced that her office will host its first annual Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Second Congressional District.
The Congressional App Challenge is a competition for middle and high school students to develop original apps and to encourage students to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), along with computer science.
July 2, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02), the Chair of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, and Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today introduced a bill to expand the availability of in-state tuition rates to student veterans regardless of when they were discharged from the military.
June 19, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced House passage of nearly $13 billion in funding she requested for important health, labor, and education priorities, including increased funding for the Head Start program and career and technical education.
Environment
Energy and Environment
More on Energy and Environment
August 1, 2019 Press Release
VIRGINIA BEACH – Highlighting one of the most pressing environmental issues facing coastal communities, Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) on Wednesday participated in a town hall to discuss her strong opposition to offshore drilling.
July 22, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced the House of Representatives approved her amendment as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would compel the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on how the Department of Defense (DoD) can enter into more energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs).
June 27, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) this week secured language in a House-passed funding bill directing the Department of Defense (DoD) and other agencies to prioritize important issues related to military readiness, renewable energy, and veteran assistance.
June 26, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today spoke on the House Floor and commended the passage of House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr.’s (NJ-06) amendment to prohibit federal spending to advance oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic Ocean. Congresswoman Luria cosponsored the Pallone amendment.
June 25, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced House passage of more than $2 billion in funding she requested for important NASA priorities, including a critical project at NASA Langley Research Center that would improve climate modeling abilities and better predict flooding and other damaging weather events in military and coastal communities.
June 25, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced House passage of $110 million in funding she requested for important environmental priorities, including $85 million for the EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program – a $12 million increase over the last fiscal year.
June 18, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced the introduction of the Nuclear Energy Leadership Act, a bipartisan bill that would encourage further development of advanced nuclear energy programs. Such programs are poised to create high-quality jobs, strengthen national security, reduce foreign energy dependence, and promote emissions-free energy.
May 1, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today pushed the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure to consider projects important to Virginia’s Second Congressional District as the panel develops its legislative agenda.
March 15, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – This week, members of the House Armed Services Committee held a hearing on the impacts of climate change on military installations and operational readiness.
The hearing, titled “Ensuring Resiliency of Military Installations and Operations in Response to Climate Change,” convened expert witnesses to provide testimony on the immediate and long-term effects climate change will have on the military.
March 7, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced that she is leading bipartisan House legislation that would fully fund the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Chesapeake Bay Program for the next five years, ensuring that states get the resources they need to comply with their obligations to protect and preserve the Bay.
Health Care
Access to quality and affordable health care is essential to a good life in America. In that spirit, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded access to health insurance to more Americans than ever and helped millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions rest assured they could no longer be denied health care coverage. Nearly a decade later, Virginia went a step further and expanded Medicaid, insuring an additional 400,000 Virginians.
We still have more work to do. During my time in Congress, I have spoken out against efforts that would take health care away from Americans and their families.
I will continue to work to improve health care access and affordability and strengthen the ACA to ensure all Americans have access to affordable health coverage.
Veterans
Veterans
August 6, 2019 Press Release
VIRGINIA BEACH – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today spoke at the grand opening of the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at The Up Center, giving remarks on the importance of caring for our veterans and military families.
Text of Congresswoman Luria’s remarks are below, and a photograph from the event is attached.
July 29, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced the House of Representatives approved a pair of her amendments as part of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help servicemembers and their families.
These include an amendment to ensure that the men and women who educate the children of military families are not subject to unfair taxation and another to encourage continued research that is occurring within the Navy’s Wound Care Research Program.
July 23, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – The House today passed a bipartisan bill that includes Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s provision to ensure blinded veterans receive housing accommodations they need to live independently.
July 13, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – This week, the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs unanimously adopted an amendment introduced by Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) to ensure that blind veterans get the housing adaptations they need to live independently at home and with their families.
“Blind veterans sacrificed for America,” Congresswoman Luria said. “They deserve equal access to important opportunities for growth and independence, and I am honored to champion their cause. It’s great news that the Committee unanimously moved our amendment forward.”
July 2, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02), the Chair of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, and Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. (TN-01), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, today introduced a bill to expand the availability of in-state tuition rates to student veterans regardless of when they were discharged from the military.
June 27, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) this week secured language in a House-passed funding bill directing the Department of Defense (DoD) and other agencies to prioritize important issues related to military readiness, renewable energy, and veteran assistance.
June 21, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) Chairwoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) on Thursday led a legislative and oversight hearing to help ensure access to disability benefits for veteran survivors of military sexual trauma (MST).
The Subcommittee discussed H.R. 1092, the Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2019, a bill that would expand health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for MST.
May 23, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – In passing the SECURE Act today, the House pushed through a fix first introduced by Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) that would provide urgent relief to Gold Star Families impacted by the 2017 tax law that caused America’s most heroic families to see drastic tax increases.
May 23, 2019 Press Release
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Elaine Luria (VA-02) today announced that the number of service, veteran, and survivor organizations to offer their support for H.R. 2481, the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, climbed to 20. This is in addition to 155 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle and the formal endorsement of a bipartisan veterans caucus in Congress.
