Summary
Adapted from the Washington Post:
The GOP primary to decide who will challenge Rep. Elaine Luria (D) in the military heavy 2nd District was won by Scott Taylor. Taylor, a former congressman, who lost the Virginia Beach seat to Luria in the 2018 blue wave, defeated two Republican opponents, paving the way for a rematch in November.
An uptick in anti-Trump sentiment, and a scandal over fraudulent signatures that his campaign collected to help a potential spoiler candidate get on the ballot, sunk Taylor’s campaign against Luria two years ago, analysts say.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report considers the general election a toss-up.
OnAir Post: US House District 2 – VA 2020
News
Vox, – November 10, 2020
In 2018, Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Elaine Luria (VA-02), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), and Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) flipped Republican-held districts running on their national security records and moderate bona fides. Now, all five of them have been reelected to Congress.
Luria, Slotkin, and Spanberger were in seats Cook Political Report rated as “toss-ups” two years ago, but this year their districts were uniformly rated “Lean Democratic.” In 2018, Houlahan and Sherrill were in seats rated Likely and Lean Democratic, respectively but this year didn’t face competitive challenges — Cook Political Report didn’t even include them in its list of competitive races.
But as returns came in, it became clear that district-level polls may not have accurately captured voter sentiment. As David Wasserman wrote last week: “The suburban anti-Trump revolt that took 2018 by storm didn’t extend to 2020. Most Republican incumbents in white-collar suburbs didn’t just survive, they thrived — running well ahead of President Trump down-ballot.”
Youtube – November 4, 2020 (13:38)
Freshman Democratic U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria has held on to her seat in a Virginia congressional district that includes suburban and rural areas and the world’s largest naval base.
The former U.S. Navy commander defeated Republican Scott Taylor in Tuesday’s election. Taylor is a former Navy SEAL who represented the district for one term before Luria defeated him in 2018.
The race was competitive: The district was drawn by Republicans and supported President Donald Trump in 2016.
10 Wavy, – November 2, 2020
The final push is on to get out the vote in the 2nd Congressional District race in Virginia, and it played out for Democrats at the Ocean View Beach Park Monday.
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Virginia), U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott, and U.S. Rep. Elaine Luria joined about 35 of the Democratic faithful in Norfolk.
In the COVID-19 campaign mode, all three posed for pictures elbow to elbow, and the unified message for them the current occupant of the White House needs to be replaced.
“It’s like this psychic heaviness on all of our shoulders. Think how good we are going to feel Wednesday morning when finally, the country can breathe again,” Warner said to an “Amen” from the crowd and lots of clapping.
WAVY, – October 21, 2020
With less than two weeks to go before Election Day, both major Democratic nominees on the ticket in Virginia’s Second Congressional District, Congresswoman Elaine Luria and presidential candidate Joe Biden, are up in the polls among registered voters.
A poll by the Wason Center for Public Policy at Christopher Newport University released Wednesday shows Luria, the incumbent, is up 50%-43% against former Rep. Scott Taylor (R), who Luria defeated in 2018. The candidates squared off Tuesday night in the first of two debates this week. The Hampton Roads Chamber is hosting a 2nd District Congressional Debate on October 22.
CNBC, – October 23, 2020
A bitter election in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District over a crucial House seat is boiling down to which of two Navy veterans better represents a historically Republican region that now finds itself increasingly drawn toward Democrats.
The contest, as muddy as its Tidewater setting, pits incumbent Democrat Elaine Luria against a familiar rival: GOP challenger and former Rep. Scott Taylor.
13 News Now, – October 22, 2020
It took less than ten minutes before things got a little testy between Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va., 2nd District) and Republican challenger, former congressman Scott Taylor.
Taylor launched the first salvo, criticizing the fact that Luria, as part of her personal portfolio, has an undisclosed amount of money invested in a Chinese firm.
“I don’t even understand how, especially right now, how a U.S. congresswoman would invest in Chinese manufacturing,” he said. “Because, when it comes time to place your own personal bet on manufacturing, you bet on China.”
Luria responded: “I don’t think we came here to talk about personal finances. But, if you want to talk about personal finances, if you want to talk about your bankruptcy, about your millions of dollars on judgements, about your failure to pay your property taxes on time, we can do that.”
Elaine Luria
Current Position: US Representative since 2019
Affiliation: Democrat
Candidate: 2020 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.”
For more information, go to the Elaine Luria post
Scott Taylor
Current Position: Security consultant
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2020 US Representative for US House District 2
Former Position(s): US Representative for US House District 2 from 2017 – 2019
Scott was sworn in to the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 2nd district in January of 2017 and became the first freshman member from Virginia to ever be appointed to the Appropriations Committee for a full term. His legislative accomplishments included a law to bring accountability at the most senior levels to the department of Department of Veterans Affairs and the Ashanti Alert Act, a national alert for missing adults. He was instrumental in securing hundreds of millions of dollars for his district and state for military construction and infrastructure projects. further, his appropriations amendments helping to protect military base access roads from flooding and/or sea level rise and his amendment to allow inter-agency cooperation on public-private partnerships at rural military installations were signed into law.
For more information, go to the Scott Taylor post.
