Former Navy Commander Elaine Luria beat three other challengers in the Democratic primary for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.
Luria is the former representative for the district. She held the seat for two terms before she lost in the 2022 midterm elections, when Republicans took over the U.S. House of Representatives.
Luria will go against U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, who she lost to in 2022. Both are Navy veterans. Luria served as a naval officer for 20 years and Kiggans is a former Navy helicopter pilot.
The district has one of the highest concentrations of veterans of any congressional district in the country. It is also home to Joint Base Little Creek-Fort Story. Defense and veterans issues are expected to be a topic for both campaigns.
Kiggans serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the Veterans Affairs Committee. Luria served on the same committees during her time in Congress.
The Luria campaign has already tried to tie Kiggans to the Trump administration and the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) cuts to the federal civilian workforce, which have had an outsized impact on Virginia.
Virginia’s 2nd District is traditionally a swing district, with Luria losing in 2022 after participating in the House’s January 6 Committee. In 2026, the Cook Political Report lists the seat as leaning Democratic. The district is almost evenly divided among Democrats and Republicans.
Luria received 80 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary over Nila Devanath, Bill Fleming and Patrick B. Mosolf.
The district runs through the Eastern Shore through Virginia Beach and Suffolk, and includes parts of Chesapeake.
