2nd District Candidate Elaine Luria (D)
Campaign Website: https://elaineforcongress.com/
Candidate Questionnaire from WHRO:
Where in Virginia do you live?
Norfolk, Va.
What is your current job? How would you describe your career?
I am a retired Navy surface nuclear officer. At 17 years old, I swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. For the next 20 years, I served on-board combatant ships in the U.S. Navy, deploying six times to the Middle East and Western Pacific supporting operations to defend American interests and allies, and deter foreign adversaries.
As my time in the Navy was coming to an end, I started a small business to help my local community. I saw that I could continue to serve the community and my country, so I ran for Congress in 2018. For the next four years, I served as the Representative for Virginia's Second Congressional District where I worked tirelessly to invest in our nation's military and care for our veterans, expand access to health care and cut prescription drug prices, and restore common sense to the halls of Congress.
List any college degrees or professional certifications you hold
Bachelor of Science in Physics and History, U.S. Naval Academy
Master of Science, Engineering Management, ODU
Have you served in an elected or appointed political office before? When, where and in what position?
U.S. House of Representatives, Virginia's 2nd District, 2019-2023
Please describe any ways you’ve used generative artificial intelligence in your campaign (to produce mailers, signs, develop a website, public statements, etc.)
AI has usefulness in nearly all professions, including on campaigns. It is critical that we strike a balance between the real assistance AI provides and ethical uses of this new technology.
My team has used AI to help produce graphics, conduct initial research, and for spelling and grammar assistance on written products.
What should constituents know about you?
I'm a black belt in Taekwondo, play guitar, and am fluent in French.
CONGRESS-LEVEL QUESTIONS
In a word or phrase, tell us: What do you think your race is about?
Ending the culture of corruption in Washington that allows politicians to use their offices for personal gain, that encourages them to vote in the best interest of their party bosses instead of the people they represent, and that leads them to support policies that raise prices for working families while padding the pockets of the wealthy and well-connected.
How should the federal government address the ongoing affordability challenges?
Donald Trump came into office on day one promising to end the affordability crisis plaguing our communities and our country. Instead, he and Jen Kiggans have done nothing but exacerbate it.
Whether it's slapping tariffs on our allies to send the cost of groceries, basic goods, and fertilizer skyrocketing, cutting $1 trillion from Medicaid and ending ACA (Affordable Care Act) premium subsidies to drive up the cost of health care, or starting an unnecessary and reckless foreign war to increase (the) cost of gas and diesel, everything Donald Trump touches becomes more expensive.
It's time Congress prioritized working people instead of the wealthy and well-connected. That means repealing billionaire tax cuts so we can restore funding for health care, ending the war in Iran to bring gas prices back down, and stopping the tariffs that have done nothing to help American producers but have done so much damage to the pocketbooks of American consumers.
What is one topic you think the current Congress has failed to address, and why?
The issue that this Congress has failed miserably to address is our spiraling and skyrocketing $40 trillion national debt. This Republican Congress and Donald Trump has continued to spend recklessly, driving the debt up nearly $4 trillion, without any regard for the consequences on the American people or the American economy.
Jen Kiggans, Mike Johnson, and the rest of the Republicans in Congress are simply unable to say no to Donald Trump and refuse to do anything but be a rubber stamp for him and his debt-spiking and damaging fiscal policies.
What do you see as Congress’ role in acting as a check and balance on the other branches of the federal government?
President Donald Trump's abuses of power in his second term are too numerous to name. Every week brings a new Watergate-like scandal. From taking away healthcare from hundreds of thousands of Americans to fund tax cuts for billionaires, to using taxpayer dollars to build himself a ballroom, to starting a war in Iran that has needlessly risked the lives of American service members and raised costs for American citizens, Donald Trump is using the presidency to serve himself and his friends not the American people.
What concerns me is that Republicans in Congress like Jen Kiggans have not been the check on this Administration that they need to be and have instead been a rubber stamp for Donald Trump's cuts to health care and culture of corruption. That's why the single most important thing we can do in order to reverse Republican policies that have raised prices on working families and put a check on Donald Trump and his Administration is to elect a Democratic majority in the House and Senate this November. Then, we can Right the Ship in Washington, conduct rigorous oversight, and begin to show the American people the damage they have done to our democracy.
What kinds of proposals should Congress consider as data centers become more common nationwide?
The influx of data centers across our Commonwealth and our country present a unique challenge.
I have been listening and have heard from Virginians who are concerned that data centers will raise already skyrocketing costs and disrupt their community. At the same time, the U.S. has a vested national security interest in ensuring we have the requisite facilities to compete technologically with China.
That's why I believe that any data center being built needs to have support from the local community with no exceptions, cannot raise electricity costs by one cent on any other rate payer, and must have a closed-loop water system to prevent massive water use that negatively impacts the surrounding community.
Finally, I firmly oppose giving tax breaks to data centers and paying for those tax breaks by taking away health care from the millions of Americans who rely on Medicaid, which is exactly what Jen Kiggans did when she voted for Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.
On what issues do you see yourself cooperating with the other party? What approach do you both share with regard to that issue?
I consistently ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of the House and was proud to have legislation I sponsored signed into law by both President Biden and President Trump. While in office, I worked across the aisle with members of the Republican Party on economic issues, military issues, veterans issues and more because I believe bipartisanship produces better legislation, better policy, and better outcomes for Hampton Roads and the country.
I've often found that while we may differ on our preferred policies and processes, we rarely differ on our preferred outcomes. That outlook was useful for finding areas of compromise when I served in Congress previously, and I fully intend to bring that same perspective back to Washington next year.
Do you support Congressman Hakeem Jeffries or Congressman Mike Johnson for House speaker?
I would support Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House.
What trade policy changes do you think the next Congress should pursue?
The most important thing the next Congress can do when it comes to U.S. trade policy is to end Donald Trump's and Jen Kiggans' cost-spiking tariffs that have raised the price of groceries, goods, and housing; hurt American farmers and businesses; and alienated our allies without making the American economy stronger or the American people any safer.
Where do you stand on abortion, and do you believe there’s a role for federal legislation in regulating abortion?
I believe strongly in a woman's right to choose and make decisions for herself about her own body. When I was in Congress in 2022 I proudly voted for the Women's Health Protection Act to codify abortion protections nationwide following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. If elected, I would vote again for similar legislation to ensure American women are afforded the rights and dignity they deserve.
If elected, how would you use your position to help alleviate the housing crisis in your district, Virginia and nationally?
I firmly oppose the Trump Administration's cuts to HUD's grants and vouchers that help make buying or renting a home more affordable for working people. But blocking and reversing the Trump Administration's cuts to federal housing programs alone will not solve the housing crisis that Jen Kiggans and Congressional Republicans unleashed, and that Donald Trump tried to exacerbate when he refused to sign the bipartisan 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act because he was angry at Senate Republicans.
Housing affordability is a critical problem and it will require a comprehensive solution. Too many Virginians can't afford to live where they grew up because our Commonwealth has a massive shortage of affordable housing.
Fixing that problem begins with ending the unnecessary trade war Donald Trump and Jen Kiggans started with our allies and that the National Association of Home Builders says is adding an additional $10,000 to the cost of every new home. We also need to ensure that at the federal, state, and local level we are making it as easy as possible to build new homes by cutting red tape and making sure bureaucracy isn't getting in the way of growth.
Editor's Note: Read one statement from the National Association of Home Builders on how tariffs affect the cost of housing.
How do you personally use artificial intelligence in your life? What specific regulations do you propose for companies producing AI?
Just like my campaign, I use AI for surfacing initial research and finding links to information online. Given the tremendous economic and national security implications of AI development, this is an issue where the federal government simply must take the lead instead of abdicating their responsibility to the states.
Unfortunately, this Congress and this Administration have dropped the ball completely on both effectively investing in and advancing American AI capabilities, and protecting workers and children from the negative effects of the technology, including ensuring AI is not automating hiring and firing decisions. With any federal AI regulations, those will be my priorities.
VIRGINIA-LEVEL QUESTIONS
What is your stance on the use of Flock or other automatic license plate readers in your district?
Whether it is Flock, other automatic license plate readers, or any other similar technology, my priorities will always be maintaining public safety for our communities and protecting the constitutional rights of American citizens. When elected, I pledge to work with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials to protect people and their rights.
What is the largest issue facing your district right now, and how would you work to address it from Washington, DC?
From Smithfield to the Eastern Shore, and across Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, and Suffolk, everywhere I go I hear from voters that the cost of living is too high. From gas and groceries to health care and housing, Virginians can't afford to get ahead because they can barely afford to get by.
Fixing this crisis begins with ending the policies of corrupt Jen Kiggans, Donald Trump, and Congressional Republicans that created this cost of living crisis in the first place. That means ending Trump's war in Iran, so we can bring gas prices down and make sure that the hundreds of billions of dollars we're spending on another foreign war can be spent here at home. It means protecting Medicaid and restoring Obamacare subsidies so that working and middle class Virginians can afford high-quality, low-cost health insurance. And it means repealing Trump's tariffs that are making everyday goods and everyday life so much more expensive for families.
Addressing this crisis, however, also requires Democrats to move beyond just undoing Republican actions and actually implementing our own solutions, such as cutting unnecessary red tape, investing in education, and making it easier for Americans to start and grow small businesses
How would you plan to work or collaborate with the Spanberger administration?
Regardless of the issue and regardless of the party in power in Washington, Richmond, or here in Hampton Roads, it is critical that leaders at the federal, state, and local level all work together to solve the problems affecting our community and our Commonwealth.
I look forward to collaborating with Governor Spanberger and her administration, just as I worked with Governors Northam and Youngkin, to make health care more affordable, bring down the cost of living, and improve the economy and business climate here in Virginia.
A hospital or multiple health care centers in your district are at risk of service cuts/closure due to Medicaid changes. How would you advocate for your district’s health and wellness?
Making health care more affordable begins with repealing Jen Kiggans' and the Trump Administration's gutting of nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid which has threatened coverage of more 300,000 Virginians and led to over a dozen rural hospitals in Virginia being placed at-risk of closure, including Southampton Medical Center right here in VA-02.
But simply going back to the status quo before Trump is not sufficient. That's why I've released my plan to make health care affordable and accessible for every Virginian. My plan calls for cutting the cost of care, cutting the complexity of care, and closing the rural health care gap by expanding the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate on and extending the reduced cost benefits to Americans on private insurance, allowing military children to stay on their parents' Tricare Plan until age 26, expanding access to telehealth, mobile health clinics, community health centers, and rural emergency medical services so geography isn't a barrier to care, and so much more. No Virginian should have to pay too much, spend too much time, or travel too far just to get the care they need.
Where do you stand on the pending Dominion Energy–NextEra merger?
The existing Dominion-NextEra merger is not ready for prime time, and the State Corporation Commission should not approve it as currently proposed.
NextEra needs to prove that Virginians will pay less over the long term, our electrical grid will become more reliable, data centers will bear the full cost of the transmission infrastructure their energy demands require, commitments already made to Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind and Hampton Roads will be honored, and that Virginia jobs will be protected.
If a Florida-based corporation wants control of a Virginia utility franchise, it needs to demonstrate that the transaction will produce lasting benefits for Virginians. Until NextEra and Dominion make those commitments clear, binding, and enforceable, I urge the General Assembly and the State Corporation Commission to oppose approval of this merger.
As a Virginian, what are your thoughts on Ballot Question 1?
I support it as I believe strongly in a woman's right to choose and make decisions for herself about her own body without interference from the government and politicians. Jen Kiggans wants to let politicians ban abortion, even in the case of rape or when a mother's life is at risk. By passing this amendment here in Virginia, we can ensure that politicians like Jen Kiggans can't do that.
Editor's Note: Jen Kiggans' website currently says abortion should be handled at the state level and doesn't support "abortions up to the moment of birth." Those procedures aren't allowed under current Virginia law. Kiggans' website says she "respects exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother."
As a Virginian, what are your thoughts on Ballot Question 2?
I support it as I believe all Virginians should have the same right to live and love freely and with dignity.
As a Virginian, what are your thoughts on Ballot Question 3?
I support it. Once you have served your debt to society and paid the punishment required under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States, you should have your voting rights restored.
How confident are you that the 2026 Virginia midterm elections will be free and fair?
While I worry about Donald Trump attempting to interfere in the midterm elections with attacks on mail-in voting and attempts to commandeer voter rolls of Democratically-controlled states, our elections are run by state and local officials who I know do their jobs with the utmost professionalism and with respect for our country and its democratic tradition. That gives me confidence that the 2026 Virginia midterm elections will be free and fair.
Who won the 2020 presidential election?
Joe Biden.