Former Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria launches bid for her old seat in Virginia

Former Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., a member of the Jan. 6 committee who lost re-election in 2022, is launching a bid for her old congressional seat against Republican Rep. Jennifer Kiggans.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News announcing her plans, Luria said the “chaos” in Washington forced her to run again for the battleground district.

“I’ve watched the chaos here in Washington — in reality, it’s a Republican Congress that’s doing nothing, and they haven’t even gone to work in about 50 days,” Luria said. “I thought it was time for me to continue in this role and once again become a representative of the 2nd District of Virginia.”

Luria will likely face several opponents in the Democratic primary before the general election in what is expected to be one of the most competitive seats in the 2026 midterms, when control of the House will be in play. President Donald Trump barely won the 2nd District — which stretches along the state’s coast and is centered around Norfolk and Virginia Beach — in 2024, as Kiggans won a second term by less than 4 points.

A former naval officer, Luria has a particular interest in veterans’ issues in a district with a heavy military presence. She expressed concern about the Trump administration’s aggressive use of military intervention in countries like South America without congressional approval and believes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not up to the task.

“I really don’t have a lot of confidence in his leadership,” Luria said. “I mean, it’s really disturbing as an American to think that the only information we get from the Pentagon comes from select journalists who basically agree not to ask questions and just repeat press releases that were given to them by the Pentagon spokesperson.”

Luria gained national attention for his role as a member of the House Select Committee that investigated the January 6, 2021 riot at the United States Capitol. She and former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., took center stage during a prime-time hearing that highlighted Trump’s lack of action during a 187-minute window as violence escalated on Capitol Hill.

She said she was concerned about Republican efforts to rewrite the narrative of that day and did not regret serving on the committee.

“People said to me at the time, ‘That would be your own political risk. You’re probably not going to get re-elected in a district like yours.’ And I basically said at the time, “I don’t care. I’m doing the right thing,” Luria said. “The right thing is to stand up and be on this committee and present the facts to the American people and I’m not afraid.”

Luria and all other members of the January 6 committee received a preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden in an effort to prevent the Trump administration from seeking revenge for his investigation. She acknowledged that her role on the committee made her a target.

“Have there been attacks? Have there been more attacks? Has there been a sheriff’s van parked in front of my house for nine months? Have there been people brandishing guns in my neighbor’s driveway? Has anyone tried to break into our house? Have we received threats against my office? Have people harassed me online? It’s sad to be where we are in politics today,” she said. “I think I’ve always stood up for what’s right, even when it’s not politically expedient, and I’m going to continue to do that when I come back.”

If Luria exits the Democratic primary, it would result in a rematch with Kiggans, who like Luria is a veteran and someone who has worked to build a record as a bipartisan member representing a swing district.

Kiggans is one of the few House Republicans strongly encouraging the party to expand the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits, a position Luria views as too little, too late.

“She’s a nurse and a veteran; she can’t even bring herself to make sure people have affordable health care,” Luria said. “So no, I think what she’s doing is really just a move to act like she cares. But look at her voting history. She doesn’t care about your health care.”

Luria said one of the reasons she’s running is because she thinks Kiggans has too often toed the party line.

“It’s one thing to go out there and pretend you care more about the other side of the aisle, but I was elected one of the most bipartisan members of Congress because I have experience working on the other side of the aisle, particularly on veterans and military issues,” Luria said.

Meanwhile, Republicans are hungry for potential revenge.

“Retread loser Elaine Luria remains an out-of-touch liberal who rubber-stamped Biden’s destructive cost-raising and open-border agenda,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Reilly Richardson said in a statement. “If Luria moves even further left than she already is to win a complicated Democratic primary, she will have the honor of conceding twice to Jen Kiggans.”

One wild card in the race is Virginia’s willingness to engage in the national redistricting battle mid-decade. Democratic lawmakers recently took the first step toward a constitutional amendment that would allow them to draw a new map that would benefit the party.

Luria said she supports the Legislature’s efforts to redraw the boundaries.

“To be in a position where we can do things like lower prices, make things more affordable, ensure that people have affordable health care and move forward with all the things that we think are important for our communities and for the people of Virginia, to do that, you have to fight. You can’t stand idly by,” she said.