Federal

U.S. Representative, 2nd Congressional District

Vote for: 1
Term: 2 years
Candidates: 4
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: A member of the U.S. House of Representatives votes on federal laws, taxes and spending on behalf of the district.

Localities in the district (all or part): Accomack County, City of Chesapeake, City of Franklin, Isle of Wight County, Northampton County, Southampton County, City of Suffolk, City of Virginia Beach.

Candidates Compare by issue

Elaine G. Luria

Democratic

Retired U.S. Navy commander; small business owner · Virginia Beach

The gist

Supports banning members and families from trading stocks.
Supports restoring ACA premium subsidies.
Proposes expanding the drugs Medicare can negotiate prices on.
Pledges to work to repeal the tariffs.
Opposes offshore drilling; supports Chesapeake Bay restoration.
Supports federal legislation codifying abortion protections.
Supports requiring local approval for new data centers.
Supports overturning Citizens United; backs the For the People Act.

More about Elaine

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Supports banning members and families from trading stocks.
Issues — Elaine Luria for Congress
Campaign website · Elaine for Congress · elaineforcongress.com
“I support banning members of Congress and their families from trading individual stocks while holding office.”
Supports restoring ACA premium subsidies.
Issues — Elaine Luria for Congress
Campaign website · Elaine for Congress · elaineforcongress.com
“Cut health care costs for the middle class by restoring ACA premium subsidies.”
Proposes expanding the drugs Medicare can negotiate prices on.
Issues — Elaine Luria for Congress
Campaign website · Elaine for Congress · elaineforcongress.com
“Cut health care costs for seniors by expanding the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate on”
Pledges to work to repeal the tariffs.
Issues — Elaine Luria for Congress
Campaign website · Elaine for Congress · elaineforcongress.com
“fight to repeal the tariffs, and reverse legislation and policy decisions that have increased energy costs”
Opposes offshore drilling; supports Chesapeake Bay restoration.
Issues — Elaine Luria for Congress
Campaign website · Elaine for Congress · elaineforcongress.com
“fight against offshore drilling, restore the Chesapeake Bay, and ensure Hampton Roads has clean air and water”
Supports federal legislation codifying abortion protections.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“If elected, I would vote again for similar legislation to ensure American women are afforded the rights and dignity they deserve.”
Supports requiring local approval for new data centers.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“any data center being built needs to have support from the local community with no exceptions”
Supports overturning Citizens United; backs the For the People Act.
Issues — Elaine Luria for Congress
Campaign website · Elaine for Congress · elaineforcongress.com
“I will continue to fight for the For the People Act to restore fairness and power back to the people.”

Geral D. "Bishop" Staten

Independent

Amazon associate; high school basketball announcer · Suffolk

The gist

Supports Medicare for All.
Proposes a national rent freeze and eviction moratorium.
Supports restoring Congress's authority over broad tariffs.
Opposes Flock automatic license plate reader cameras.
Supports leaving abortion decisions to women.
Supports Question 3 restoring voting rights after sentences.
Proposes investigating mail-in ballots and the process.

More about Geral

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Supports Medicare for All.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“Free Medicare for All. Keep our hospitals, create health and nutrition programs for job opportunities”
Proposes a national rent freeze and eviction moratorium.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“Affordable housing for all. National rent freeze and moratorium on evictions.”
Supports restoring Congress's authority over broad tariffs.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“Restore Congress’s authority over broad tariffs.”
Opposes Flock automatic license plate reader cameras.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“Flock cameras out, we don’t need them.”
Supports leaving abortion decisions to women.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“I will allow women to make the decisions when it comes to their bodies.”
Supports Question 3 restoring voting rights after sentences.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“I’m an advocate for a second chance at life once you have paid your debt to society.”
Proposes investigating mail-in ballots and the process.
2nd District Q&A: Matt Baker, Jen Kiggans, Elaine Luria, Geral “Bishop” Staten
Candidate questionnaire · VPM News · Sep 24, 2026 · vpm.org
“Investigate the mail-in ballots and the process.”

J. Matt Baker

Independent

Retired Marine Corps colonel; energy-sector engineer

The gist

Pledges to accept no PAC money.
Supports independent redistricting nationwide.
Supports Virginia's reproductive freedom amendment.
Supports a path to citizenship with removal for crimes.
Pledges flood resilience funding as a first-term priority.
Pledges on-time budgets with stated tradeoffs.
Supports restoring consensus requirements for judicial confirmations.
Supports both gun rights and common-sense regulation.

More about J.

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Pledges to accept no PAC money.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“This campaign takes no PAC money — not corporate, not party, not billionaire super PACs”
Supports independent redistricting nationwide.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“I will support independent redistricting nationwide: no party draws its own map, period.”
Supports Virginia's reproductive freedom amendment.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“I personally agree with the Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment, which Virginia voters will decide this November.”
Supports a path to citizenship with removal for crimes.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“Let's give them a path to citizenship. And if they commit crimes, they must go”
Pledges flood resilience funding as a first-term priority.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“Flood resilience funding for this region is a first-term priority.”
Pledges on-time budgets with stated tradeoffs.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“I will practice it: honest budgets, on time, with tradeoffs stated out loud.”
Supports restoring consensus requirements for judicial confirmations.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“I will support restoring consensus requirements for lifetime appointments.”
Supports both gun rights and common-sense regulation.
Vision — Matt Baker, Independent for Congress
Campaign website · Matt Baker for Congress · mattbakerindependent.com
“The Second Amendment is the law of the land. Common-sense regulation is also the law of the land.”

Jen A. Kiggans

RepublicanIncumbent

U.S. Representative; nurse practitioner · Virginia Beach

The gist

Led a bipartisan effort to renew ACA premium tax credits.
Supported making the 2017 tax cuts permanent.
Supports leaving abortion law to the states, with exceptions.
Opposes Medicare for All; pledges to protect Social Security.
Supported border security funding including $47 billion for the wall.
Voted for the SAVE America Act requiring photo ID.
Opposes efforts to defund police.
Sponsored House-passed COPE Act for veterans' caregivers.

More about Jen

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Led a bipartisan effort to renew ACA premium tax credits.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“Jen led the bipartisan effort to renew and reform the Affordable Care Act (ACA) tax credits.”
Supported making the 2017 tax cuts permanent.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“making the 2017 tax cuts permanent and advancing affordability measures for families, such as eliminating most taxes on tips and overtime”
Supports leaving abortion law to the states, with exceptions.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“she believes abortion laws should be determined at the state level”
Opposes Medicare for All; pledges to protect Social Security.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“She opposes Medicare for All, which would ruin seniors’ healthcare.”
Supported border security funding including $47 billion for the wall.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“including $47 billion to finish the wall, which was signed into law”
Voted for the SAVE America Act requiring photo ID.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“She voted for the Save America Act, which would ensure secure elections by requiring photo ID.”
Opposes efforts to defund police.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“Jen will continue to fight Democrats’ efforts to defund or abolish police departments.”
Sponsored House-passed COPE Act for veterans' caregivers.
Issues — Jen Kiggans for Congress
Campaign website · Kiggans for Congress · jenforcongress.com
“Her first standalone bill to pass the House – the Caregiver Outreach and Program Enhancement (COPE) Act”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 9 issues covered in this race.