Democrat U.S. Rep. for Virginia Elaine Luria has lost her reelection bid against Republican Virginia state Sen. Jen Kiggans (R).
The race was one of the most anticipated of this election cycle, and was considered a toss-up until recently when RealClearPolitics and University of Virginia-based Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball switched their ratings to “Leans Republican.”
With 99 percent reporting, Kiggans leads Luria 54.88 percent to 44.98 percent, or 23,235 votes.
Virginia State Sen. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia Beach), top, along with former Virginia Gov. George Allen, center right, speaks to supporters during an election party Tuesday June 21, 2022, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Kiggans won a primary to face Democrat Elaine Luria in November’s election. (Steve Helber/AP)
Kiggans’s win is a huge pickup for Republicans, who have been favored to take a fairly large majority in the House.
Luria is a member of the show trial committee investigating the January 6, 2021, incident at the Capitol.
Cook Political Report maintained the seat as a toss-up headed into Election Day, but the editor of their House predictions also said that Democrats in Luria’s district were having a “turnout problem” that was evident by noon.
Noon turnout reports in VA Beach – a majority of Rep. Elaine Luria's (D) Toss Up #VA02 – show most heavily GOP precincts up to 55-60% of '21 votes cast, vs. 40-45% in most non-white precincts.
Total ballots cast skewing much more R than '20 in many FL counties, esp. Miami-Dade.
— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) November 8, 2022
Kiggans’ win is in line with the tide that started to turn in 2021, when a full slate of Republicans, including Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle Sears, and Attorney General Jason Miyares swept the district.
Youngkin, Earle Sears, and Miyares rallied Virginia voters on the eve of Tuesday’s election with Kiggins in the district.
As Breitbart News reported, Luria, whose district is home to the highest per capita United States military constituency in the country as well as a vast military-industrial job sector, represents Hampton Roads, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach.
She first won the seat in 2018, beating incumbent Republican and former Navy SEAL Scott Taylor by just over two percent. In the 2020 rematch between the two, she won more handily by just over 5.7 percent.
Gubernatorial election results showed Youngkin taking the district by 8.3 percent — a 14-point swing from 2020.
Two Virginia House of Delegates districts also flipped from Democrat to Republican within Luria’s congressional district.
Luria has served since 2019. Both Luria and Kiggans are Navy veterans.
Virginia had three highly anticipated House races this cycle, in the Second, Seventh, and Tenth Congressional Districts.
Follow coverage of the 2022 midterm elections on Breitbart News.
Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.
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