Congresswoman-Elect, U.S. House, Virginia 2nd District
By Nancy Almasi, Virginia
Jen Kiggans believes true leadership comes from a position of strength. The Virginia State Senator saw first-hand how difficult it was to put a check on the Democrats' radical agenda when she first became a lawmaker in 2019 at the height of the Democrat Blue Wave. With Democrat majorities in both chambers of Virginia’s General Assembly, as well as a Democrat governor, Republicans in the minority had few means to stop what she described as a “smash and grab” abuse of power.
The results were disastrous for Virginians who saw their quality of life diminish as thousands of residents left the Commonwealth altogether. When she saw the same abuse of power through one-party rule at the federal level, she decided to do something about this by declaring her run for Congress. “Really, it was sitting in the State Senate during one party rule that helped me decide to run,” Jen said. “Watching these progressive policies being enacted and not being able to stop it (due to being in the minority) is dangerous. We need to restore the balance of power. Our country deserves better leaders.”
Every aspect of Jen’s campaign has emphasized the restoration of strength – particularly in areas such as the economy and combatting inflation. “We had 1.4% inflation when Joe Biden took office, and it’s now at 8.2%,” Jen said. “We used to be energy independent and now we’re not. And high gas prices have an effect on every single thing you buy, and everything you buy has gone up. This is particularly harmful to those who live on a fixed income.”
“Then there’s all this wasteful spending from the federal government,” Jen continued. “My opponent never says no to any spending increases. Every time the federal government spends more, we get less.”
The former Navy helicopter pilot, who served two tours in the Persian Gulf, also wants to restore the strength of our military. “My district has a large military community. I come from a military family. My dad served as a Green Beret in Vietnam and my grandfather was in the Navy during World War II. My husband was a Navy F-18 pilot. I have one son at the Naval Academy and another at VMI,” Jen explained. “I’m a military mom on a mission who is concerned that our enemies no longer fear us. We must restore strength in our military.”
If elected in November, Jen would like to serve on the House Armed Forces Committee. She would like to use her military experience and her work as a geriatric nurse practitioner to enact necessary reforms in health care for both veterans and active military - with an emphasis on mental health. “When it comes to mental health care for our veterans and their families, we must do better. Look at what we’re asking them to do for us.” Jen has made reforming the VA system a priority and is a longtime advocate of improving labor shortages among healthcare professionals.
Jen credits her military training for standing up to the rigors of the campaign trail, comparing it to being on deployment with its long days of work. “(My military training) has allowed me to focus on a mission. It takes discipline and regimentation … military folks are used to that. They’re used to hard work,” she said. “I see this (campaign) as another way to serve.”
She praises her fellow members of the Virginia Beach Republican Women’s Club for their tireless support of her campaign. “Politics is a team sport and I couldn’t do it without their help. They have put together events, they make phone calls a few nights every week, they staff our office, they knock on doors and put signs together, they share social media posts … They are truly wonderful.”
Jen Kiggans has been designated as a Young Gun by the National Republican Congressional Committee. She has been endorsed by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik’s E-PAC, Maggie’s List, and the Susan B. Anthony List.
Learn more about Jen's campaign at jenforcongress.com.