Jen Kiggans | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's2nd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Elaine Luria |
| Member of theVirginia Senate from the7th district | |
| In office January 8, 2020 – November 15, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Frank Wagner |
| Succeeded by | Aaron Rouse |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jennifer Ann Moore (1971-06-18)June 18, 1971 (age 54) Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Boston University (BA) Old Dominion University (BSN) Vanderbilt University (MSN) |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1993–2003 |
| Unit | Naval Aviator |
| Battles/wars | Iraq War Kosovo War |
Jennifer Ann Kiggans (néeMoore;[1] born June 18, 1971) is an American politician, formerUnited States Navy helicopter pilot, andgeriatric nurse practitioner serving as theU.S. representative forVirginia's 2nd congressional district since 2023. A member of theRepublican Party, she previously served in theVirginia Senate from 2020 to 2022.[2] Kiggans defeatedDemocratic incumbentElaine Luria in the2022 election and was re-elected in2024.[3][4]
Kiggans was born inTampa, Florida, and graduated from high school inOrlando, Florida.[5] As a high school student, she worked atWalt Disney World.[6] She is an alumna ofBoston University.[7] In 1993 and 1994, she taught English in Japan through theJET Programme.[8] She also lived in Japan as a Navy spouse for five years.[6]
Kiggans joined theUnited States Navy in 1993[9] and was a Navy pilot for ten years, flyingH-46 andH-3 helicopters.[10]
After serving in the military, Kiggans attended nursing school atOld Dominion University andVanderbilt University School of Nursing. She is anadult geriatric nurse practitioner atEastern Virginia Medical School and in private practice.[11]
In 2019, Kiggans ran for theVirginia Senate for the 7th district, which was being vacated by Republican incumbentFrank Wagner. In the Republican Party primary, Kiggans defeatedVirginia Beach School Board member Carolyn Weems, 52% to 48%.[12]
In the general election, Kiggans facedDemocraticstate DelegateCheryl Turpin. The race was viewed as competitive, as the district had very narrowly favored Democrats in recent statewide elections.[13][14] Kiggans and Turpin each spent over $500,000 on television advertisements.[15] Kiggans won, 50.4% to 49.5%.[16]
The Washington Post reported that "Her record didn't always fit neatly along a party line." She voted to expand nondiscrimination protections forLGBTQ people and for environmental protection measures.
In 2022, Kiggans introduced a bill to prohibit transgender girls from playing girls' sports and voted for an audit of the 2020 election.[17]
Kiggans was the Republican nominee forVirginia's 2nd congressional district in the 2022 election.[18] She narrowly defeated Democratic incumbentElaine Luria in the November 2022 general election, 52% to 48%.
Kiggans ran for re-election in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.[19] Her district was considered relatively competitive, and theCook Political Report rated her district as "lean Republican."[20] Kiggans defeated DemocratMissy Cotter Smasal by a vote of 51% to 47%.[21]
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According toThe Washington Post, Kiggans "has never beat a 'stolen election' drum", but has hesitated to acknowledgeJoe Biden as a legitimate president.[25] She called for a forensic audit ofVirginia's 2020 presidential election results; a previous audit of those results found no evidence of fraud.[26] She has said that she does not believe theFBI search of Mar-a-Lago was justified.[25]
Kiggans supports banning abortions after fifteen weeks of pregnancy, except for in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother.[27] In June 2022, she expressed support for the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling inDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overruledRoe v. Wade.[28]
Kiggans opposes cuts to funding in the Military Construction, Veteran Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act and supports improving military housing which she has described as, "in disrepair and unlivable".[29]
On December 1, 2023, Kiggans voted to expel RepresentativeGeorge Santos, and was the only Republican from Virginia to vote in favor the resolution.[30]
In May 2025, Kiggans voted for theOne Big Beautiful Bill Act.[31][32]
Kiggans is the lead sponsor of a bipartisan effort to pass legislation that would extend health care subsidies, which are set to expire on December 31, 2025, for one year.Politico wrote that "Kiggans has a track record of breaking with her party on some big issues but not tanking legislation to gain leverage."[33]
Kiggans advocated to maintain appropriated funds forNASA'sWallops Flight Facility andLangley Research Center in the 2026 federal budget. She argues that these locations are "prized possession for theCommonwealth" and that "the work that's going on there from the defense side, but also on the private industry side, [...] with places likeRocket Lab andFirefly, andNorthrop Grumman is there."[34]
Kiggans is a lifelongRoman Catholic. She has been married since 1999 to Steve Kiggans, a retired NavyF-18 pilot. They have four children.[6] Kiggans' father is also a veteran, serving in the Vietnam War as an Army Green Beret.[35]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jen Kiggans | 153,323 | 51.63 | |
| Democratic | Elaine Luria (incumbent) | 143,204 | 48.22 | |
| Write-in | 449 | 0.15 | ||
| Total votes | 296,976 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jen Kiggans (incumbent) | 201,023 | 51.04 | |
| Democratic | Missy Cotter Smasal | 184,174 | 46.76 | |
| Independent | Rob Reid | 8,676 | 2.20 | |
| Total votes | 393,873 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 326th | Succeeded by |