Elaine Luria | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's2nd district | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Scott Taylor |
| Succeeded by | Jen Kiggans |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Elaine Goodman Luria (1975-08-15)August 15, 1975 (age 49) Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | United States Naval Academy (BS) Old Dominion University (MS) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1997–2017 |
| Rank | Commander |
| Commands | Assault Craft Unit 2 |
Elaine Goodman Luria (/ˈlʊriə/;LUUR-ee-ə; born August 15, 1975) is an American politician andUS Navy veteran who served as theU.S. representative fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district from 2019 to 2023. Luria's congressional district included most ofHampton Roads, including all ofVirginia Beach,Williamsburg, andPoquoson and parts ofNorfolk andHampton. Before running for Congress, she served as a naval officer for 20 years. Luria rose to the rank ofcommander and spent most of her career aboard ship. She defeatedRepublican incumbentScott Taylor in2018 and defeated him again in2020, before losing her bid for a third term to RepublicanJen Kiggans in2022.
Luria was born on August 15, 1975, inBirmingham, Alabama.[1][2] Her mother Michelle's family immigrated toJasper, Alabama, in 1906.[3] The family sold goods to coal miners inWalker County, Alabama.[3] In the early-1900s, Luria's great-grandfather helped establish aReform Jewish congregation in Jasper, and her immediate family joined theTemple Emanu-El in Birmingham.[3] Luria's mother and grandmother were active in theNational Council of Jewish Women (of which her mother was president),Hadassah, the Temple Emanu-El Sisterhood, and the Birmingham Jewish Federation.[3]
Luria graduated fromIndian Springs School in 1993.[4][5] She graduated from theUnited States Naval Academy in 1997 with aBachelor of Science (BS), with adouble major in physics and history and a minor in French.[6] In 2000, Luria attended theUnited States Naval Nuclear Power School.[7] While serving in the Navy and stationed aboard the flagshipUSS Blue Ridge, she earned aMaster of Science (MS) degree inengineering management fromOld Dominion University in 2004.[8]
Luria served as anaval officer for 20 years, operatingnuclear reactors as an engineer, where she rose to the rank ofcommander.[9] Luria was among the first female American sailors to spend her entire career oncombat ships.[10] She commandedAssault Craft Unit TWO, a combat-ready unit of 400 sailors, from 2014 until her retirement in 2017.[11] She held aPassoverseder on an aircraft carrier after9/11.[12]
As of 2019, Luria's service was the longest active-duty tenure of any current member of theHouse Democratic Caucus.[13]
Luria ran for theUnited States House of Representatives inVirginia's 2nd congressional district.[14] In the June 10 Democratic primary, she garnered 62% of the vote, defeating Karen Mallard, who received 38%.[15]
In the general election, Luria defeatedRepublican incumbentScott Taylor with 51% of the vote to Taylor's 49%.[16] She carried six of the district's nine county-level jurisdictions, including all but one of the district's five independent cities. She also carried Taylor's hometown of Virginia Beach.[17]
Luria ran for reelection.[18] She defeated Taylor in a rematch 52% to 46%. As in 2018, Luria carried six of the district's nine county-level jurisdictions, including all but one independent city. She was likely helped byJoe Biden carrying the district;[19] notably, Biden carried Virginia Beach, the first Democrat to do so since 1964.[20]
Luria ran for reelection in 2022. Facing a difficult path to victory as a Democrat in a competitive district, she focused her campaign on defense policy and refrained from highlighting Biden's $1.5 trillionBuild Back Better spending plan, for which she voted.[21] Luria lost the election toJen Kiggans.[22]
Luria was sworn in on January 3, 2019.[23] She was one of 102 female members elected to theUnited States House of Representatives in2018, a record number.[23] She joined two other female veterans in that class, fellow Naval Academy graduateMikie Sherrill and former Air Force officerChrissy Houlahan.
Virginia's 2nd congressional district is centered onHampton Roads.[24] It includes all ofPoquoson,Virginia Beach, andWilliamsburg cities andYork County in Hampton Roads; parts ofNorfolk andHampton cities andJames City County in Hampton Roads; and all ofAccomack andNorthampton counties on theEastern Shore.[25]
On Veterans Day 2019, Luria released a video announcing her support for an impeachment inquiry intoPresident Donald Trump, whichThe Washington Post called "an unusual move for a moderate on the cusp of a tough reelection."[6]
During Trump's presidency, Luria voted in line with his stated position 11% of the time.[26] As of June 2022 she had voted in line withJoe Biden's stated position 98.2% of the time.[27]
Luria was one of the original members appointed to theSelect Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol in 2021.[28] She and RepresentativeAdam Kinzinger co-led theeighth public hearing in July 2022. This hearing focused on Trump's inaction during the 187 minutes from the end of his speech to his Rose Garden speech, where he told the rioters, "We love you, you're very special". Luria introduced the full video of both speeches.[29] She also showed outtakes from Trump's January 7, 2021, statement titled "Remarks on National Healing".[30] Luria said of these remarks that this "was not the message of condemnation and just punishment for those who broke the law that we expect from a president whose oath and duty is to ensure the laws are faithfully executed. But instead, It was his newest version of 'Stand Back and Stand By'." In her closing statement, she said, "This is not, as it may appear, a story of inaction in a time of crisis, but instead it was the final action of Donald Trump's own plan to usurp the will of the American people and remain in power. Not until it was clear that his effort to violently disrupt or delay the counting of the election results had failed did he send his message—a message to his supporters in which he commiserated with their pain and he told them affectionately to go home."[31]
On July 25, 2022, Luria posted on her Twitter account the original script of Trump's January 7 remarks and edits he made to it in which he had crossed out any references to DOJ action and condemnation was heavily toned down.[32]
Luria was the lone Democrat to vote against repealing theAuthorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 in 2021.[33]
Whilethe federal government was in a partial shutdown, Luria said that she had asked for her salary to be withheld until federal workers were paid in January 2019.[23] She participated in a bipartisan group of representatives seeking to broker a compromise to end the shutdown.[34][35]
In February 2019, Luria introduced the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019, which increased thecost of living adjustments (COLAs) made to veterans.[36] It earned bipartisan support and passed in September 2019.[13]
Luria is a self-described "unabashed supporter" of the U.S. relationship withIsrael.[37][38]
Luria was listed as one of 60 House Democrats who expressed support for some kind of physical barrier on the border in January 2019.[39]
In September 2019, Luria labeled herself a "security Democrat"—an idiom forfreshman Democrats withnational security experience[40]—and called for animpeachment inquiry against Trump in aWashington Postop-ed.[41] In an October 2019town hall meeting inVirginia Beach, Luria charged that Trump had "Enlist[ed] the help of a foreign leader to influence and malign a potential political opponent to affect the outcome of our next election all under [the] guise of trying to fight corruption."[42] Later in October 2019, Luria formallyvoted for an impeachment inquiry against Trump,[43] and joined all but three House Democrats tovote for impeachment on both counts:abuse of power andobstruction of Congress in December 2019;[44] all House Republicans voted no on both charges.[44]
Luria accepts thescientific consensus on climate change and is concerned about thephysical impacts of climate change on global instability and military readiness. She also believes thefirst Trump administration attempted to discredit military and scientific experts on the physical impacts of climate change, which she views as an aspersion to the national security and scientific apparatuses.[45]
Luria opposes proposed legislation that would ban lawmakers from trading stocks, calling the efforts "bullshit".[46]
Luria favors institutingred flag laws anduniversal background checks on all gun purchases.[47]
In 2022, Luria voted for H.R. 1808: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022.[48][49]
In her 2018 campaign, Luria pledged not to accept donations frompolitical action committees (PACs). She was consequently endorsed byEnd Citizens United, a group that seeks to reform campaign finance laws and reduce the role of corporate money in politics. In 2020, Luria accepted $34,000 in corporate PAC contributions from the PACs of a tobacco company and defense contractors, among others.[50]PolitiFact rated Luria's decision to accept corporate PAC funding a "Full Flop." End Citizens United expressed disappointment in Luria's reversal.[51]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elaine Luria | 17,552 | 62.3 | |
| Democratic | Karen Mallard | 10,610 | 37.7 | |
| Total votes | 28,162 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elaine Luria | 139,571 | 51.1 | |||
| Republican | Scott Taylor (incumbent) | 133,458 | 48.8 | |||
| N/A | Write-ins | 371 | 0.1 | |||
| Total votes | 273,400 | 100.0 | ||||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Elaine Luria (incumbent) | 185,733 | 51.6 | |
| Republican | Scott Taylor | 165,031 | 45.8 | |
| Independent | David Foster | 9,170 | 2.5 | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 343 | 0.1 | |
| Total votes | 360,277 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jen Kiggans | 153,323 | 51.63 | |
| Democratic | Elaine Luria (incumbent) | 143,204 | 48.22 | |
| N/A | Write-ins | 449 | 0.15 | |
| Total votes | 296,976 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicangain fromDemocratic | ||||
In February 2023, Luria launched the Defend Democracy PAC, apolitical action committee to support electing Democrats to theVirginia General Assembly.[61]
Luria's husband, Robert Blondin, is also a retired naval commander and spent 27 years in the service.[11] Luria has two stepchildren and a daughter born in 2009.[62] The family resides inNorfolk,[63] and she gave thecommencement speech in May 2019 atVirginia Wesleyan University.[63] Luria attends Ohef Sholom Temple, aReform Jewish synagogue in Norfolk.[64]
Virginia Beach, which Democrats last won in 1964 when Lyndon B. Johnson was on the ballot
Luria, who represents a military-heavy district including Virginia Beach, said she would be open to a menu of border security options, including a 'physical barrier' of some type.
A resident of Norfolk, she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and received a master's in engineering management from Old Dominion University.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromVirginia's 2nd congressional district 2019–2023 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former US Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former US Representative | Succeeded byas Former US Representative |
| People | |
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| Other | |
