The Midterm Rematch That Will ‘Determine the Fate of the Country’

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.—Virginia is home to the race that will “determine the fate of the country,” according to House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Republicans came together in Virginia Beach to fundraise for Rep. Jen Kiggans, who faces a 2022 rematch against former congresswoman Elaine Luria.

After the event, Johnson told reporters that 2026 will be a close election, and that “Virginia’s 2nd District will determine the fate of the country.”

He noted that while Kiggans is one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, she is also one of the most effective. She can “walk into the middle of chaotic situations and get things done,” Johnson said.

The speaker was joined by Reps. Ben Cline of Virginia, Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma, and Craig Goldman of Texas, who were there to support Kiggans.

Kiggans told the Daily Signal that this is not a new fight for her.

“We’re running against an opponent that we beat, and we beat her for a reason. We have to remind voters of what that reason is, what she represents, her voting record, her priorities, [and] the fact that she doesn’t live in the district,” Kiggans said.

“There was a reason we flipped the seat. In this country and this district, we move forward. We do not move backwards, because it’s on us to remind voters what’s at stake here, remind voters what’s at stake for the commonwealth of Virginia.”

Drawing Contrasts

At the event, Johnson and Kiggans contrasted “communist” Democrats with “commonsense” Republicans.

“It’s scary to watch the direction of the Democrat Party and their far-left movement into self-proclaimed socialism,” Kiggans said. “Trust me, they are very good at being unified, and I worry about that.”

Kiggans said Democrats are under pressure from the Democratic Socialists of America, a group which supports defunding police and military, open borders, and eliminating the U.S. Senate.

“It’s insane to look at those things, but we have to remind [Virginians],” she said. “Just because my opponent says she’s a moderate, she will say anything to get elected.”

“We have secured our border, supported our military and law enforcement, [plus what] we’re doing to work on the economy to make sure people are keeping their paychecks to bring those prices down. We are putting all those changes in place,” Kiggans said.

While Luria has not publicly supported the socialist movement, she avoided answering the Daily Signal’s question about how she might work with socialists if she were elected to office.

However, she commented on the Republican campaign event itself.

“While Jen Kiggans and Mike Johnson met with wealthy donors, working Virginians are seeing their gas and grocery bills skyrocket, their friends and family members in uniform sent to fight in another foreign war, and their health care taken away to pay for tax cuts for billionaires,” Luria told the Daily Signal. “Kiggans and Johnson refuse to stand up to Donald Trump, and Hampton Roads is paying the price.”

Data Centers and MAHA

Multiple policy areas are left unclaimed by both candidates and parties. Some of these include artificial intelligence, data centers, and the Make America Healthy Again movement. Kiggans briefly touched on her eagerness to have bipartisan conversations on both, saying she “looks forward to having a seat at that table” regarding MAHA issues.

On data centers, Kiggans said the debate has been left to Virginia’s legislature so far, though she has “enjoyed watching the Democrats fight with each other about the issue.”

“They have data centers under the ocean floor. We can’t ban all data centers,” Kiggans said, adding that there is a “commonsense conversation to be had” on their use of energy, water, and other local resources.