Virginia 2nd District Voter Guide: Kiggans, Luria, Staten and Baker on Health Care and Affordability
Four candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, according to the Virginia Department of Elections candidate list: Republican U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, Democrat Elaine Luria, and independents Geral D. "Bishop" Staten and J. Matt Baker. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares where all four stand on health care and affordability.
The district covers much of Hampton Roads, including Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Franklin, plus the Eastern Shore, according to Wikipedia's summary of the district. The race is a rematch: Kiggans unseated Luria in 2022 and won reelection in 2024 with 50.7 percent of the vote, according to Wikipedia's summary of the results.
Why Health Care and Affordability Are Issues in Virginia's 2nd District
The Cook Political Report rates the race Lean Democratic in its Oct. 23, 2026 ratings. Sabato's Crystal Ball also rates it Lean Democratic, as of Sept. 29, according to Wikipedia's ratings table. A Christopher Newport University Wason Center poll of 702 likely voters, conducted Oct. 1-10, found Luria at 46 percent and Kiggans at 43 percent, within the survey's margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The same poll found cost of living was the top issue for likely voters, at 24 percent.
Kiggans did not answer a candidate survey that VPM News sent to all four candidates; Luria, Staten and Baker did. Kiggans's positions below come from her House office and campaign website.
On health care, the TDFP video says Kiggans "backs extending ACA tax credits with income caps and reforms, not a clean three-year extension." It says Luria "would restore Medicaid funding and ACA subsidies and expand Medicare drug price negotiations," that Staten "backs free Medicare for All, keeping hospitals open and higher pay for emergency service workers," and that Baker "opposes further Medicaid cuts and wants more rural health funding to reach hospital care and staff."
On affordability, the video says Kiggans "backs permanent 2017 tax cuts, a larger child tax credit and less federal regulation." It says Luria "would end Trump tariffs and the Iran war and restore health funding to lower family costs," that Staten "would freeze rents nationwide and halt evictions," and that Baker "would make data centers pay their own power costs rather than shift them onto household bills."
Jen Kiggans (Republican, Incumbent)
Kiggans describes herself as a former Navy helicopter pilot and geriatric nurse practitioner. She is seeking a third term.
On health care, Kiggans voted in January against a discharge petition for a three-year extension of the Affordable Care Act's enhanced premium tax credits. "A clean three year extension with no reforms is nothing more than a continuation of a failed system that rewards insurance companies and not patients," she said in a statement. "Without income caps, individuals who should otherwise be ineligible for these need based credits would continue to draw from the system." Her office said her own bill offered a one-year extension with income caps and other guardrails.
On affordability, her campaign website says she supported the Working Families Tax Cuts, "making the 2017 tax cuts permanent and advancing affordability measures for families, such as eliminating most taxes on tips and overtime." The site says she "fought to expand the Child Tax Credit" and works to "reduce Washington's regulatory burden."
Elaine Luria (Democrat)
Luria, a retired Navy surface nuclear officer, represented the district from 2019 to 2023.
On health care, Luria told VPM that making care affordable "begins with repealing Jen Kiggans' and the Trump Administration's gutting of nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid." Her plan calls for "expanding the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate on" and expanding telehealth, community health centers and rural emergency services, she said.
On affordability, Luria said Congress should prioritize "repealing billionaire tax cuts so we can restore funding for health care, ending the war in Iran to bring gas prices back down, and stopping the tariffs."
Geral "Bishop" Staten (Independent)
Staten, of Suffolk, is a full-time Amazon associate and announces boys and girls basketball games at Kings Fork High School, he told VPM.
On health care, Staten told VPM: "Free Medicare for All. Keep our hospitals, create health and nutrition programs for job opportunities and also a bonus raise for all our emergency service workers." On housing, he said: "Affordable housing for all. National rent freeze and moratorium on evictions."
J. Matt Baker (Independent)
Baker spent 28 years as a Marine Corps infantry officer, retiring as a colonel, and now works in power-grid technology, he told VPM.
On health care, Baker said the 2025 budget law "cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid nationally" and that Virginia's share of the new rural health fund ranks low. "I'd fix that math, push more of that fund straight to keeping doors open and staff paid, and fight further Medicaid cuts rural and coastal facilities can't absorb," he said.
On affordability, Baker said: "Costs are rising faster than paychecks." On data centers, he said Congress should "require they pay their own power costs instead of spreading it across every ratepayer's bill."
Where to Follow the Candidates
Jen Kiggans: @JenKiggans on X and jenforcongress.com. Elaine Luria: @ElaineLuria on X and elaineforcongress.com. Matt Baker: mattbakerindependent.com. Bishop Staten: no campaign website found.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Virginia voters can check their registration and polling place at elections.virginia.gov. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Virginia Department of Elections, Nov. 3, 2026 candidate list: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/candidate-list/november-3-2026-gen-elect-all-offices/ ; VPM News, 2nd District candidate survey: https://www.vpm.org/elections/2026-09-24/va02-baker-kiggans-luria-staten-candidate-survey/ ; Rep. Kiggans, statement on ACA discharge vote (Jan. 9, 2026): https://kiggans.house.gov/2026/01/09/rep-kiggans-votes-against-democrat-aca-discharge-while-continuing-to-fight-for-responsible-healthcare-reforms/ ; Jen Kiggans for Congress, issues: https://jenforcongress.com/issues/ ; Christopher Newport University Wason Center poll (Oct. 14, 2026): https://cnu.edu/wason/surveys/archive/2026-10-14.html ; Cook Political Report House ratings: https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings ; Wikipedia, 2026 U.S. House elections in Virginia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Virginia ; Virginia Department of Elections: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/
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