VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Rep. Jen Kiggans made her final push to voters Monday night, rallying supporters in Virginia Beach alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson and former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin on the eve of Election Day.
The rally at Hunt Club Farm came as Kiggans faces Democrat Elaine Luria in a closely watched race for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.
“We're going to send a very loud message tomorrow,” Kiggans told supporters. “We're going to win this district. We've been here before. We know what we're doing, and we're going to do it again.”
Johnson portrayed the race as critical to Republicans’ efforts to maintain control of the U.S. House, while acknowledging the historical challenges facing the party in power of the White House during midterm elections.
“Jen Kiggans’ race is one of the top races in America, and everybody around the world is watching,” Johnson said. “We're going to defy history, and we're going to keep this seat.”
The University of Virginia Center for Politics’ most recent analysis gives Democrats the advantage in the race, though it remains competitive.
Johnson pushed back on polling going on nationwide during Monday night's rally.
“The polls are wrong right now,” he said. “Can I tell you that? Listen to what I'm telling you.”
Luria, who is seeking to return to Congress, held her own Virginia Beach rally Saturday with House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries.
“We need to restore these healthcare benefits. We need to restore the Medicaid. We need to restore the SNAP. We need to get our sailors home. We need to end this war,” Luria said.
Johnson told supporters he wants Kiggans back in Congress to continue advancing Republican priorities, pointing to efforts to cut taxes and secure the border.
“We are going to shock the world tomorrow night,” Johnson said. “We're going to win these races.”
Kiggans acknowledged the contest could come down to a narrow margin.
“It's going to be tight tomorrow, and the reality of the situation is it's going to be tighter than ever,” Kiggans said.
Voters in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District will make their choice Tuesday between keeping Kiggans in Congress or sending Luria back to Washington.
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