VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - As the race for Virginia's second congressional district is now in its final week, both Democrat Elaine Luria and Republican Jen Kiggans are campaigning with surrogates.
Former Vice President Mike Pence joined Kiggans at the RNC Veterans Center on Wednesday afternoon.
Pence returned to the district nearly two years after leaving the White House. "I believe we're less than a week away from a great American comeback and it all goes through Norfolk, Virginia this year, when we elect Jen Kiggans to a Republican majority in the House of Representatives," said Pence. "It's amazing to see how far this country has fallen in the last two years."
"Mr. Pence, I know the end of the term with you as Vice President and the former president had a disagreement about it ended. How do you square that when you talk with Republican voters and do you think that's going to have any kind of impact on the race?" News 3 asked Pence.
"I'm incredibly proud of the Trump-Pence administration and while it did not end well in the end I see a Republican Party that is coming together as never before," he answered.
Kiggans and Pence did a phone bank in his roughly 45-minute visit. "We need people to get out and vote right now. This race is tight. It's been tight for a while," Kiggans said. "It's such a significant district as Vice President Pence said. If this district goes, so goes the U.S. House."
Luria recently turned to a familiar face, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia Beach), to greet voters on Tuesday afternoon at the Bayside Rec Center.
"This district went through redistricting, what do you make of [Luria's] odds?" News 3 asked Kaine. "The great thing about Elaine is that she is a hard worker and she's a very effective member of Congress," he responded. "I think it's a great match for the district."
News 3 also asked Kaine where he thinks Virginia stands politically, given that it appeared to be trending blue until Gov. Youngkin was elected in 2021.
"I think it's a very competitive state and what's why people like Elaine, who not only work hard, but never take anything for granted, and then Elaine also has the rep of someone in Congress who works across the aisle," he said.
Luria is also making her final pitch to voters about why she deserves to stay on the job.
"It's been a privilege to represent this district for four years and I just want to remind people of things we've been able to deliver for this district: increasing the defense budget, access to care for veterans, for example, those exposed to burn pits, the work we've done on a bipartisan basis to expand and grow the economy here in Hampton Roads," Luria said.
