HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — A new poll from the Wason Center at Christopher Newport University shows a very close race in Virginia's second congressional district race.
Congresswoman Elaine Luria and her Republican challenger, State Sen. Jen Kiggans, are tied at 45% among likely voters, according to the poll, which shows topics on voters' minds like inflation, abortion and threats to democracy.
Rep. Luria's spokesperson sent a statement to News 3 in response to the poll.
"The only poll that matters is Election Day," said spokesperson Jayce Genco. "Congresswoman Luria is confident she will win this close race based on her record of delivering for Coastal Virginia by cutting costs for working families, expanding health care for veterans, protecting a woman’s right to choose, and securing billions in defense investments to stand up to China.”
Luria and Kiggans, squared off in a fiery debate on Oct. 12 at the Oceanfront.
It didn't take long for the gloves to come off with both going back and forth during the opening statements.
"In 2019, I got tired of telling at my TV, so I got off my couch to run for the Virginia State Senate," Kiggans said, which is a story she often shares about what motivated her to run for office.
"I'll tell you I was never on the couch, so I didn't have to get up," Luria retorted during her opening statement.
The barb set the tone, which was hosted by the Hampton Roads Chamber in front of members of the business community.
Both were asked how they would rate the current state of the economy on a scale from one to ten. Kiggans responded, "one, maybe a half."
Luria answered, "I choose to be more realistic. I would say it's about a six."
The two also addressed issues like high gas prices. "Vladimir Putin is deciding high gas prices right now. We cannot allow that to happen. That is why we need energy independence," said Luria.
"I think it's interesting we're blaming Putin for gas prices right now when we have 8.3-percent inflation," responded Kiggans.
The closely watched election is considered a toss-up by several election websites.
Redistricting has made the district more Republican and it now includes the Eastern Shore, Virginia Beach, parts of Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, the City of Franklin, and parts of Southampton County.
As is the subject of many TV ads, the two debated whose position on abortion is extreme. Kiggans says she's "pro-life," but supports exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.
Luria said she wants the Roe v. Wade decision to go back to being the law of the land.
"[Kiggans] does not believe in choice. She has said time and time again that she wants to restrict a woman's right to choice," said Luria.
"My opponent continues to lie on my stance on abortion. To reiterate, I've always allowed for those exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother. You can see those words coming out of my mouth today," responded Kiggans.
Towards the end, a question about the political environment made the atmosphere more intense. It led to a discussion about election integrity and whether Joe Biden won the 2020 election.
Kiggans didn't address that on stage and dodged questions from reporters after the debate on that subject. "She won't commit to her positions on things and she's not fit to serve in the United States Congress," said Luria.
Kiggans responded, "Shame on you for attacking my character as a fellow Naval officer."
After the debate News 3 asked Kiggans what she thought of Luria's remark. "It's shameful when we do that as fellow female officers. We have to have respect and I think that's lacking."
A reporter then asked Luria whether that's the type of rhetoric voters want to hear. "It's my personal opinion and I tell people my opinion when asked," she said.
The candidates will meet for two more question-and-answer sessions, including a debate on News 3 on October 25.
