VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal wins primary election for District Two and will face incumbent Virginia Beach Congresswoman Jen Kiggans in November.
The District 2 seat makes up Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Franklin, parts of Accomack, Northampton, Isle of Wigh and Southampton Counties.
Missy Cotter Smasal faced off against Jake Denton in the Democratic primary race.
Cotter Smasal describes herself as a Navy veteran, mom and former small business owner who has lived in Virginia Beach for over two decades.
"In 2024, I feel like there’s so much energy. People really care about their reproductive rights. They really care about their voting rights. People are fired up and ready to vote," said Cotter Smasal.
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She says her campaign will focus on standing up for Coastal Virginia’s families, military and veterans.
"People here really want a serious chance," Cotter Smasal previously told News 3. "They're frustrated with the chaos that they're seeing from DC and the Republicans in Congress. They want someone who's going to stand up for their values."
The establishment of the Democratic party has lined up behind her.
This isn’t Cotter Smasal’s first time vying for office as she previously ran for State Senate in 2019, losing to Republican Bill DeSteph.
Jake Denton is a lawyer and first-time political candidate who grew up in Virginia Beach.
"I think that we need to do a better job of taking care of our veterans, our military families, for an economy that actually works for everyone," said Cotter Smasal during her celebration speech at Ballyhoos restaurant in Virginia Beach.
She said voters are tired of the MAGA extremists. She said this election is about freedom and spoke out against Kiggans for supporting of Donald Trump.
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Kiggans, a former helicopter pilot in the Navy and nurse practitioner who lives in Virginia Beach, defeated incumbent Elaine Luria last November to win the seat for the 2nd Congressional District. The district was redistricted before last November's election, making the district redder. 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.
A campaign spokesperson issued the following statement after Tuesday's primary win:
"Missy Cotter Smasal is an out-of-touch liberal activist who would be nothing more than a rubber stamp for Joe Biden and the Democrats' destructive policies. This November, voters in southeast Virginia will once again reject Washington liberals' failed agenda and reelect Jen Kiggans, a commonsense conservative with a proven track record of delivering results for families, veterans, and seniors. Virginians are tired of the Democrats taking our country and our Commonwealth in the wrong direction and will come out in November to vote against weak leadership and misguided policies. Missy is the wrong choice for Virginia and the wrong choice for America."
Kiggans flipped the district red two years ago.
