Sen. Jen Kiggans, retired Air Force veteran Terry Namkung win Republican primaries

Jen Kiggans, a state senator and U.S. Navy veteran, beat out three candidates in a crowded Republican primary election Tuesday, securing the GOP nomination in the race to represent the U.S. House’s 2nd Congressional District.

“I am so honored and humbled to be the Republican Nominee in #VA02 this November,” Kiggans wrote on Twitter Tuesday night shortly after she was declared the projected winner. “This is our chance to retake control of our country. It’s time to restore American strength in our economy, at our borders, and on the world stage. Now let’s get to work!!!”

Her opponents included three fellow U.S. military veterans: Andrew “Andy” Baan, L. Tommy Altman and Jarome Bell.

Kiggans, who now works as a geriatric nurse practitioner, was elected to the state Senate in 2019.

She opted to run for Congress after redistricting placed her in the same district as Bill DeSteph, a fellow Republican who has served in the state Senate since 2016.

Her campaign received dozens of endorsements, including from U.S. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer. She is also backed by the Susan B. Anthony National Pro-Life Organization.

In a Tuesday statement, the Republican Party of Virginia congratulated Kiggans on her victory.

“During her time in the Virginia State Senate, Jen has represented her voters with integrity, working hard each day to defend their interests,” the organization wrote. “In Congress, Jen will fight for local job creation, keeping healthcare costs down, and limiting government spending. We look forward to working with Jen over the next five months and once she is in Congress.”

In a previous interview with The Pilot, Kiggans said fighting inflation, strengthening the economy, tightening border security and developing new domestic energy sources, such as opening the Keystone XL oil pipeline, would be among her top priorities.

In what’s expected to be a tight race, Kiggans will now face off against Rep. Elaine Luria in the general election in November.

Luria, a Democrat and U.S. Navy veteran, was elected in 2018.

District 3 race

In the race to represent the U.S. House’s 3rd Congressional District, Terry Namkung defeated Ted Engquist Tuesday to win the GOP nomination.

Namkung is a retired Air Force veteran who now works as a defense strategy consultant for the military. Engquist is a regional quality control engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Neither candidate has held elected office.

In a phone interview Tuesday night, Namkung told The Pilot he was “humbled and honored” to win the nomination. During his campaign, he said he spoke to many District 3 residents who are worried about crime, inflation and gas prices.

“I am going to definitely work with federal and local leaders to mitigate those issues [if elected],” he said.

Namkung said he hopes his campaign platform will appeal to voters of all parties during the general election.

“We are all Americans and we need to work together to make this nation a beacon of freedom and hope,” he said.

Namkung previously told The Pilot that he decided to run in part because of his opposition to vaccine mandates for the military. He said advocating for veterans and tighter border security would be among his top priorities.

Namkung will race against Rep. Bobby Scott, a Democrat, in the general election in November.

Scott has represented the district since 1993.

Katie King, katie.king@virginiamedia.com, 757-835-1487