NORFOLK, Va. — With more than a year until the 2024 elections, a Democratic candidate is throwing her hat into the ring for the U.S. House seat held by Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans.
Missy Cotter Smasal announced on Wednesday morning her campaign for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, which is comprised of Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk and Franklin, along with Southampton, Isle of Wight, Northampton and Accomack Counties.
She previously ran for the Virginia Senate in 2019 against Republican Bill DeSteph in the 8th District, losing 48% to 52%.
In a news release, Cotter Smasal said she would focus on "Coastal Virginia priorities, particularly the local economy, education, and military and veteran issues" if elected.
“As a former small business owner, I saw in real time how chaos in Washington can impact businesses in Hampton Roads," Cotter Smasal wrote."Our local economy thrives when government and military services are stable and reliable. I will always advocate for policies that allow Coastal Virginia to flourish."
She also criticized Kiggans, who is serving in her first term, arguing she hasn't stood up for her region and focused on military families and veterans.
When announcing her campaign, Cotter Smasal unveiled a list of high-profile endorsements from fellow Democrats, including former Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, U.S. Rep. Jennifer McClellan and Virginia Sen. Louise Lucas.
The 2024 House election in Virginia's 2nd District is expected to be hotly contested, considering the close result of the 2022 election and the district's history of changing hands between Democrats and Republicans. Kiggans, who was a Virginia state senator, defeated the two-term Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria 51% to 48%.
Leading up to the 2022 election, political forecasters such as the Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball considered the race between Kiggans and Luria to be a tossup.
In a sign that Virginia's 2nd District is still seen as competitive, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced in April it is planning to target Kiggans' seat in its effort to reclaim a Democratic House majority in 2024.
A spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee responded to Smasal's announcement saying that "Missy Cotter Smasal is an extreme Democrat with a losing record who is the wrong fit for this district. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Jen Kiggans is delivering support for service members' mental health and fighting to preserve Medicare and Social Security.”