Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans wins reelection in Virginia Beach district

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Va.) on Tuesday won reelection to Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ projects, defeating a challenge from Democrat Missy Cotter Smasal.

Kiggans, a former Navy helicopter pilot and a nurse practitioner, had flipped the Virginia Beach district to Republican control in the 2022 midterms.

By winning the district, Republicans may be growing more confident about their prospects of keeping control of the House. Operatives in both parties were looking at the race as a barometer for other House districts that are expected to be called much later, and a Democratic win in that seat would have signaled trouble for Republicans nationwide.

Cotter Smasal, also a Navy veteran and a former small business owner, was not the only other candidate on the ballot.

Shadowy outside groups and a Democratic-aligned PAC sought to boost independent candidate Robert E. Reid — who had raised no money and had no campaign website — by siphoning votes away from Kiggans. Mailers sent to voters called Kiggans a “RINO” while highlighting Reid’s conservative positions.

Reid was one of several candidates across the country who was recruited by Patriots Run Project, The Associated Press reported in September. The group was reportedly connected to Democratic firms.

Kiggans criticized the “unethical and shady tactics” in a September press conference, accusing Democrats of “lying and cheating in an attempt to trick voters.”

Since joining Congress, Kiggans has focused on military and veteran issues.