From the Cockpit to the Clinic
Before entering politics, Jennifer “Jen” Kiggans had two distinct, demanding careers. Born in Tampa, Florida, she began her professional life in the U.S. Navy. Over ten years, she served as a helicopter pilot, flying H-46 and H-3 aircraft and completing two deployments to the Persian Gulf. This decade of military service, which also saw her husband serve as an F/A-18 pilot, deeply rooted her in the armed forces community—a key constituency in her Virginia Beach-based district. After her military career, Kiggans used her GI Bill benefits to pursue a second calling: healthcare. She earned a nursing degree from Old Dominion University and a master's from Vanderbilt University, becoming a board-certified adult-geriatric nurse practitioner. In this
role, she provided primary care to seniors in nursing homes and private practice, giving her a frontline perspective on healthcare affordability and accessibility.
Entering the Political Arena
Frustrated with what she viewed as divisive and ineffective politics, Kiggans decided to run for office herself. In 2019, she won a seat in the Virginia State Senate, representing a competitive district that included parts of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. During her three years in Richmond, she focused on issues reflecting her background, championing legislation to support military families, including the creation of a Military Spouse Liaison position. She also advocated for patients and caregivers in long-term care facilities. Her record in the state legislature wasn't always strictly along party lines; she notably voted to expand non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ individuals. However, she also took conservative stances, such as introducing a bill related to transgender student-athletes and supporting an audit of the 2020 election.
On the National Stage in Congress
In 2022, Kiggans made the jump to federal politics, challenging incumbent Democrat Elaine Luria for Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. The race in the military-heavy district was highly competitive, but Kiggans secured a victory with 51.6% of the vote. Since taking office in January 2023, she has been assigned to committees that align with her expertise and her district's priorities: the House Armed Services Committee, the Veterans' Affairs Committee, and the Natural Resources Committee. Her legislative work often bridges her military and healthcare experience. She helped re-establish the Congressional Nursing Caucus to give a greater voice to the profession in government and has co-sponsored bipartisan bills aimed at expanding telehealth coverage under Medicare.
Key Policy Stances and Record
As a congresswoman, Kiggans has focused on several key areas. Economically, she identifies as a fiscal conservative, advocating for reduced government spending and opposing tax increases. She voted for the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, which cut over $2 trillion in spending while protecting funding for veterans, Social Security, and Medicare. On national security, she is a staunch advocate for a well-funded military, leveraging her position on the Armed Services Committee to direct resources to the Hampton Roads naval community and improve quality of life for service members. On healthcare, her experience as a nurse practitioner informs her focus on affordability and access to primary care. Her voting record reflects a reliably conservative stance on many issues, earning her a 58% scorecard from the conservative group Heritage Action for the 118th Congress, while the AFL-CIO gave her a 1% lifetime score, indicating frequent opposition to the labor federation's positions.
