Update - 2:30 p.m. Wednesday: Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, declared on social media early Wednesday morning that she had kept her seat in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
"It is the honor of a lifetime to be chosen to represent (the 2nd District) in Congress again," Kiggans wrote. "I’m incredibly thankful that Southeast Virginia has once again chosen commonsense conservatism… together we will get our country back on the right track and secure America’s success…! THANK YOU!"
With more than 99% of votes tallied, Kiggans held about a 4% lead over Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal, according to the state's Department of Elections website.
Kiggans received congratulatory messages from Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General Jason Miyares on Wednesday afternoon.
Cotter Smasal said shortly after midnight that her campaign was waiting for “every lawful vote to be counted.” She hadn't appeared to weigh in on the results as of 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Kiggan's victory announcement came about an hour after she told supporters gathered at the Westin hotel in Virginia Beach that results were trickling in slowly and a winner wasn't clear.
Incumbents hold strong in other districts
The sitting Congress members in Hampton Roads’ three other Congressional districts all cruised to victory Tuesday.
In the first Congressional district, which stretches from Poquoson to Westmoreland, Republican Rep. Rob Wittman retained his seat. When electoral lines were redrawn in 2021, the addition of suburbs close to Richmond weakened the Republican tilt of the district, but not enough to allow Democratic challenger Leslie Mehta to take the district this year.
As of midnight Tuesday, preliminary results from the state showed Whitman leading Mehta by more than 13%.
In the 3rd Congressional District, which includes Newport News, Norfolk, Hampton and parts of Portsmouth and Chesapeake, longtime Democratic Congressman Bobby Scott had little trouble keeping the seat he’s held since 1996.
Republican John Sitka, who previously ran unsuccessfully for state and local offices in Norfolk and made his first bid for federal election this election season, garnered only about 30% of the vote for the 3rd Congressional District, leaving Scott with a commanding win.
Democrat Jennifer McClellan was able to secure her first full term in the 4th Congressional District, beating back a challenge from Republican newcomer Bill Moher. McClellan won a special election for the seat in 2023 after the death of Rep. Donald McEachin.
As of midnight Tuesday night, McClellan had claimed about two-thirds of the vote.
Stretching from Richmond to the North Carolina state line, and including Sussex and Surry counties, the 4th District is a Democratic stronghold due to the concentration of voters from southern Richmond and Petersburg.
