2024 Virginia (VA-02) US House of Representatives Voters Guide

Missy Cotter Smasal (D) vs Jennifer Kiggans (R)

US House | Election | Nov 5, 2024

The Candidates

Missy Cotter Smasal

Missy Cotter Smasal

Democrat

Jennifer Kiggans

Jennifer Kiggans

Republican

Incumbent

The Issues

Abortion

Ban or legal?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Legal. Is “pro-choice.” Supports federal protection of abortion rights, birth control, and “an innate right to control your own body.” Called overturning of Roe v. Wade “an attack on your rights and freedoms.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Mostly ban. Applauded overturning of Roe v. Wade. “It’s a state’s rights issue.” Is pro-life. Supports a 15-week ban with exceptions. Opposed funding abortion for military members, calling it “elective surgery.”

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Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Yes. “We need urgent action” to address “the climate crisis,” which “affects our economy, schools, transportation, and… national security.” Supports “clean energy production [and] science-based solutions.” “We see the very real impact of climate change in our neighborhoods every day.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

No. Supported cutting funds to the EPA for enforcing Clean Air Act. Voted to repeal the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Voted to reverse Biden climate policies. Voted to prohibit federal bans on fracking. Co-chairs the Conservative Climate Caucus: “fossil fuels can and should be a major part of the global solution.”

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Criminal Justice

How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Will “fund initiatives to keep illegal guns and drugs off our streets” and increase “federal support for the police and first responders.” “By addressing crime at its source and equipping those on the front lines, we can create safer communities.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

First responders “deserve our respect and support.” Will “never support legislation that weakens law enforcement” and backs giving them “the best possible technology.” Voted to recruit more officers, condemn defunding the police, and repeal a DC ban on neck restraints.

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Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Increase. “We need to stop the price gouging… and stop massive corporations from buying up houses and raising rent.” “Crack down on oil and gas companies, massive food conglomerates, and multinational retailers and hold them accountable.” Would incentivize first-time home buyers.

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Mostly decrease. Supports reducing spending and the government’s “regulatory burden.” Voted for a $4.5 trillion spending cut. Sponsored a bill to increase microchip production by “cutting red tape.” Supports funding for southeast Virginia infrastructure projects.

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Education

Limit teaching about racism and gender identity?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Likely no. “We celebrate the generations of Black leaders that have shaped… our country.” Supports a “great to-go kit for families to learn about Black History” made available by a local library.

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Likely yes. Opposes “policies that divide our children—like Critical Race Theory.” Introduced a bill to ban the teaching of “inherently divisive concepts.” All history, the good and the bad, should be taught, but not “anything that’s dividing.”

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2020 Presidential Election

Did Joe Biden legitimately win the 2020 Presidential election?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Yes. Opposes a 2022 VA Senate bill calling for an audit of the 2020 election. Criticizes “extremists who backed the domestic terror attack on our Capitol on January 6th.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Unclear. In 2022 was one of four VA senators to vote for a $70 million audit of the 2020 election. In 2021 said Biden’s win was legitimate; in 2022 wouldn’t respond to the same yes-or-no question.

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Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Likely tighten. Supports restoring the Chesapeake Bay “in a bi-partisan way.” Is “committed to protecting our local environment.” “I believe in strong stewardship for our environment…. I want Virginia Beach to be sustainable and healthy for the future.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Mixed. Supports “conservation”; opposes “costly regulations.” Sponsored a bill that expands coastal areas where federal funds can’t be used to develop ecologically sensitive areas. Voted against allowing the EPA to regulate emissions for new motor vehicles.

Click To Share Stance

Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun regulation?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Tighten. “I’m committed to gun violence prevention, safer communities, and preventing veteran suicide.” Supports “commonsense measures” like “red flag” laws, safe storage of guns, and universal background checks.

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Loosen. Calls herself “a staunch defender of the Second Amendment.” In VA Senate voted against a “red flag” law, against requiring background checks for gun sales, and against allowing localities to ban guns in certain public spaces.

Click To Share Stance

Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for healthcare?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Increase. Supports Obamacare, capping insulin costs at $35, and letting Medicare negotiate lower drug prices. Would hold drug companies “accountable for price gouging.” Calls for “a public option that can lower insurance costs… by increasing choice and competition.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Increase. Sponsored bills expanding Medicare to cover nutrition therapy and telehealth services. Sponsored a bill providing tax credits to family caregivers. Sponsored a bill allowing nurses to provide some Medicare and Medicaid services.

Click To Share Stance

Immigration

How to handle immigration?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

“A secure border is fundamental to our national security.” Wants better technology, more funding for Border Patrol, and greater capacity in immigration courts. We should know “who’s coming across the border.” We “can do that in a humane way.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Voted to resume building the Trump border wall, increase the number of patrol agents, and strip funding from nonprofits that aid migrants. Voted against using federal lands to house migrants.

Click To Share Stance

Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Easier. Will “fight for stronger labor protections” and “good-paying union jobs.” “From fair wages to safer working conditions, unions have paved the way for a strong middle class.” “I will always stand with the union members in our district.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Harder. “It’s very important that we keep Virginia a right to work state,” in which employees at a unionized workplace are allowed to not pay union dues. Sponsored a National Right to Work Act.

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LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Likely expand. Is “proud to earn the endorsement” of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocate.

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Mixed. Voted to deny coverage of transgender care for military personnel. Opposed allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports. As a VA senator, voted to protect LGBTQ people in housing, employment, and credit transactions.

Click To Share Stance

Marijuana

Ban or legal?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

No position found.

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Ban. Opposed setting up retail licenses, legalizing simple possession, expunging some marijuana-related crimes. Sponsored a bill allowing nursing homes to dispense cannabis.

Click To Share Stance

Minimum Wage

Raise the federal minimum from $7.25 per hour?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

No position found. About the dockworkers’ strike, workers should “have the fair wages, benefits, and working conditions they deserve.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Likely no. In 2020 as a VA senator, voted against raising Virginia’s minimum wage gradually to $15 by 2026.

Click To Share Stance

Student Financial Aid

Support lowering interest on student loans and/or forgiving them?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

No position found.

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

No. The “student debt bailout” is “offensive” to people who couldn’t afford college or didn’t take out loans and will “drive up tuition costs.” Voted to block a student loan payment pause and forgiveness rule.

Click To Share Stance

Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Raise. “The wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes by lifting the Social Security tax cap for high income earners to keep the program funded.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Lower. Voted to retract IRS funding for increased tax enforcement on high earners. Sponsored bill extending 2017 Trump tax cuts, which included the largest one-time cut in the corporate tax rate, tax breaks for the wealthy.

Click To Share Stance

Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Missy Cotter Smasal (D)

Easier. “I am running to protect voting rights.” Is “committed to… uplifting the voices and concerns of voters of color who are too often ignored.”

Jennifer Kiggans (R)

Harder. Supports requiring photo IDs to vote and prohibiting people from delivering the ballots of other people. Voted to require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

Click To Share Stance

guides.vote is a nonpartisan effort to show where candidates stand. We do not support or oppose any political party or candidate. We have space for candidates polling 15% or more. Check out others including Robert Reid (I). Vote411.org offers guides to local races and how to vote. For campuses, see Campus Vote Project’s state-specific guides to student voting rules.

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Missy Cotter Smasal

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Jennifer Kiggans

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Missy Cotter Smasal

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See guides.vote for online guides with links & sources https://missy4congress.com/ https://jenforcongress.com/
Abortion

Ban or legal?

Legal. Is “pro-choice.” Supports federal protection of abortion rights, birth control, and “an innate right to control your own body.” Called overturning of Roe v. Wade “an attack on your rights and freedoms.”Mostly ban. Applauded overturning of Roe v. Wade. “It’s a state’s rights issue.” Is pro-life. Supports a 15-week ban with exceptions. Opposed funding abortion for military members, calling it “elective surgery.”
Climate Change

Should climate change be a top priority?

Yes. “We need urgent action” to address “the climate crisis,” which “affects our economy, schools, transportation, and… national security.” Supports “clean energy production [and] science-based solutions.” “We see the very real impact of climate change in our neighborhoods every day.”No. Supported cutting funds to the EPA for enforcing Clean Air Act. Voted to repeal the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Voted to reverse Biden climate policies. Voted to prohibit federal bans on fracking. Co-chairs the Conservative Climate Caucus: “fossil fuels can and should be a major part of the global solution.”
Criminal Justice

How to ensure effectiveness and fairness in law enforcement?

Will “fund initiatives to keep illegal guns and drugs off our streets” and increase “federal support for the police and first responders.” “By addressing crime at its source and equipping those on the front lines, we can create safer communities.”First responders “deserve our respect and support.” Will “never support legislation that weakens law enforcement” and backs giving them “the best possible technology.” Voted to recruit more officers, condemn defunding the police, and repeal a DC ban on neck restraints.
Economy

Decrease or increase government investment in, and regulation of, the economy?

Increase. “We need to stop the price gouging… and stop massive corporations from buying up houses and raising rent.” “Crack down on oil and gas companies, massive food conglomerates, and multinational retailers and hold them accountable.” Would incentivize first-time home buyers.Mostly decrease. Supports reducing spending and the government’s “regulatory burden.” Voted for a $4.5 trillion spending cut. Sponsored a bill to increase microchip production by “cutting red tape.” Supports funding for southeast Virginia infrastructure projects.
Education

Limit teaching about racism and gender identity?

Likely no. “We celebrate the generations of Black leaders that have shaped… our country.” Supports a “great to-go kit for families to learn about Black History” made available by a local library.Likely yes. Opposes “policies that divide our children—like Critical Race Theory.” Introduced a bill to ban the teaching of “inherently divisive concepts.” All history, the good and the bad, should be taught, but not “anything that’s dividing.”
2020 Presidential Election

Did Joe Biden legitimately win the 2020 Presidential election?

Yes. Opposes a 2022 VA Senate bill calling for an audit of the 2020 election. Criticizes “extremists who backed the domestic terror attack on our Capitol on January 6th.”Unclear. In 2022 was one of four VA senators to vote for a $70 million audit of the 2020 election. In 2021 said Biden’s win was legitimate; in 2022 wouldn’t respond to the same yes-or-no question.
Environment

Loosen or tighten environmental regulations?

Likely tighten. Supports restoring the Chesapeake Bay “in a bi-partisan way.” Is “committed to protecting our local environment.” “I believe in strong stewardship for our environment…. I want Virginia Beach to be sustainable and healthy for the future.”Mixed. Supports “conservation”; opposes “costly regulations.” Sponsored a bill that expands coastal areas where federal funds can’t be used to develop ecologically sensitive areas. Voted against allowing the EPA to regulate emissions for new motor vehicles.
Gun Laws

Loosen or tighten gun regulation?

Tighten. “I’m committed to gun violence prevention, safer communities, and preventing veteran suicide.” Supports “commonsense measures” like “red flag” laws, safe storage of guns, and universal background checks.Loosen. Calls herself “a staunch defender of the Second Amendment.” In VA Senate voted against a “red flag” law, against requiring background checks for gun sales, and against allowing localities to ban guns in certain public spaces.
Health Care

Increase or decrease government support for healthcare?

Increase. Supports Obamacare, capping insulin costs at $35, and letting Medicare negotiate lower drug prices. Would hold drug companies “accountable for price gouging.” Calls for “a public option that can lower insurance costs… by increasing choice and competition.”Increase. Sponsored bills expanding Medicare to cover nutrition therapy and telehealth services. Sponsored a bill providing tax credits to family caregivers. Sponsored a bill allowing nurses to provide some Medicare and Medicaid services.
Immigration

How to handle immigration?

“A secure border is fundamental to our national security.” Wants better technology, more funding for Border Patrol, and greater capacity in immigration courts. We should know “who’s coming across the border.” We “can do that in a humane way.”Voted to resume building the Trump border wall, increase the number of patrol agents, and strip funding from nonprofits that aid migrants. Voted against using federal lands to house migrants.
Labor

Make it easier or harder for unions to organize?

Easier. Will “fight for stronger labor protections” and “good-paying union jobs.” “From fair wages to safer working conditions, unions have paved the way for a strong middle class.” “I will always stand with the union members in our district.”Harder. “It’s very important that we keep Virginia a right to work state,” in which employees at a unionized workplace are allowed to not pay union dues. Sponsored a National Right to Work Act.
LGBTQ Rights

Limit or expand LGBTQ rights?

Likely expand. Is “proud to earn the endorsement” of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocate.Mixed. Voted to deny coverage of transgender care for military personnel. Opposed allowing transgender athletes in women’s sports. As a VA senator, voted to protect LGBTQ people in housing, employment, and credit transactions.
Marijuana

Ban or legal?

No position found.Ban. Opposed setting up retail licenses, legalizing simple possession, expunging some marijuana-related crimes. Sponsored a bill allowing nursing homes to dispense cannabis.
Minimum Wage

Raise the federal minimum from $7.25 per hour?

No position found. About the dockworkers’ strike, workers should “have the fair wages, benefits, and working conditions they deserve.”Likely no. In 2020 as a VA senator, voted against raising Virginia’s minimum wage gradually to $15 by 2026.
Student Financial Aid

Support lowering interest on student loans and/or forgiving them?

No position found.No. The “student debt bailout” is “offensive” to people who couldn’t afford college or didn’t take out loans and will “drive up tuition costs.” Voted to block a student loan payment pause and forgiveness rule.
Taxes

Raise or lower taxes on corporations and wealthier individuals?

Raise. “The wealthy should pay their fair share in taxes by lifting the Social Security tax cap for high income earners to keep the program funded.”Lower. Voted to retract IRS funding for increased tax enforcement on high earners. Sponsored bill extending 2017 Trump tax cuts, which included the largest one-time cut in the corporate tax rate, tax breaks for the wealthy.
Voting Rules

Make voting harder or easier?

Easier. “I am running to protect voting rights.” Is “committed to… uplifting the voices and concerns of voters of color who are too often ignored.”Harder. Supports requiring photo IDs to vote and prohibiting people from delivering the ballots of other people. Voted to require proof of citizenship for voter registration.

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