The Kiggans campaign implies she would support a 15-week ban on abortion
The first statement from her campaign with a specific week mentioned.
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Executive Schedule
10:00 AM: GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN DELIVERS REMARKS VEDP ANNOUNCEMENT
LOCATION: Chester, VA
12:30 PM: GOVERNOR DELIVERS REMARKS AT V3 PROGRAM
ANNUAL AWARDS LUNCHEON
LOCATION: Richmond, VA
3:00 PM: GOVERNOR DELIVERS REMARKS AT INVESTITURE OF JUSTICE WESLEY RUSSELL
LOCATION: Supreme Court of Virginia
The rundown
National Republicans are making Jen Kiggans’ life harder as she campaigns for Congress. Kiggans’ campaign responded in a statement to Virginia Scope.
There are still no public debate plans in VA-07. A political scientist provides analysis on this.
Vega criticized Spanberger for attending the Inflation Reduction Act event with President Biden.
Dels. Brewer and Reid are scheduled to talk about continuing to expand broadband access in Virginia at an Expo in Norfolk Thursday
The latest fundraising emails sent directly to Virginia Scope
National Republicans cause problems for a Republican Virginia congressional candidate
Democrats are increasing pressure on VA-02 Republican nominee Jen Kiggans after Republicans in Congress introduced legislation to ban abortion across the country at 15 weeks. A statement from the Kiggans campaign implied that if she were to be elected, she would support a 15-week ban.
In the past, Kiggans has said that it is a state issue, not a federal one, as a way to deflect away the question and steer away from Democratic attacks calling her an extremist. Kiggans is running against two-term Rep. Elaine Luria (D) this November.
Legislation to restrict abortion currently would not pass in the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. And if Republicans gain control in the House and Senate during this year’s midterms, President Biden would most assuredly veto any sort of ban if it made it to his desk.
But that hasn’t stopped Democrats from pushing Kiggans for a response on her position. “Jen Kiggans is trying to run from and confuse voters about her record on abortion because she knows it will be toxic for her in November,” DCCC spokesperson Monica Robinson said Wednesday. “The truth is that Kiggans said in her own words that she is ‘100%, unapologetically pro-life’ and will be a rubber stamp for the Republican Party’s abortion bans in Congress.”
The Kiggans campaign responded by saying she supports common sense restrictions and implied that a 15-week ban would fall under that umbrella. "The vast majority of Virginians - and Americans - support common-sense restrictions on abortion such as protecting babies from 15 weeks on,” said Kiggans campaign spokesperson Bryan Piligra. “What Virginians don't support is the inhumane and extreme position taken by Rep. Elaine Luria who believes babies should be killed all the way through pregnancy, up until the moment of birth, which is current law in North Korea and China. While Sen. Kiggans believes the states should make these decisions, Rep. Luria voted for her extreme position to have Washington tell Virginians what to do.”
Piligra continued: “As always, Rep. Luria and the Democrats will peddle baseless lies and disinformation to distract voters from their own atrocious record that has led to 40-year high inflation, a devastating supply-chain crisis, and historically high fuel prices for coastal Virginians. Sen. Kiggans looks forward to debating Rep. Luria on whether her extremist support for taxpayer funded late-term abortion is supported by coastal Virginians."
Kiggans has always said she supports exceptions for abortion in the case of rape or incest.
Luria and Kiggans are running in a competitive House race this year. According to an analysis from VPAP:
Glenn Youngkin won VA-02 with 55% of the vote in 2021
Tim Kaine won VA-02 with 52% of the vote in 2018
Ralph Northam won VA-02 with 50.4% of vote in 2017
Related: GOP abortion bill sends Republicans into containment mode - Axios
Legislators to talk about expanding broadband in Norfolk Thursday
The Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Association of Broadband Cooperatives (VMDABC) is holding its second annual Rural Fiber Expo to discuss its progress in delivering connectivity across Virginia and also preview its path forward for rural broadband connectivity efforts in the region.
According to the announcement, Cooperatives have connected more than 30,000 Virginians since 2017. In the last year, they have also established plans for more than 140,000 homes in rural Virginia to receive fiber over the next three to five years.
Members of the General Assembly will discuss legislative funding priorities for rural broadband, legislative solutions to reducing barriers to broadband deployment, rural broadband as a bipartisan endeavor, and the importance of solving rural broadband for economic development during a panel Thursday morning at 9 a.m. Del. Emily Brewer (R), Chair of the Communications and Technology Committee, and Delegate David Reid (D), a member of the House Appropriations Committee will be participating.
“We’ve seen unparalleled progress delivering high-speed broadband to rural communities that was once considered impossible,” Reid said in a statement to Virginia Scope. “Since 2017, the Cooperatives have delivered high-speed broadband to over 30,000 Virginians in rural and remote communities, and have now established plans to reach another 140,000 homes in the next 3-5 years. High-speed broadband is the rural electrification of the last century and will drive future economic development in these communities, so we must remain committed to the success of the VATI program.”
“It’s vital for Virginians of all political stripes and backgrounds to come together to support efforts to deliver broadband to communities across the Commonwealth,” Brewer said. “This isn’t just about providing the internet, it’s about ensuring that our Commonwealth can grow, and our neighbors in remote and rural Virginia can thrive. Virginia must be the best, and thanks to Cooperatives’ leadership, we have a chance to be one of the first large states in the nation to achieve total broadband connectivity."
The event is taking place at Hilton Norfolk the Main.
Will there be a debate in VA-07?
As of right now, there are still no public plans for a debate in Virginia’s highly competitive seventh congressional district.