Hakeem Jeffries

An endangered Virginia Republican lawmaker enthusiastically agreed with a right-wing radio host who took a racist pot shot at Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, saying he should “keep his cotton-picking hands off” the state.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia), who is white and represents a swingy Virginia Beach congressional district, suggested she agreed with the swipe at Jeffries, the Brooklyn lawmaker who is the first Black leader of a major party in the House of Representatives.

“That’s right. I … ditto,” Kiggans said to Richmond podcaster Rich Herrera, stressing her agreement by repeating it several times. “Yes. Yes to that.”

Kiggans later said said she does not “condone” the use of the racist phrase, which refers to the fact Black slaves often toiled on cotton plantations in the South, even though she made no effort to correct or soften the remarks in real time.

She called the controversy a Democratic “lie and distortion” but said Jeffries shouldn’t set foot in Virginia. She also misspelled the Democratic leader’s last name in a tweet.

“The radio host should not have used that language and I do not — and did not — condone it,” Kiggans tweeted. “I was agreeing Hakeem Jefferies (sic) should stay out of Virginia.”

Jeffries, who stands to become the first Black House Speaker if Democrats flip the House in the midterms, did not immediately comment on Kiggans, but he retweeted a call for Kiggans to resign.

“Extremists who endorse disgusting vile and racist language are pathetic,” said Christie Stephenson, a spokeswoman for Jeffries. “The voters of Virginia will hold her accountable at the ballot box in November.”

Jeffries and his Democratic allies suffered a serious setback last week when the Virginia Supreme Court overturned the results of a referendum that approved a new congressional map of the state aimed at flipping four GOP-held seats, including the one held by Kiggans.