Meet the candidates
Four Democrats are facing off in a primary to unseat incumbent Republican U.S. House Rep. Jen Kiggans.
Nila Devanath, Bill Fleming, Elaine Luria — who held the seat from 2019-2023 — and Patrick Mosolf are vying to replace Kiggans as the representative in Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. The district includes all of Virginia Beach, Suffolk, part of Chesapeake and the counties of Isle of Wight, Accomack and Northampton.
Virginia’s primary elections are Aug. 4. Early in-person voting began June 18 and runs through Aug. 1.
These are the Democrats on the ballot.
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Nila Devanath
Age: 38
Employment: Hospital physician, Sentara Healthcare
Education: Harvard Law School, J.D.; University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, M.D.; Yale Internal Medicine Primary Care Residency, Yale School of Medicine
Website: nilaforcongress.com
Describe a proposal you would support or introduce to lower healthcare costs for Americans.
I support universal healthcare with “Medicare for All” because healthcare is a human right. Medicare for All is a single national health insurance program administered by Medicare, which would eliminate private insurance overhead, standardize provider rates, shift to preventative care, and require bulk prescription drug negotiation. I support allowing Medicare to negotiate on all drugs it purchases; setting up a publicly-owned, not-for-profit drug company to create more competition in the marketplace and serve as a check on big pharmas that want to inflate price; and lowering the age of Medicare eligibility to bring more people into the system. I would potentially a public option (or Medicare Buy-In for All) to allow any American the choice of buying into a government-run insurance program in the marketplace as an alternative to private insurance as a first step to Medicare for All.
Would you support stricter conditions for US aid to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza/Lebanon/Iran? Why or why not?
Yes. I would support stricter conditions on U.S. military aid to Israel, just as I would for any country receiving American assistance. Our aid should be contingent on compliance with international humanitarian law, protecting civilians, and the unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance. Israel has repeatedly violated all of these conditions. Furthermore, I support Palestinian human rights, freedom, and an end to the occupation and genocide in Gaza and the West Bank.
What do you consider the biggest concern of military members and military families at home and how would you seek to address it?
We must put a stop to these endless wars and prioritize diplomacy, peace, and investments in communities at home. Our service members have needlessly been placed in harm’s way, endured extended deployments up to a year or more, and our military families have not received the support they need, especially given the sacrifices they are making. And when our service members leave the service, they often have difficulty accessing the healthcare services they need, including mental healthcare. Healthcare is one of the biggest concerns at home for our military families. As an acute care physician, I see veterans who require amputations that could have been prevented had they received healthcare services in a timely fashion. I would support or introduce legislation to shore up our services to both active duty personnel and veterans, and restore war powers to Congress to stop these endless wars.
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Bill Fleming
Age: 78
Employment: President, Terras LLC
Education: North Carolina State University, Ph. D., physics
Military service: Army
Previous elected office: Soil and Water Conservation District director
Website: BillFlemingforCongress.com
Describe a proposal you would support or introduce to lower healthcare costs for Americans:
The rising cost of healthcare is unsustainable, and private equity ownership of hospitals is making conditions worse by driving up prices and reducing quality. The United States remains the only major industrialized nation without universal healthcare, though Congress now has two major proposals from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders. I propose reviewing both plans, weighing their strengths and weaknesses, and identifying improvements. The goal is to craft a strong health for all bill that allows citizens to switch to a universal option. I expect such a system would be more affordable and more effective than today’s for-profit insurance model.
Would you support stricter conditions for US aid to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza/Lebanon/Iran? Why or why not?
I would limit U.S. aid to Israel to strictly defensive systems, such as antimissile interceptors, and redirect humanitarian assistance to civilians harmed by Israeli military actions. Estimates suggest the Israeli campaign in Gaza has killed tens of thousands, with some assessments ranging from 70,000 to over 300,000. Thousands more civilians in the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran have also been killed with U.S.-supplied weapons. The United States should not enable actions that result in such large‑scale civilian suffering, because this is not what our nation should stand for. I would also require Israel to withdraw from Gaza, the West Bank, and Southern Lebanon.
What do you consider the biggest concern of military members and military families at home and how would you seek to address it?
Military service members swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic, to bear true faith and allegiance to it, and to obey lawful orders under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Many worry they could be sent into unnecessary or unwise conflicts, or even be ordered to act against American citizens at home. They deserve respect, trust, and responsible leadership — not to be treated as second class citizens, especially by someone who avoided military service himself.
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Elaine Luria
Age: 50
Employment: Retired U.S. Navy commander
Military service: Navy
Previous elected office: U.S. House of Representative, 2nd District, 2019-2023
Education: U.S. Naval Academy, bachelor’s in physics and history; Old Dominion University, master’s, engineering management
Website: elaineforcongress.com
Describe a proposal you would support or introduce to lower healthcare costs for Americans:
No American should have to choose between the care and prescriptions they need and being able to afford rent or groceries. As the cost of living continues to skyrocket due to Jen Kiggans’ and President Trump’s failed policies, more than 30,000 Virginians have lost their ACA health insurance while Republicans cut nearly $1 trillion in Medicaid funding to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. I was proud to be one of the key votes in Congress to make health care more affordable for Virginia families by proudly standing up to big pharma and slashing prescription drug costs, capping out of pocket expenses for seniors, and capping the price of insulin at $35 a month for seniors. When I’m elected, I will proudly vote to extend the ACA credits and restore funding for critical rural and community health systems that are at risk of closing because of Kiggans’ failed policies.
Would you support stricter conditions for US aid to Israel amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza/Lebanon/Iran? Why or why not?
The human toll of the ongoing conflict in Israel, Gaza, and Lebanon is a tragedy that must end. Our goal should remain a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace alongside one another, and I believe the United States should utilize its standing in the world and its leverage with our allies to bring that about. This will require fundamental changes in behavior from both sides, including a genuine commitment to peace and humanity in the region. That way Israeli, Arab, and American leaders can begin restoring trust in one another, and start taking the steps necessary to end the conflict and build a lasting and just peace.
What do you consider the biggest concern of military members and military families at home and how would you seek to address it?
Like all working families, when the cost of gas, groceries, healthcare, and housing goes up, our military families feel the impact acutely. Solving the affordability crisis that Jen Kiggans and Donald Trump created is not just a means of bringing down prices for working Virginians, it’s an opportunity to take care of our service members and their families– giving them the support that they earned through their sacrifice. When I return to Congress, my top priority will be to serve those who serve our country, and that means repealing Trump’s tariffs that have driven up the cost of goods, bringing an end to endless wars in the Middle East that have caused energy prices to skyrocket, and lowering the cost of housing and other everyday needs, all of which have put undue financial strain on those in uniform.
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Patrick Mosolf
Candidate Patrick Mosolf did not respond to The Virginian-Pilot’s voter guide questions before the publication deadline.