Climate Candidate Briefing:
Elaine Luria (VA-2)
Race Status & Polling
Elaine Luria’s race is rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball. As a sitting member of Congress, she is an incumbent candidate, meaning she’s playing defense against a challenger.
This section will be updated with district-specific poll results as they are published.
Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District
Virginia’s 2nd congressional district comprises Virginia’s detached Eastern Shore region and includes the cities Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and parts of Norfolk.
VA-2 is the median congressional district in the nationwide partisanship index. In 2020, Elaine Luria won reelection by seven percentage points. But Virginia has since redrawn its congressional map, which changed the district’s partisan voter index from R+2 to R+6. This puts Elaine Luria at a disadvantage relative to her last election.
Elaine’s Climate Position & Record
According to the League of Conservation Voters scorecard, Rep. Luria takes favorable votes on climate 96% of the time, averaged across her terms in Congress. She is devoted to Chesapeake Bay conservation and building infrastructure resiliency against the threat of sea level rise. She has cosponsored numerous climate-related bills and is publicly vocal about the threat the climate crisis poses to her district.
Elaine’s campaign website outlines a climate platform centered on environmental protection, banning drilling off the Atlantic coast, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions:
“Reducing America’s reliance on foreign oil, while simultaneously combatting climate change is essential to our national security and protecting our coastal region. This is a threat Congress must address today, particularly in coastal communities that are impacted by sea level rise and recurrent flooding.
I’ve led the charge to make Coastal Virginia a national and global leader in our clean energy future. For our district this is not a problem of tomorrow, it’s a threat today. I have laid out a bold vision for cutting greenhouse gas emissions while investing in the jobs and infrastructure of the future … I am also helping lead the critical fight against drilling off the coast of Virginia.”
Climate impacts:
Virginia’s second congressional district faces a severe threat of sea level rise. According to a report by the Virginia Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine, the rate of relative sea level rise in this region is among the highest in the U.S. Sea level at Norfolk could rise by almost seven feet by the year 2100. Over 200 miles of roadway along the Eastern Shore could be permanently underwater by 2060.
Already, sea level rise has compromised 50% of Norfolk’s stormwater infrastructure capacity.
Flood damage from a “100-year storm” could shrink the local economy by $611 million.
By the 2040s, the region could see an excess of 170 heat-related deaths per year.
Climate attitudes:
According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, 64% of voters in VA-2 are concerned about climate change, while 70% believe it will harm future generations. Both are slightly lower than the national average.
Sixty-one percent believe Congress should do more about climate change, on par with with the national average. However, only 52% believe climate change should be a “high priority” for the next president and Congress, below the national average.
Climate issues tend not to be discussed much among the electorate. Only 35% indicated they talk about climate change even “occasionally,” which is about the national average.
The Opposition
Elaine’s opponent, Jen Kiggins, has no climate platform and no demonstrated commitment to a just clean energy transition. Her views on the issues that are intersectional with climate run contrary to the goals of the climate movement.
Key Dates and Resources
September 23: First day of early in-person voting
October 17: Voter registration deadline
October 28: Mail-in ballot application deadline
November 8: General election (mailed ballots must be received by this date)
Resources
2022 House race ratings (Cook Political Report)
2022 House Crystal Ball (Larry Sabato, UVA Center for Politics)
2022 House elections (FiveThirtyEight)
Member of Congress scorecard (League of Conservation Voters)
Follow @elaineluriava on Twitter to stay up to date!