Jen Kiggans

Jennifer A. Kiggans (born January 1, 1971) is an American politician and nurse practitioner. She is a Republican member of the Virginia Senate. She was first elected in 2019, and represents the 7th district, comprising parts of the cities of Virginia Beach and Norfolk. Previously, Kiggans was a United States Navy helicopter pilot.

Jen Kiggans
Member of the Virginia Senate
from the 7th district
Assumed office
January 8, 2020
Preceded byFrank Wagner
Personal details
Born (1971-01-01) January 1, 1971[1]
Tampa, Florida, U.S.[1]
Political partyRepublican[1]
Spouse(s)Steve Kiggans[1]
Children4[2]
ResidenceVirginia Beach, Virginia[3]
EducationBoston University (BA)
Old Dominion University (BSN)
Vanderbilt University (MSN)[1]
ProfessionNurse Practitioner; Naval officer
CommitteesGeneral Laws and Technology
Local Government
Rehabilitation and Social Services
Websitejenforva.com
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1993–2003

Early life and career

Kiggans was born in Tampa, Florida, but graduated from high school in Orlando, Florida.[4] As a high school student she worked in Walt Disney World.[5]

From 1993 to 1994 Kiggans taught English in Japan through the JET Programme.[3] She also lived in Japan as a Navy spouse, living there for about five years in total.[5]

Kiggans was a United States Navy pilot for ten years, flying H-46 and H-3 helicopters.[6]

After serving in the military, Kiggans attended nursing school at Old Dominion University and Vanderbilt University. She is currently an adult geriatric nurse practictioner at Eastern Virginia Medical School and in private practice.[2]

Political career

In 2019, Kiggans ran for the Virginia Senate for the 7th district, which was being vacated by Republican incumbent Frank Wagner. In the Republican Party primary Kiggans defeated Virginia Beach School Board member Carolyn Weems by a margin of 52% to 48%.[7]

In the general election, Kiggans faced Democratic state delegate Cheryl Turpin. The race was viewed as competitive, as the district had very narrowly favored Democrats in recent statewide elections.[8][9] Kiggans and Turpin each spent over $500,000 on television advertisements.[10] Ultimately, Kiggans won by a 50.4% to 49.5% margin.[11]

Personal life

Jen Kiggans is a lifelong Catholic who is married to Steve Kiggans, a retired Navy F-18 pilot. They have four children.[5]

Kiggans is friends with state senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond). They were the only two senators first elected in 2019 who did not previously serve in the House of Delegates.[4]

References
  1. "Jen A. Kiggans". Senate of Virginia. Retrieved 2020-01-18.
  2. Albiges, Marie (June 3, 2020). "School board member, Navy pilot face off in Virginia Beach Senate GOP primary". The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  3. "Jennifer Kiggans' Biography". Vote Smart. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  4. Vozzella, Laura (December 27, 2019). "Virginia Senate gains two political outsiders and friends". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  5. Hall, Matt (November 3, 2019). "Interview: Veteran Jen Kiggans Runs for 7th State Senate District". Bearing Drift. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  6. Mitchell, Lynn (April 1, 2019). "Veteran Navy Pilot Jen Kiggans Enters Race for 7th Senate District". Bearing Drift. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  7. "2019 Senate of Virginia Republican Primary - District 7". Virginia State Board of Elections. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  8. Oliver, Ned (September 4, 2019). "Cheat sheet: The House and Senate races most likely to decide control of Virginia's statehouse". Virginia Mercury. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  9. "Open Seat Profile - SD7". Virginia Public Access Project. October 17, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2020.
  10. O'Keefe, Jimmy (October 24, 2019). "Va. Senate Candidates Ramp Up Attack Ads Ahead Of Election Day". WHSV-TV. Capital News Service. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
  11. "2019 November General - Member Senate of Virginia (007)". Virginia State Board of Elections. November 10, 2019. Retrieved January 18, 2020.
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