Missy Cotter Smasal handily defeated Jake Denton Tuesday to earn the Democratic nomination for Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A crowd of supporters chanted her name as she stepped onto a small stage at Ballyhoos Restaurant in Virginia Beach to celebrate her victory.
“We are coming to win this seat on Nov. 5,” Smasal said. “This election is about freedom — the freedom to control our own bodies and the freedom to vote without threat of intimidation or violence because of the results.”
Smasal now faces a fierce fight against incumbent Jen Kiggans, a Republican who ousted Democrat Elaine Luria from the seat two years ago. The November election is expected to be among the most competitive in the nation and could help determine which party holds the House of Representatives.
The primary race between Smasal and Denton remained cordial, with both campaigns taking aim at Kiggans or the Republican Party rather than one another. But once Smasal was declared the Democratic nominee, she and Kiggans were immediately trading barbs.
“We know that Jen Kiggans has endorsed the convicted felon named Donald Trump,” Smasal told the crowd. “Just in the past few weeks, she has called those 34 convictions part of a rigged trial. Jen Kiggans has proven that she will not stand with us; she will choose Donald Trump and MAGA extremism every time.”
Minutes after Smasal’s victory, Kiggans’ campaign released a statement calling Smasal an “out-of-touch liberal activist” who would rubber stamp Democrats’ and Joe Biden’s policies.
The National Republican Congressional Committee also issued a news release praising Kiggans’ work for seniors and veterans.
“Smasal leaves the primary laden with baggage that will turn off Virginians, while facing the dreaded task of answering for Joe Biden’s failures,” said committee spokesperson Delanie Bomar. “(Kiggans has) made clear that she is a fighter who delivers for southeast Virginia families.”
Smasal, 46, is a Navy veteran who served as a surface warfare officer during Operation Enduring Freedom. She works as the executive director for Valor Run, a nonprofit that honors military women, and is an adjunct professor at Old Dominion University.
Tuesday’s results came in so quickly, Smasal hadn’t even arrived at Ballyhoos when the race was called. The Associated Press called the race at 8:04 p.m., an hour after Virginia polls closed. With 70% of the votes counted, Smasal had 70% to Denton’s 30%.
Denton and Smasal raised $314,352 and $771,411 as of May 29, respectively, according to the most recent data from the Virginia Public Access Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that tracks campaign donations. VPAP reports that Kiggans has raised $3,493,371.
Smasal and Denton shared some major policy priorities, with both identifying the protection of voting rights and reproductive health care as top concerns. Neither candidate previously held elected office.
Denton, an attorney, thanked his team and supporters in a Wednesday news release.
“We worked tirelessly — making phone calls, putting out yard signs, urging our friends and family to vote,” he said. “We came up short. But, I believe that we’ve made a huge difference for American democracy.”
Denton shared his support for Smasal and said he believed she would defend democracy and the constitution in Congress.
Smasal told The Virginian-Pilot that she’s confident the district will turn blue again in November.
“This is about reproductive rights and voting rights and protecting democracy,” she said. “Voters are fired up and focused on that and I am convinced that we are going to have high turnout — people are going to demand their freedoms and we will be the champions of those freedoms.”
Carrie Short, a Norfolk resident, was among those who came out to the campaign watch party to show support. Short explained she had volunteered with Smasal’s campaign.
“Missy has been on the ground for over a year meeting with community groups and organizations,” she said. “I’m very excited to see her on the ballot against Kiggans this fall.”
Katie King, katie.king@virginianmedia.com
