Hampton Roads Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R) removed parts of her campaign website discussing the economic struggles of Virginians.
As gas prices rose across Virginia this year, Hampton Roads area Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (R) removed parts of her campaign website discussing the cost of gas and the economic struggles of Virginians.
Kiggans represents Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District and is up for reelection this year in one of the most competitive races in the country. There are four Democrats vying to challenge Kiggans for her seat, which she has held since 2023.
Like most political candidates, Kiggans has a campaign website with a page that discusses her stances on different issues and her record.
A section on this page called, “The Cost of Living,” was previously called, “Cutting Inflation & The Cost of Living,” according to an April version of the webpage archived on the Wayback Machine, a digital repository.
This section previously began by tying President Joe Biden and Democratic policies to “historic price increases that taxpayers are still struggling to keep up with.”
The section continued: “For Virginians, this means paying more for gas, groceries, meals, cars, houses, and everything in between. High cost of living continues to eliminate wage increases for Americans (including active duty military) who are struggling to make ends meet in Joe Biden’s economy.”
Today, those parts have been cut, even as inflation has surged in the wake of the US and Israel’s war with Iran. A report from the US Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday showed consumer prices in April were at their highest level in almost three years.
“People are facing the highest inflation in 3 years and having their wage gains wiped out by inflation,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, posted on X.
Kiggans’ issues page no longer mentions gas prices, which have risen sharply since President Donald Trump launched the war on Iran in late February. In the Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News area, gas prices are averaging $4.318, up from $2.997 a year ago, according to AAA. Kiggans’ district is anchored by Virginia Beach.
Kiggans’ office did not respond to requests for comment for this story.
Kiggans’ website today says that in Congress she “has prioritized cutting inflation and lowering the cost of living to create a more secure economy for the American people.”
“Jen wants to build on the strong economy that President Trump put back into motion,” her website also reads today.
Analysts at the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia predict that Virginia’s economy will shrink in 2026. According to their latest report, Virginia lost 10,400 jobs in 2025 and the state’s labor market is expected to weaken.
“The projected 2026 contraction is modest in scale, but it is significant because it occurs alongside job losses and rising unemployment,” their report reads.
