Dr. Ben Melusky, Assistant Professor of Political Science at ODU, said each candidate got what they wanted in the debate.
NORFOLK, Va. — There are only 27 days left until voters head to the polls.
On Wednesday, Virginians heard from the two candidates in one of the commonwealth’s most watched races.
So how did they do it? A political pundit said both state Sen. Jen Kiggans and Congresswoman Elaine Luria got what they wanted.
Both are Navy veterans and mothers, but they differ on a number of issues.
“It was a great messaging opportunity for me just to highlight the differences between me and my opponent,” Kiggans said after the debate.
“We differ on issues and the purpose of a debate is to talk about our differences and the issues,” Luria said.
Dr. Ben Melusky, Assistant Professor of Political Science at ODU, said both sides came away from the debate feeling good.
“Ultimately, I think both candidates did what they wanted,” he said.
RELATED: Luria and Kiggans debate: Virginia Beach updates as candidates compete for Virginia’s 2nd District
During the nearly two-hour debate, they covered student loan debt, immigration, abortion and, of course, inflation.
“That’s the number one problem. You know, we have inflation at a 40-year high right now. It went from 9.1%, 8.5, 8.3. It was 1.4% when Joe Biden took office,” Kiggans said. .
“Gas prices are high because Vladimir Putin made them high. I voted for the Inflation Reduction Act because it’s the biggest investment in the entire energy plan,” Luria said.
Melusky said both women had clear goals in the debate.
“Elaine Luria came out, promoted her record, and essentially put Kiggans on the spot by basically asking him to provide some details to bridge the gap between her and Elaine Luria a little bit. Kiggans, for the most part, did exactly what she wanted, that she needed to come out and, in some cases, tie Elaine Luria to the Speaker of the House and President Biden, as well as push her on some issues that are gaining traction at the polls.”
He said Luria has and will continue to duplicate his experience in Congress and what he has done on the military services committee. He said Kiggans has linked and will continue to link Luria to the Biden administration, particularly Nancy Pelosi.
As for who do you think will emerge victorious on election day?
“It’s really a flip of a coin,” Melusky said. “Participation will be important in this election, where it will be tight and intense.”
Both women made their case in a race that could determine the party’s control of the House of Representatives.
“There are certain cases where I’m not your candidate. I’m not your candidate if you think the election was stolen. I’m not your candidate if you think $70 million of state taxpayer money should go to a forensic audit of the 2020 election,” Luria told the crowd.
“Government mandates and the expansion of our lives and businesses must stop. To stop these things and take our country back … we must make a change in leadership in Congress. In the 2nd District, that starts with change the seat and fire Nancy. Pelosi,” Kiggans commented.
To see the entire debate, click here.
