VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Author's note: The video above is about the second round of hearings from the Jan. 6 House committee that Rep. Elaine Luria serves on.
UPDATE: With just a day until the Republican primary election in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, several candidates have lined up endorsements from nationally-known officials, some of whom are controversial.
The district encompasses Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Isle of Wight County, Southampton County and the Eastern Shore.
Whoever wins the June 21 primary will face off against Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in what's predicted to be one of the most competitive races in the 2022 midterm elections.
Republicans are widely favored to take back control of the U.S. House of Representatives amid high inflation, pain at the pump and President Joe Biden's low approval ratings.
Businessman Tommy Altman, cybersecurity consultant Andy Baan, businessman Jarome Bell and Virginia State Sen. Jen Kiggans are on the ballot. Three of them have high-profile support.
House GOP, several Hampton Roads leaders back Kiggans
Kiggans has the most high-profile endorsements, both from national leaders and groups, as well as those from Hampton Roads.
She has the support of Republican leadership in the House: the Congressional Leadership Fund closely affiliated with Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and E-PAC led by Conference Chair Elise Stefanik.
"[Kiggans] is an exceptional candidate to run against Elaine Luria, who has voted nearly lock, stock and barrel with Nancy Pelosi," Stefanik told Fox News in an interview.
Other national officials and groups backing Kiggans include U.S. Sens. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the National Rifle Association and the Winning for Women PAC.
The Republican Majority Fund, affiliated with U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, donated to her campaign, a filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) shows.
Back at home, Kiggans is touting support from current and former statewide officials, including Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares, as well as former Virginia Govs. George Allen, Jim Gilmore and Bob McDonnell.
Several Hampton Roads officials, including Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer and Chesapeake Mayor Rick West, are supporting her campaign as well.
Bell gets support from controversial far-right ideologues
Bell, who once called for executing officials he claimed were involved in debunked 2020 election fraud, has landed support from several far-right ideologues.
Republican Bob Good, the U.S. representative for Virginia's 5th Congressional District, described Bell as someone who will fight for "true conservative principles" and defeat "the radical left." Good previously claimed the COVID-19 pandemic was "phony" and objected to certifying the Electoral College for the 2020 election.
Retired Gen. Michael Flynn, who briefly served as Trump's national security advisor, "strongly and wholeheartedly" endorsed Bell at a campaign event, calling him the leader Virginia's second district needs. After Biden defeated Trump in the 2020 election, Flynn allegedly voiced support for seizing voting machines and using the military to rerun the election.
Paul Gosar, the controversial U.S. representative for Arizona's 4th Congressional District, wrote an endorsement on Bell's campaign website, describing him as a "true America First patriot." The House censured Gosar for posting a video depicting himself killing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and attacking Biden.
Turning Point Action, affiliated with conservative activist Charlie Kirk, also endorsed Bell, and the Freedom First PAC, affiliated with former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, donated to his campaign, according to an FEC filing.
Recently defeated Cawthorn appeared in Altman campaign video
Altman was endorsed by freshman U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who was recently defeated in the Republican primary in North Carolina's 11th Congressional District following a string of controversies. Cawthorn appeared in a campaign video that shows Altman giving him a shoulder tattoo.
"You're exactly what we need in Washington," Cawthorn told Altman in the video, which is featured on Altman's website.
Altman also landed the support of the Bull Moose Project, a political group that supports "conservative populist leaders and policies." The group also endorsed Cawthorn and Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia representative who has espoused conspiracy theories.
Has Trump endorsed anyone in this primary?
Trump hasn't endorsed anyone in this primary, despite several candidates touting their support for him.
Since leaving office, Trump has sought to play kingmaker in the Republican Party, using endorsements to influence midterm primaries nationwide. In this election cycle so far, his efforts have had mixed results.
On Tuesday, one of two anti-Trump Republican House candidates in South Carolina lost their primary election. Rep. Tom Rice was ousted following his vote to impeach Trump last year. But Rep. Nancy Mace, who previously criticized Trump, prevailed in her race.
Trump's most notable setback of late happened in Georgia when Gov. Brian Kemp and Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger cruised to primary victories despite strong opposition from the former president.
In Virginia's U.S. House races, Trump endorsed Reps. Bob Good, Ben Cline and Morgan Griffith.