VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Former Vice President Mike Pence came to Virginia Beach Wednesday to phone bank for Jen Kiggans, the Republican House candidate in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
Pence, who served under President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021, is the latest high-profile Republican to stump for Kiggans as she challenges Democratic incumbent Elaine Luria.
The event with Pence took place at Republican National Committee's veterans' community center in Virginia Beach, Kiggans' spokesperson Bryan Piligra told 13News Now.
"Thank you to [Mike Pence] for coming to Virginia Beach today to make phone calls and help keep up the momentum," Kiggans wrote on social media.
Kiggans' campaign didn't publicly announce the high-profile stop beforehand and seemed to notify just one media outlet in Hampton Roads. The same was true when Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House leader, recently came to town to support her.
Pence's visit comes less than a week before Election Day on Nov. 8, when voters across the country will vote for House and Senate seats on the ballot.
The House race in Virginia's 2nd District is as tight as ever with a recent poll showing Luria and Kiggans deadlocked at 45%. Political forecasters, including Sabato's Crystal Ball at the UVA Center for Politics, continue to rank the election as a tossup.
In the home stretch of the campaign, Luria has also brought in high-profile surrogates, including U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries from New York's 8th District.
13News Now reached out to Luria's campaign for a comment on Pence's appearance, who shared a statement criticizing Pence and Kiggans' stances on the abortion issue.
“Mike Pence and Jen Kiggans both applauded the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade that stripped away a woman’s right to choose and have made clear that they want to ban abortion," Luria's spokesperson Jayce Genco wrote. "Congresswoman Luria remains focused on running in and winning the Second Congressional District and continuing to deliver for Coastal Virginia.”