From left to right: U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, Democrat Elaine Luria, and independents Bishop Staten and Matt Baker. (Photos courtesy campaigns)
By Charlotte Rene Woods
Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District has emerged as one of the most competitive in the country ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election, with incumbent U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-Virginia Beach, working to hold her seat against Democrat and former representative Elaine Luria, whom Kiggans ousted in 2022.
Two independent candidates, Matt Baker and Bishop Staten, are also on the ballot to lead the district, which U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said “will determine the fate of the country,” as Republicans vie to maintain their slim majority in Congress.
A bed in Lee County Community Hospital. (Photo by Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)
By Markus Schmidt
Christina Rivera kept her health insurance this year because she needed major back surgery. But maintaining coverage meant absorbing a monthly premium that rose from $235 in 2025 to $1,336 in 2026 — with a higher deductible.
Rivera shared her experience on Tuesday on a call with reporters organized by the Defend America Action PAC that also included Democratic federal and state lawmakers five weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
They urged Virginians to vote, arguing that pressure on household budgets could deepen as additional provisions of H.R. 1, the tax-and-spending law President Donald Trump signed July 4 of last year, take effect in January.
Virginia State Corporation Commission members hear testimony concerning Dominion Energy’s proposed rate increase and plan to create a new rate class for data centers on September 2, 2025 in Richmond. (Photo by Shannon Heckt/Virginia Mercury)
By Shannon Heckt
The State Corporation Commission will hold three in-person hearings to collect public testimony on the proposed $67 billion merger between Dominion Energy and NextEra Energy, in addition to three anticipated days of testimony by phone.
If approved by multiple state and federal agencies, the merger would create the largest regulated utility in the country.
By Nathaniel Cline
Motor vehicle office wait times in the commonwealth fell to 8.3 minutes in 2026 from about 37 minutes in 2019, according to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, making access to essential government services faster and more convenient for drivers.
Virginia lawmakers previously directed analysts from the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission, the state’s monitor for government agencies, to assess DMV performance. Analysts found that the DMV’s average wait time at its high-volume offices was around 34 minutes in fiscal year 2014, compared with the DMV’s 20-minute target.
ICYMI
Here’s how incumbents in Virginia’s 1st, 2nd and 5th Congressional Districts have voted on abortion | By Charlotte Rene Woods
Dominion, Valley Link Transmission line developers unveil route changes | By Shannon Heckt
Virginia education board approves new rules for local student assessments | By Nathaniel Cline
Youth advocates warn higher marijuana fine could deepen racial disparities | By Markus Schmidt
COMMENTARY: When Virginia’s congressional candidates don’t debate, voters get sound bites instead of substance | By Jim Spencer
COMMENTARY: The simple affordability fix Virginia just can’t seem to make | By Ivy Main
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