Democrats are hammering Rep. Jen Kiggans after the vulnerable Virginia Republican concurred with a Richmond radio host saying Hakeem Jeffries should get his “cotton-picking hands” off Virginia politics.
“Ditto, yes, yes to that,” Kiggans responded.
Christie Stephenson, a spokesperson for Jeffries, called the moment a “stunning failure of judgement for a so-called moderate Member of Congress representing a large, vibrant African American community in Virginia.”
“Extremists who endorse disgusting, vile and racist language are pathetic,” she said in a Tuesday statement. “Jen Kiggans has no interest in our nation’s progress toward a multi-racial democracy and apparently craves a return to the days of Jim Crow racial oppression in the South. That’s why MAGA Republicans in legislatures and courts across America have launched a full-scale assault on Black representation.”
Minority Whip Katherine Clark, the No. 2 Democratic leader, called it “brazenly racist language” and said Kiggans should resign. No. 3 leader Pete Aguilar said she should “apologize then get the hell out of the House.” The Congressional Black Caucus also called on Kiggans to resign.
Kiggans did not apologize, suggesting Democrats were only trying to distract from their loss in the state’s court. She said, however, the host “should not have used that language and I do not -and did not – condone it.”
Kiggans is one of the House’s most vulnerable Republicans. Democrats attempted to redraw her district in their favor, but the Virginia Supreme Court struck down the map Friday, giving Kiggans’ reelection campaign new life. Now Democrats are making clear that they will use her comments to campaign against her as they battle to beat her on Election Day.
Jeffries has yet to address Kiggans directly, but he reposted Clark’s statement calling for her resignation on X on Monday.
“The voters of Virginia will hold her accountable at the ballot box in November,” Stephenson said.
