Jen Kiggans fends off calls to resign over radio interview
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) pushed back after Democrats demanded her resignation over comments she made on a radio show about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). On Rich Herrera’s program, Herrera used racially charged language telling Jeffries to stay out of Virginia; Kiggans responded in agreement, saying “ditto” and “yes,” which sparked backlash from Democrats.
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) and Rep. Greg meeks (D-NY) urged Kiggans to apologize and resign, arguing her remarks were unacceptable. Kiggans, however, said she does not condone the radio host’s wording and argued that her point was simply that Jeffries should not interfere in Virginia politics. She also claimed Democrats were spreading misinformation amid the fight over Virginia’s congressional redistricting.
The dispute is tied to Virginia democrats’ redistricting plan that voters approved in April but was later challenged in court. The Virginia Supreme Court ruled last Friday that the measure was not placed on the ballot through the required constitutional process. Democrats’ backers have continued the fight by filing an emergency petition to the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to reinstate the voter-approved map.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA) on Tuesday night dismissed Democrats’ calls for her resignation after she appeared on a radio show, seeming to agree with the host’s racist comment about House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).
Kiggans appeared on Rich Herrera’s Richmond-based radio show on Monday to discuss Democrats’ redistricting moves in Virginia, particularly how Jeffries has made himself involved in the effort.
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“If Hakeem Jeffries wants to be involved in Virginia politics, then I suggest he does what a bunch of New Yorkers are doing: Leave New York, move down here to Virginia, run for office down here … if not, get your cotton-pickin’ hands off of Virginia,” Herrera said during the broadcast.
“That’s right, ditto,” Kiggans responded. “Yes, yes to that.”
House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) responded to the clip of Kiggans’s and Herrera’s comments, saying the congresswoman from Virginia should “immediately apologize and resign.”
Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, agreed with Clark in a statement to Axios, also calling for Kiggans’ resignation.
Kiggans, however, did not apologize for what appeared to be her agreement, and rather framed the situation as Democrats spreading lies while also condemning Herrera’s words.
“This is precisely what’s wrong with Democrats,” she wrote on X. “Every lie and distortion is intended to distract from getting their hats handed to them and the Virginia Supreme Court’s clear message: stop trying to rig our elections.”
“The radio host should not have used that language and I do not -and did not – condone it,” she added. “It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem [Jeffries] should stay out of Virginia.”
BY THE NUMBERS: HOW MANY SEATS HAS EACH PARTY GAINED IN REDISTRICTING?
At the center of the issue is Virginia Democrats’ redistricting efforts, which voters approved in April but have subsequently been challenged by Republicans.
The Supreme Court of Virginia ruled last Friday that Democrats failed to follow the constitutional process required to place the measure on the ballot. But Old Dominion’s Left hasn’t given up the fight and filed an emergency petition to the Supreme Court on Monday, urging it to reinstate the voter-approved Democratic gerrymander of the state’s congressional map.
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