32 Facts About Elaine Luria

Elaine Goodman Luria is an American politician and US Navy veteran who served as the US representative from from 2019 to 2023.

Elaine Luria rose to the rank of commander and spent most of her career aboard ship.

Elaine Luria defeated Republican incumbent Scott Taylor in 2018 and was reelected in a rematch against Taylor in 2020, before losing her bid for a third term to Republican Jen Kiggans in 2022.

Elaine Luria was born on August 15,1975, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Elaine Luria graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science, with a double major in physics and history and a minor in French.

In 2000, Elaine Luria attended the United States Naval Nuclear Power School.

Elaine Luria served as a naval officer for 20 years, operating nuclear reactors as an engineer, where she rose to the rank of commander.

Elaine Luria was among the first female American sailors to spend her entire career on combat ships.

Elaine Luria commanded Assault Craft Unit TWO, a combat-ready unit of 400 sailors, from 2014 until her retirement in 2017.

Elaine Luria ran for the United States House of Representatives in.

Elaine Luria carried six of the district's nine county-level jurisdictions, including all but one of the district's five independent cities.

Elaine Luria was likely helped by Joe Biden carrying the district; notably, Biden carried Virginia Beach, the first Democrat to do so since 1964.

Elaine Luria was one of 102 female members elected to the United States House of Representatives in 2018, a record number.

Elaine Luria joined two other female veterans in that class, fellow Naval Academy graduate Mikie Sherrill and former Air Force officer Chrissy Houlahan.

Elaine Luria was one of the original members appointed to the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol in 2021.

Elaine Luria showed outtakes from Trump's January 7,2021, statement titled "Remarks on National Healing".

On July 25,2022, Elaine Luria posted on her Twitter account the original script of Trump's January 7 remarks and edits he made to it in which he had crossed out any references to DOJ action and condemnation was heavily toned down.

Elaine Luria was the lone Democrat to vote against repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 in 2021.

Elaine Luria participated in a bipartisan group of representatives seeking to broker a compromise to end the shutdown.

In February 2019, Elaine Luria introduced the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2019, which increased the cost of living adjustments made to veterans.

Elaine Luria is a self-described "unabashed supporter" of the US relationship with Israel.

Elaine Luria was listed as one of 60 House Democrats who expressed support for some kind of physical barrier on the border in January 2019.

Elaine Luria accepts the scientific consensus on climate change and is concerned about the physical impacts of climate change on global instability and military readiness.

Elaine Luria believes the Trump administration attempted to discredit military and scientific experts on the physical impacts of climate change, which she views as an aspersion to the national security and scientific apparatuses.

Elaine Luria opposes proposed legislation that would ban lawmakers from trading stocks, calling the efforts "bullshit".

Elaine Luria favors instituting red flag laws and universal background checks on all gun purchases.

Elaine Luria was consequently endorsed by End Citizens United, a group that seeks to reform campaign finance laws and reduce the role of corporate money in politics.

In 2020, Elaine Luria accepted $34,000 in corporate PAC contributions from the PACs of a tobacco company and defense contractors, among others.

In February 2023, Elaine Luria launched the Defend Democracy PAC, a political action committee to support electing Democrats to the Virginia General Assembly.

Elaine Luria's husband, Robert Blondin, is a retired naval commander and spent 27 years in the service.

Elaine Luria has two stepchildren and a daughter born in 2009.

Elaine Luria attends Ohef Sholom Temple, a Reform Jewish synagogue in Norfolk.