A second Democrat is entering the race for the party nomination in the Second Congressional District in the 2024 election cycle.
Jake Denton, a Virginia Beach constitutional law and civil rights attorney, announced his intention to run for the Democratic Party nomination on Wednesday.
According to a press release from his campaign, Denton, a University of Virginia and College of William & Mary School of Law alum, has raised more than $100,000 for the run since testing the waters on a nomination battle a month ago.
“My wife Katie and I grew up in Virginia Beach and love raising our children in Hampton Roads. I’ve practiced law throughout the 2nd District for 12 years. Before law school, I worked as a journalist, covering disadvantaged communities and our local economy,” Denton said. “First as a writer and now as a constitutional and civil rights attorney, I have always considered it my job to call out and fight injustice. I’m proud to represent clients in anti-defamation, sexual harassment, and discrimination cases. Our Constitution, civil rights, and the rule of law are critically important to me.
“I believe in finding common ground to solve big problems. We need a leader in the 2nd District who’s focused on building our economy, restoring reproductive rights, and protecting the rule of law,” Denton said. “But extremists – Donald Trump and his followers – are threatening our Constitution and basic freedoms like the right to choose and the right to vote. Trump tried to overturn the last election and claims he’s above the law. Trump talks openly about turning our democracy into a dictatorship. Americans deserve better.”
The first announced candidate in the Second District Democratic nomination race is Missy Cotter Smasal, a U.S. Navy veteran, who earlier this week got the support of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which added Smasal to its Red to Blue program, which will give Smasal access to strategic guidance, staff resources, candidate trainings, and more.
The eventual Democratic nominee will face incumbent Republican Jen Kiggans in the November election.
Kiggans who unseated Democrat Elaine Luria by a 3.4 percent in the 2022 midterms.
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Chris Graham
