Republican U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans is facing demands from Democratic leaders to step down after affirming a comment by a conservative radio host who told House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to "get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia." The exchange took place on "Richmond's Morning News," where the host, Rich Herrera, made the remark and Kiggans replied in agreement.
During the interview, Herrera said: "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, you can represent us. If not, get your cotton-picking hands off of Virginia." Kiggans, who represents Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, responded: "That's right. Ditto, yes, yes to that."
The phrase "cotton-picking" carries clear historical baggage in the United States due to its association with slavery, when enslaved people were forced to pick cotton. Kiggans subsequently posted a statement on X saying she did not condone the host's language and that she had been agreeing with the substance of Herrera's message - that Jeffries should stay out of Virginia politics.
"The radio host should not have used that language and I do not - and did not - condone it. It was obvious to anyone listening that I was agreeing Hakeem Jeffries should stay out of Virginia," her statement said. As of late Monday, Jeffries had not commented.
Democratic officials moved quickly to condemn the exchange and call for Kiggans to resign. U.S. House Minority Whip Katherine Clark wrote on X: "Now they are using brazenly racist language to attack Black leaders." California Governor Gavin Newsom's office said: "Every Republican should be denouncing this racist statement." Democratic Virginia state Senator Aaron Rouse added in a statement: "I am deeply appalled by anyone who promotes this rhetoric. We are no longer enslaved on plantations. We now hold positions of power our ancestors fought for."
The controversy lands against a backdrop of contested control of Congress and an active redistricting fight in Virginia. The article notes that Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and that control of Congress is at stake in the midterm elections later this year.
Partisan battles over districts have intensified. A national mid-decade redistricting push initiated last year by Republican President Donald Trump is also unfolding in Virginia. Voters in the state approved a new Democratic-drawn congressional map in a special election on April 21; that map had the potential to flip four Republican U.S. House seats. However, the Virginia Supreme Court on May 8 invalidated the referendum results, siding with a Republican challenge that Democratic lawmakers did not follow proper procedures when they passed the proposed referendum and placed it on the ballot.
In response to the court ruling, Virginia Democrats on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate the Democratic-drawn congressional map, which they say was intended to improve their party's position for the November midterm elections. The request is part of an ongoing legal and political dispute that will affect the composition of House seats and the balance of power heading into the midterms.
The episode involving Kiggans, and the ensuing demands for resignation from Democratic officials, have added to widening political tensions in Virginia and at the national level. The situation underscores partisan sensitivities about race, party involvement in state politics, and the high stakes of redistricting and election contests this year.