Nila Devanath, who grew up in Hampton Roads and is now a hospital physician, launched her bid for Congress to represent Virginia's 2nd district.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Another challenger has entered the race to represent Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
Nila Devanath, a Hampton Roads hospital physician, said she is running to address the high cost of living and to fix the "broken" health care system.
"In our hospitals, I see every day what happens when Washington fails to act. Families wait months for care. Veterans are forced to split their pills in half. Patients with diabetes lose their lives avoiding treatment for something as simple as a small cut because they’re afraid of the medical bills that will follow,” Devanath said in her announcement. “Rep. Jen Kiggans and I both swore to care for our patients, but in Washington she’s turned her back on that promise. As a doctor, I can’t stand by while families suffer. I’m running for Congress to fix this broken system for my patients, for our veterans, and for every family who deserves better.”
Devanath grew up in the Hampton Roads region as the daughter of immigrants from Bangladesh. She said her mother worked for the Navy as a TRICARE primary care doctor.
She received her MD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, but in the middle of it, she took a leave of absence to earn a JD degree from Harvard. After finishing her MD, she completed her residency at Yale New Haven Hospital.
She also said, before she herself became a doctor, that she practiced law and defended survivors of domestic violence while working at a legal aid clinic. She is currently an acute care doctor with Sentara.
Currently, five other Democrats are challenging the Republican incumbent, Jen Kiggans: Patrick Mosolf, a first-time candidate and resident of Virginia Beach; James Osyf, a commander in the Navy reserve; Nicolaus Sleister, a community advocate; John Stringfellow, a teacher; and Michael Williamson, a retired Marine colonel.
Virginia's 2nd district encompasses a wide swath of southeastern Virginia, including Franklin, Smithfield, Suffolk, Chesapeake, Virginia Beach and the entirety of the Eastern Shore. Kiggans has represented the region since 2023.