House Dem accuses female GOP candidate of wanting to kiss McCarthy's feet 'and every other thing'

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Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria slams Republican rival Jen Kiggans during debate

Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., accused her opponent of wanting to kiss House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s feet "and every other thing" during their debate Monday.

Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., accused her Republican opponent of wanting to kiss House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s feet "and every other thing" during their latest debate.

Luria launched into a rant about McCarthy during her second debate against Republican Virginia state Sen. Jen Kiggans in Smithfield on Monday.

"I see I have one minute left, so I'm just gonna wrap it up, but the thing is, like, this woman wants your gas prices to be high," Luria said, gesturing toward Kiggans. "I just listened to an interview with Kevin McCarthy, who she wants to vote with for speaker, and he said, ‘This is becoming a little bit of a problem for Republicans as the midterms approach. I saw from August as gas prices were going down, we Republicans thought that might really hurt us winning the House.’"

The congresswoman was referring to comments McCarthy made recently to Punchbowl News, in which he stated, "August was not a good month" for Republicans, due in part by the temporary decline of record-breaking gas prices.

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria, left, and Republican state Sen. Jen Kiggans, the 2022 GOP nominee in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District. (Tom Williams/Jen Kiggans NRCC)

"They didn't care about your pocketbook and the fact that gas prices were going down and that's what they should want," Luria continued. "They just want gas prices to stay high so they can win the election. And Kevin McCarthy, who wants to be speaker, who she says she’d vote for and will kiss his feet and his ring and every other thing, wants your gas prices to be high."

Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., speaks as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds a hearing at the Capitol in Washington on July 21, 2022. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

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"So why would you vote for someone who's trying to actually keep gas prices high just so she can get elected to Congress?" she asked.

In response to Fox News Digital's request for clarification, Luria's campaign said the congresswoman had refrained from calling her opponent an "a-- kisser."

"Though she spent 20 years in the Navy, the Congresswoman was too polite to say Jen Kiggans is an a-- kisser at the debate, but we appreciate the industrious reporting of Fox News," campaign spokesperson Jayce Genco said. "Kiggans has made clear that she is in lockstep with Kevin McCarthy to end Medicare as it currently exists and cut Social Security."

Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., listens as the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol holds its first public hearing to reveal the findings of a year-long investigation, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, June 9, 2022, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Luria is fighting Kiggans to retain her seat in Virginia’s 2nd congressional district, which is one of the most competitive House races in the country.

"This is what’s wrong with politics," Kiggans said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "My opponent resorts to disgusting and unhinged attacks because she can’t defend her record of voting with Nancy Pelosi 99% of the time. It's insulting as a woman and it's absolutely repulsive. It is clear that Elaine Luria is not the leader Virginia's 2nd District deserves."

Fox News’ Haley Chi-Sing contributed to this report.