NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Former Congresswoman Elaine Luria’s record on congressional stock trading — and a net worth that skyrocketed during her time in office — is clashing with her campaign rhetoric in one of the country’s most competitive districts.
Luria, the Democrat who previously represented Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District from 2019 to 2023, told attendees at a recent candidate forum that she would “support” legislation to ban members of Congress from owning or trading stocks.
“I will say that this is an issue where I’ve changed my opinion over time. I will support the STOCK Act,” Luria said, referring to proposals to limit trading for lawmakers.
She framed her position as a matter of public trust.
WATCH: DEM CANDIDATE GRILLED ON STOCK TRADING AFTER BEING DUPED WITH SELFIE REQUEST
Rep. Elaine Luria speaks onstage during the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights’ 2023 Ripple of Hope Gala in New York City on Dec. 6, 2023. (Mike Coppola/Getty Images)
“At first, I thought, well, you know, you elect people to Congress, they make important decisions. Don’t you trust them? And will you trust them with personal finances? And I came to see that, over time, really everything that Congress is doing has eroded that trust.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a campaign spokesperson echoed that framing.
“Elaine has seen the corruption in Washington that has allowed Jen Kiggans and Donald Trump to raise health care premiums, drive-up energy costs, and use their offices to benefit dark money donors and political interests. That’s why Elaine will continue to call for a ban of Members of Congress on trading stocks in office, fight to end the corruption in Washington perpetuated by Jen Kiggans and the Trump administration, and lower costs for working families,” the campaign said.
However, the new position stands in stark contrast with her own past comments on the issue and highlights how candidates in competitive districts are being forced to grapple with the issue.
When asked about a stock ban proposal in 2022, Luria told reporters that the “whole concept is bulls—.”
Luria’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on her changed stance.
Luria had a number of documented financial positions during her House career, including $250,000 in stocks with Alibaba, a Chinese company — the most of any Democrat in the House of Representatives in 2021. While she sold the Alibaba shares in March 2021, she held onto them during her entire first term in Congress.
MARINE VET TAKES AIM AT TRUMP, MUSK IN VIDEO LAUNCH FOR KEY SWING HOUSE SEAT
Then-Rep. Elaine Luria sits on a dais in Congress as Rep. Jamie Raskin writes. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
In another instance, Luria’s husband purchased between $1,000 and $15,000 in Tesla Inc. stock as President Joe Biden’s signature Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was making its way through Congress, according to disclosure records.
Among other provisions, the bill appropriated $7.5 billion in funding for electric vehicle charging stations, aiming to incentivize buyers away from combustion engines and reduce carbon emissions.
According to disclosures, Luria’s husband made the purchase in March 2021 — eight months before Luria ultimately voted for the bill and before Tesla’s stock jumped nearly 50%.
In total, Luria’s net worth skyrocketed during her time in Congress, going from roughly $3.7 million to a peak of up to $35.81 million in 2021. When she left office after losing her 2022 re-election bid, her net worth had returned to a value similar to what it had been when she entered Congress, ranging from $3.4 million to $12.9 million.
HOW MIKIE SHERRILL’S FAMILY MADE MILLIONS AFTER SHE WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS
Former Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Va., speaks during a House Jan. 6 committee hearing on Dec. 19, 2022. Luria, a former Navy commander, is seeking a return to Congress in Virginia’s competitive 2nd District. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Luria’s time in office came to an end when she lost in a 51.6% to 48.2% bid against Republican challenger Jen Kiggans.
Luria and Kiggans will face off again in the 2026 general election on Nov. 3.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect that former Rep. Luria was an Alibaba investor before taking office in 2019, and sold her shares in early 2021, over a year before losing her 2022 re-election bid. A previous version of this article indicated that she still owned the shares when she left office. Rep. Luria’s net worth figures have also been clarified. The value skyrocketed during her term in office before returning to roughly its original value.
