A Democrat fighting to unseat a Republican House lawmaker in Virginia is facing questions about how much time he’s actually spending in the district he wants to represent.
James Osyf, 40, an executive at Lockheed Martin, is the most prominent of three Democratic candidates competing against two-term incumbent Jen Kiggans (R-Va.).
While the competitive 2nd Congressional District is based on the southeastern Virginia coast, Osyf is listed as the owner of a $1.7 million Washington, DC home and has registered his campaign at a capital city address, some 200 miles away from the people he wishes to serve in Congress.
James Osyf launched his campaign earlier this month in a bid to flip a vulnerable Republican seat. Facebook / James Osyf
Osyf is listed as the owner of a $1.7M Washington, DC home. Google MapsIn addition, a review of publicly available records indicates Osyf does not live anywhere in the district.
“While it’s constitutionally legal to run for a House seat from outside the district, it’s a rare occurrence, and rarely successful,” Dante Scala, a professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire who has studied political campaigns for decades, told The Post.
“Voters expect, rationally enough, that they are better represented by someone who resides in their district, all other things being equal. Political opponents quickly jump on this,” he added.
“It certainly doesn’t look good,” agreed Todd Belt, the director of the Political Management program at George Washington University, “which is why candidates often fake a residence in a district in order to run there.”
Kiggans, who unseated Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria in 2022 and was re-elected last year, registered her campaign in Virginia Beach, in the heart of the district.
James Osyf registered his campaign in Washington, DC, three hours away from Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District.
FEC registrations can be amended, so it is possible for Osyf to change his base of operations and his residence as the drive for votes revs up.
However, GOP operatives keen on holding the toss-up seat have already taken notice.
“James Osyf is a DC resident and political opportunist who has no business representing Virginians,” National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokesperson Maureen O’Toole alleged to The Post. “Voters don’t want him in Hampton Roads, and they’ll reject him next year.”
Rep. Jen Kiggans holds one of a handful of House seats that Democrats are carefully eyeing heading into the 2026 cycle. ZUMAPRESS.comEarlier this month, Osyf sat for an interview with a local news outlet, The Virginian-Pilot, which claimed he “lives in Virginia Beach.”
However, property records give no indication that the candidate owns a home in the city, though that does not preclude the possibility of him renting a house or apartment.
DC property records, on the other hand, show that Osyf purchased a lavish three-story home in DC’s Eckington neighborhood back in 2023.
The Navy reservist has made standing up for veterans a key focus of his campaign. Facebook / James OsyfReal estate firm Redfin estimates the late-19th-century townhome is now worth $1.86 million and describes it as a “Commanding Victorian Brownstone” and a “masterpiece renovation.”
When asked for clarification about Osyf’s living arrangement, campaign spokesperson Travis Brimm was adamant that he is “a proud resident of Virginia Beach — a city he has called home throughout his career of service to country.”
Brimm also noted that he “still serves as a Commander in the Navy Reserve out of Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story.”
“We look forward to replacing Jen Kiggans next Fall and sending a new leader to Congress that will actually have Virginia’s best interests at heart,” the spokesperson added.
Osyf does have at least one known connection to southeast Virginia: His LinkedIn profile indicates that he has served as a reserve officer in the Navy’s Second Fleet since 2023. That fleet is based in nearby Norfolk, which is covered by a different congressional district.
House Republicans are facing historical headwinds heading into the 2026 midterm elections. Getty ImagesOsyf appears to have spent the bulk of the last decade in and around DC. His LinkedIn profile lists his current job as director of policy and program operations at Lockheed Martin in suburban Bethesda, Md., in addition to stints in the Navy Reserve in DC, San Diego and Virginia Beach.
Osyf attended Georgetown University Law Center between 2015 and 2019, before being admitted to the DC Bar in January 2020, according to the DC Bar Association.






