Elaine Luria

BIO: Elaine Luria is a Democrat representing Virginia’s 2nd congressional district. The longest-servicing active-duty member of the House Democratic Caucus was sworn into office on Jan. 3, 2019.

Luria spent two decades in the Navy and retired with the rank commander. She broke multiple glass ceilings, including being one of the first women in the Navy’s nuclear-power program and being one of the first women to spend her entire career on combatant ships.

Luria served on six ships as a nuclear-trained surface warfare officer in the Middle East and Western Pacific. By the end of her career, she was commanding a unit comprised of 400 sailors.

In addition to graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, Luria also earned a master’s degree in engineering management from Old Dominion University. Before entering politics, she owned The Mermaid Factory in Norfolk, Va., which manufactures and sells clay mermaids.