Election Nears for 86th District Seat in Virginia House of Delegates

Voters have an upcoming special general election for the 86th District seat in the Virginia House of Delegates.

On Saturday (Jan. 12), Ibraheem Samirah was nominated to represent the Democratic Party to fill State Sen. Jennifer Boysko’s vacated seat.

Samirah will run in the special election set for Feb. 19 with a campaign focused on healthcare, transportation and education.

“I am deeply humbled that voters chose me to be their democratic nominee to represent them in the House of Delegates,” Samirah said in a press release. “I entered this race to fight for the progressive values we all share–such as affordable healthcare, decreased transportation costs and improved early-childhood education.”

Samirah is a first-generation Muslim American who is the son of Palestinian refugees. He was separated from his father in middle school when his father was barred from re-entering the U.S.

He is currently a dentist at District Smiles.

He faced three other Democratic candidates — Kofi Annan, Mike O’Reilly and Chad Thompson — for the nomination and won with a little more than 35 percent of the vote. More than 2,000 people voted in the primary.

“Ibraheem will be a tireless and effective advocate for Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and we look forward to having him join our caucus and help us make Virginia better for everyone,” House Democratic Caucus Executive Director Trevor Southerland said in a statement.

Boysko also congratulated Samirah, saying she pledges her support to work with him in the Virginia General Assembly.

“I know Ibraheem will continue the great work we have done in working to reduce gun violence, supporting our schools and teachers, and building an economy that works for everyone,” she said in a statement.

Local Republicans have not announced plans to nominate a candidate, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror.

Photo via Samirah for Delegate/Facebook