Candidate Profile: Irene Shin For VA House Of Delegates

HERNDON, VA — Democrat Irene Shin is a 33 -year-old, first-time political candidate and the director of a non-profit that focuses on civic engagement in Virginia.

In the June 8 primary, voters living in the 86th District will have a chance to decide whether Shin or incumbent Ibraheem Samirah will be the Democratic candidate on the ballot for the Nov. 2 general election. Early voting is already underway.

Patch asked each of the candidates running in the Democratic primary to fill out the following profile:

Candidate Name

Irene Shin

Age (as of Election Day)

33

Position Sought

House of Delegates District 86

Party Affiliation

Democratic Party

Family

Father, DJ, Mother, Jeemin, and my brother Brandon.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No.

Education

B.A. Political Science, University of California, Riverside

Occupation

Director, Non-profit focused on civic engagement in Virginia

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

www.ireneforva.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I'm running to provide effective, progressive representation to the 86th District. I don't take running against another Democrat lightly, the truth is our current representation has not reflected our Democratic values. My opponent has not been effective, he's been listed by the non-partisan VPAP organization is one of the least effective Democratic legislators in the House of Delegates. My opponent has not been progressive, he's been ranked as one of the most Conservative Democratic legislators by CPAC, the same organization that hosts Donald Trump in DC every year. In my work as director of a civic engagement organization, I know how to bring people together to get things done. And I'll work with our local elected officials, our Mayor Sheila Olem, who has endorsed me, and our State Senators, Jennifer Boysco, Janet Howell, and Barbara Favola, who have all endorsed me, to work together as a Democratic team to lift up our region and pass effective legislation.

The single most pressing issue facing our district is the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and this is what I intend to do about it.

As President Biden and my former boss Vice-President Kamala Harris have said, we need to "build back better:" That means Universal Pre-K to level the playing field and help women re-enter the workforce, Universal Family Medical Leave, so that we can take care of our family members if they are facing a medical emergency, and Universal Paid Sick Leave, so we never have sick people going to work, potentially spreading disease or viruses. These will be my priorities if elected.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The critical differences between my opponent and I are fundamental. My opponent broke with his party and voted with Republicans to kill the bill to reform Qualified Immunity, a law that shields police officers who have injured or infringed on the civil rights of protestors or people of color. My opponent broke with his party and voted with Republicans to stop the investigation of Virginia Military Institute (VMI), which the Washington Post and others have reported has a culture of sexual abuse, including rape, and racial abuse, including taunting and racial attacks. These are real votes my opponent made. And thus, it's not surprising he has one of the most conservative voting records in the General Assembly.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

I think this question is addressed in my last answer.

How do you think local officials performed in responding to the coronavirus? What if anything would you have done differently?

One of the best ways we can recover from the coronavirus pandemic is a full-family recovery. That's why I'm focused on Universal Pre-K, Universal Family Medical Leave, and Universal Paid Sick Leave. I think if we had focused on that earlier we could have saved lives, kept more women working, and kept more kids in school. There's still a lot of work to do and I'm ready to get to work.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Votes can check out an extensive list of my positions on the issues at www.ireneforva.com/issues

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

My work as a community organizer, my work as staff for then Senator-Kamla Harris, my work as a director of a nonprofit focused on increasing civic engagement in Virginia, and my work recruiting and supporting literally dozens of female candidates and elected officials has prepared me for this work. Let's get to work.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Make friends with people with dogs.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

Check out my campaign at www.ireneforva.com. See my positions. Get involved. Let's connect.

Related:

Candidate Profile: Ibraheem Samirah For VA House Of Delegates