Incumbent Delegate Samirah Loses Nomination To Irene Shin

HERNDON, VA — Incumbent Delegate Ibraheem Samirah fell to challenger Irene Shin in the Democratic primary for the 86th District on Tuesday night.

Shin won the primary with 52 percent of the vote, according to unofficial results from the Virginia Department of Elections.

On Tuesday night, Shin took to Twitter to celebrate the victory. "We made history tonight," she wrote. "I am so grateful to be the Democratic nominee for Virginia’s 86th District."

Shin, a 33-year-old first time political candidate, is currently the director of a non-profit organization focusing on civic engagement. "I knew that challenging an incumbent would be difficult," Shin said. "I hoped that by knocking doors, raising small-dollar donations, and pouring our hearts & souls into this race, that we stood a chance to win."

Del. Samirah is the 29-year-old incumbent in the 86th District's seat in the House of Delegates. He was originally elected during the February 2019 special election and was re-elected to serve his first full term the following November.

"We didn’t get the election result we wanted," Samirah said after election results were announced on Tuesday night. "I am still immensely proud of the campaign we ran. We stayed positive, highlighted our accomplishments and pushed healthcare as a human right, housing for all, and the need for a healthy democracy."

Shin will face Republican nominee Julie Perry in November's general election.