Virginia Democrat Ibraheem Samirah won the Virginia 86th District special election Tuesday with 59 percent of the vote, defeating Republican candidate Gregg Nelson and independent challenger Connie Haines Hutchinson.
Samirah will replace Democrat Jennifer Boysko in the Virginia House of Delegates. Boysko was elected to the Virginia Senate, replacing Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who was elected to Congress in November.
When Samirah, a Herndon dentist, was chosen as the Democratic candidate in January, he said, “I am deeply humbled that voters chose me to be their Democratic nominee to represent them in the House of Delegates. 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.”
He apologized last week after a right-wing website published 5-year old Facebook posts by him criticizing Israel, which cost him some support. Samirah, whose family is from Palestine, becomes the second Muslim to serve on Virginia’s General Assembly, joining Del. Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke).
Photo above is of Ibraheem Samirah campaigning.