- Source: Ibraheem Samirah
Ibraheem S. Samirah (born August 20, 1991) is an American politician. He served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 86th district from 2019 to 2022. First elected in a special election, his election and term were marked by controversy due to anti-semitic comments. He was defeated for re-election in the Democratic primary by Irene Shin in June 2021.
In 2023, he unsuccessfully ran against Suhas Subramanyam for the Democratic nomination for State Senate for Virginia's 32nd State Senate District. In 2024, he once again ran for State Senate again losing the nomination, this time to Kannan Srinivasan. Also in 2024, he was unsuccessful in an attempt to return to the House of Delegates.
Early life and education
Samirah was born in Chicago on August 20, 1991 to Jordanian-Palestinian parents. Samirah's grandparents were Palestinian. He has described his father as a community activist in the Muslim community. In 2003 when Samirah was 11, his father was denied re-entry into the United States as a national security risk. This resulted in the family moving to Amman, Jordan. Samirah's father was eventually readmitted to the United States in 2014 and he returned to the United States to study at American University.
In 2013, Samirah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and political science. In university, he co-founded the first-ever college chapter for Jewish Voice for Peace at American University. He was an observant Muslim throughout college.
He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University in 2017. While he attended dental school, Samirah was a member of Black Lives Matter, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace.
Career
= Islamophobic attacks
=Samirah's first town hall after his election drew national attention after Samirah was harassed by protesters and twice asked how he planned to implement Sharia law. There were about two dozen protesters, some with anti-abortion and pro-Israel signs, outside Herndon Town Hall ahead of this meeting.
= Allegations of antisemitism
=In 2014, Samirah made a series of anti-Israel posts on his Facebook account. One post reshared a letter which stated that funding Israel is like supporting the Ku Klux Klan. On another post, Samirah wrote in response to the death of former prime minister of Israel Ariel Sharon that “hell is excited to have you.” Samirah issued an apology for these posts in 2019 after a right-leaning website, which also broke news that led to the 2019 Virginia political crisis, publicized the posts.
= House of Delegates
=After Delegate Jennifer Boysko was elected to the Senate of Virginia, Samirah ran for her vacant seat in the Virginia House of Delegates, winning a special election in February 2019. In July 2019, he heckled a speech by Donald Trump. He ran for reelection unopposed that November. In the 2020 session, Samirah backed a bill to allow for expanded absentee voting and recognize election day as a state holiday.
He also supported using state legislation to preempt local zoning ordinances to allow for more multi-family residential, high-density developments on properties currently zoned for single-family detached homes only. Samirah supported allowing property owners to convert their properties from single-family units to two-family duplexes, townhouses, or cottages in both established and new neighborhoods without going through the existing local processes for rezoning a residential property.
He drew a challenger in the Democratic primary in 2021 and was defeated by non-profit organizer Irene Shin who went on to win the general election.
In October 2021, Samirah posted on social media accusing Mossad of creating fossil fuel wars.
= 2023 unsuccessful State Senate campaign
=In 2023, Samirah ran for the Virginia State Senate in the Democratic primary for Virginia's 32nd State Senate District. He was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by Del. Suhas Subramanyam who went on to win the general election.
= 2024 unsuccessful State Senate campaign
=In 2024, after Suhas Subramanyam's election to the United States House of Representatives, Samirah ran to replace his seat in a firehouse primary held on November 16, 2024, losing to Del. Kannan Srinivasan.
= 2024 failed State House comeback attempt
=After losing his campaign for State Senate, Samirah attempted another comeback running for House District 26 in the same year. His residency in the district was questioned during the campaign. JJ Singh won the election with Samirah coming in third.
Electoral history
= February 2019 special election
=After Jennifer Boysko was elected to the Senate of Virginia, Samirah ran in the special election to complete the remainder of her term in February 2019.
= 2019 general election
=Following his win in the 2019 special election, Samirah was unopposed for reelection in the November general election.
= 2021 general election primary
=Samirah filed for reelection in 2021. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Irene Shin.
= 2023 general election
=Samirah unsuccessfully ran for State Senate in 2023 and was defeated in the primary by Suhas Subramanyam.
= 2024 special election
=After Suhas Subramanyam's election to the United States House of Representatives, a special election was held for his vacant seat.
Personal life
Samirah lives in Sterling, Virginia.
References
External links
Official website
Profile at Vote Smart
Kata Kunci Pencarian:
- Ibraheem Samirah
- Irene Shin
- Virginia's 86th House of Delegates district
- Ibrahim (name)
- Kannan Srinivasan
- 2025 United States state legislative elections
- 2024 Virginia elections
- List of Sigma Alpha Mu members
- 2023 Virginia Senate election
- 2021 Virginia House of Delegates election
