Ibraheem Samirah

Last updated

Ibraheem Samirah
SamirahTownHall (cropped).jpg
Member of the VirginiaHouseofDelegates
from the 86th district
In office
February 20, 2019 –January 12, 2022

Samirah was born in Chicago on August 20, 1991 to Jordanian-Palestinian parents. [2] Samirah's grandparents were Palestinian. [3] He has described his father as a community activist in the Muslim community. [4] In 2003 when Samirah was 11, his father was denied re-entry into the United States as a national security risk. [4] 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. [4] [5]

Samirah with his parents Baby Ibraheem Samirah with parents.jpg
Samirah with his parents

In 2013, Samirah graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and political science. [6] In university, he was active in supporting Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions with Students for Justice in Palestine and founded the first-ever college chapter for Jewish Voice for Peace at American University. [7] [8] He was an observant Muslim throughout college. [4]

He earned his Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) from the Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine at Boston University in 2017. [9] While he attended dental school, Samirah was a member of Black Lives Matter, Students for Justice in Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace. [10]

Antisemitism

In 2014, Samirah made a series of antisemitic posts on his Facebook account. One post stated that "funding Israel is like supporting the Ku Klux Klan". On another post, Samirah wrote in response to the death of Ariel Sharon that the former prime minister of Israel should "burn a million times for every innocent soul you killed" along with "our beloved Arab 'leaders' (butchers I should say)" adding that “hell is excited to have you”. [4] In 2019, these posts were resurfaced by Big League Politics, and Samirah was criticized by political opponents and accused of racism and antisemitism.

Though Samirah apologized for the posts, he later characterized attacks on him as "a smear campaign" and accused Democrats of having "succumbed to the extreme-right propaganda machine" in objecting to his antisemitism. [11] [12]

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. [13] [14] In July 2019, he heckled a speech by Donald Trump. [15] [16] He ran for reelection unopposed that November. [17]

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. [18] [19]

Following his defeat in October 2021, Samirah spread antisemitic conspiracy theories accusing Mossad of creating "fossil fuel wars" with "malicious intent". [20] The posts caused alarm among local Jewish leaders and helped contribute to Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin capturing an unexpectedly large portion of the Jewish vote in the subsequent general election. [21]

Unsuccessful State Senate campaign

In 2023, Samirah ran for the Virginia State Senate in the Democratic primary for Virginia's 32nd State Senate District. [1] He was overwhelmingly defeated in the Democratic primary by Del. Suhas Subramanyam who went on to win the general election. [22]

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.

DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes %
Virginia House of Delegates, 86th district
January 12, 2019 [23] Democratic primaryIbraheem S. Samirah73335.8
Kofi Annan61530.0
Mike O'Reilly50324.6
Chad Thompson1969.6
February 19, 2019 [14] SpecialIbraheem S. SamirahDemocratic3,74059.5
Gregg G. NelsonRepublican2,16234.4
Connie H. HutchinsonIndependent3705.9
Write Ins130.2
Jennifer Boysko resigned; seat stayed Democratic

2019 general election

Following his win in the 2019 special election, Samirah was unopposed for reelection in the November general election.

DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes %
Virginia House of Delegates, 86th district
November 5, 2019 [24] GeneralIbraheem S. SamirahDemocratic14,73088.9
Write Ins1,83611.1

2021 general election primary

Samirah filed for reelection in 2021. However, he was defeated in the Democratic primary by Irene Shin.

DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes %
Virginia House of Delegates, 86th district
June 8, 2021 [25] Democratic primary Irene Shin 3,41551.7
Ibraheem S. Samirah3,18548.3

2023 general election

Samirah unsuccessfully ran for State Senate in 2023 and was defeated in the primary by Suhas Subramanyam.

DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes %
Virginia State Senate, 32nd district
June 20, 2023 [26] Democratic primary Suhas Subramanyam 11,17873.7
Ibraheem S. Samirah4,00026.4

Personal life

Samirah lives in Sterling, Virginia. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Cline</span> American politician (born 1972)

Benjamin Lee Cline is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 6th congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 24th district in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2002 to 2018.

Joe Turner May is an American businessman, electrical engineer, inventor, aviator, and politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia's 13th Senate district</span> American legislative district

Virginia's 13th Senate district is one of 40 districts in the Senate of Virginia. It has been represented by Democrat John Bell since 2020, succeeding retiring Republican Dick Black.

Dave Alfred LaRock is an American politician from Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, LaRock is a former member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 33rd district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Wexton</span> American politician (born 1968)

Jennifer Lynn Wexton is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the United States representative for Virginia's 10th congressional district since 2019. The district is anchored in the outer portion of Northern Virginia, and includes all of Fauquier County, Loudoun County, and Rappahannock County, parts of Fairfax County and Prince William County, and the independent cities of Manassas and Manassas Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Boysko</span> American politician (born 1966)

Jennifer Barton Boysko is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia. She represents the 38th district in the Virginia Senate. Previously, she represented the 86th district in the Virginia House of Delegates, which is located in Fairfax and Loudoun counties. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Virginia elections</span>

The 2019 Virginia elections took place on November 5, 2019. All 40 seats of the Senate of Virginia and 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates were up for re-election, as were many local offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Virginia's 86th House of Delegates district</span> Virginia state legislative district

Virginia's 86th House of Delegates district elects one of 100 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates, the lower house of the state's bicameral legislature. The district was established in 1982 and represents parts of Loudoun and Fairfax County. It was represented by Democrat Ibraheem Samirah until 2021, when Irene Shin won the primary and general elections.

Karrie K. Delaney is a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates. She was first elected in 2017, and represents the 9th district in the Fairfax and Loudoun County suburbs of Washington, D.C. Before her election as state delegate Delaney served on numerous boards and commissions in Virginia. She served on the West Melbourne, Florida city council as a Republican before moving to Northern Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Virginia gubernatorial election</span> Election for the governorship of the U.S. state of Virginia

The 2021 Virginia gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next governor of Virginia. The election was concurrent with other elections for Virginia state offices. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ralph Northam was ineligible to run for re-election, as the Constitution of Virginia prohibits governors from serving consecutive terms. Businessman Glenn Youngkin won the Republican nomination at the party's May 8 convention, which was held in 37 polling locations across the state, and was officially declared the nominee on May 10. The Democratic Party held its primary election on June 8, which former Governor Terry McAuliffe easily won.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election</span>

The 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next lieutenant governor of Virginia. Incumbent Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax was eligible to run for a second term, but instead unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. On November 3, Hala Ayala conceded the race, making Republican Winsome Sears the first black woman to be elected to the lieutenant governorship of Virginia or any statewide office, as well as the first woman elected lieutenant governor in Virginia's history. Sears was also the first Jamaican-American to become a lieutenant governor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suhas Subramanyam</span> American politician (born 1986)

Suhas Subramanyam is an American lawyer and member of the Virginia Senate, representing the 32nd district.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Virginia Attorney General election</span> Election for Commonwealths Attorney General

The 2021 Virginia attorney general election was held on November 2, 2021, to elect the next attorney general of Virginia. Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring attempted to win a third term. Herring initially planned to run for governor, but decided to run for re-election. Herring faced Republican nominee Jason Miyares in the general election. Herring conceded defeat at 5:02 PM EST the following day, November 3. Miyares became the first Cuban-American and Hispanic to be elected to statewide office in Virginia. Miyares was later sworn in on January 15, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia were held on November 8, 2022, to elect the 11 U.S. representatives from the state of Virginia, one from each of the state's 11 congressional districts. The elections coincide with other elections to the House of Representatives. Pursuant to state law, primaries organized through the Department of Elections were held on June 21, 2022. However, some Republican firehouse primaries were held on dates as late as May 21, 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Virginia House of Delegates election</span>

The 2021 Virginia House of Delegates election for the 162nd Virginia General Assembly were held on November 2, 2021 to coincide with biennial elections in the U.S. state of Virginia. All 100 Delegates are elected to two-year terms in single-member constituencies. Primary elections took place on June 8. This election coincided with the 2021 Virginia Gubernatorial election, the Lieutenant Gubernatorial election, and lastly, the Attorney General election, all of which were won by Republicans. The upper house of the Virginia General Assembly, the Senate of Virginia, will hold its next election on November 7, 2023.

Irene Shin is an American politician and non-profit executive who has served as the delegate of the Virginia House of Delegates since January 2022. A Democrat, she defeated incumbent Ibraheem Samirah in the Democratic primary in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Virginia House of Delegates election</span>

The 2023 Virginia House of Delegates election took place on November 7, 2023, concurrently with elections for the Virginia Senate, to elect members of the 163rd Virginia General Assembly. All 100 delegates were elected to two-year terms from single-member districts. Nomination primaries held through the Department of Elections were held June 20, 2023. Democrats gained 3 seats, winning back control with a 51-49 majority after having previously lost it in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Virginia Senate election</span>

The 2023 Virginia Senate election was held on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, concurrently with elections for the Virginia House of Delegates, to elect senators to all 40 seats in the Senate of Virginia for the 163rd and 164th Virginia Assembly. Nomination primaries held through the Department of Elections were held June 20, 2023. These were the first elections held following redistricting as a result of the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia</span>

The 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect the U.S. representatives from the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia, one from each of the state's eleven congressional districts. The elections will coincide with the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections. The primary elections are scheduled for June 18, 2024.

Russet Perry is an American Democratic politician from Virginia. She was elected to the Virginia Senate in the 2023 Virginia Senate election from the 31st district.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ibraheem Samirah Will Run for Virginia Senate - Washingtonian". March 6, 2023. Retrieved June 12, 2023.
  2. ↑ Cline, Nathaniel (February 19, 2019). "Democrat Ibraheem Samirah wins House of Delegates 86th District special election | News". loudountimes.com. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Exiled as a 'Security' Threat, Former Orland Man May Soon Return". Orland Park, IL Patch. September 9, 2011. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Beaujon, Andrew (October 27, 2019). "Ibraheem Samirah Is Nowhere Near Done Messing With the Way Virginia Does Politics". Washingtonian. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  5. ↑ Moran, James (March 12, 2010). "United States Court of Appeals: Samirah V. Ahscroft" (PDF). Govinfo.Gov. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Bio: Ibraheem Samirah". Vote Smart . Retrieved December 31, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Being a Palestinian-American". Her Campus. April 2, 2017. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  8. ↑ "A movement grows at American University". Mondoweiss. November 30, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  9. ↑ "Dr. Ibraheem Samirah Joins District Smiles As Senior Dentist In Tenleytown DC". PressCable. MarketersMEDIA. February 11, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  10. ↑ Sebastian, Dave (April 19, 2016). "Palestinian student advocates protest festival celebrating Israel Independence Day". The Daily Free Press . Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  11. ↑ Cline, Nathaniel (February 11, 2019). "Democratic House of Delegates candidate says he's 'so sorry' after anti-Semitic comments". Loudoun Times-Mirror . Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  12. ↑ Olivo, Antonia (February 19, 2019). "Va. Democrat who was attacked for remarks against Israel wins election for House seat". The Washington Post . Retrieved June 7, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Douglas, Catherine (February 20, 2019). "Democrat Ibraheem Samirah Wins 86th District Seat". Reston Now. Retrieved February 20, 2019.
  14. 1 2 "2019 February 19 Special: Official Results". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  15. ↑ Watson, Kathryn (September 30, 2019). "Democratic Virginia state delegate interrupts Trump's speech". CBS . Retrieved August 3, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Muslim Virginia lawmaker heckles Trump at Jamestown speech". AP News. July 30, 2019. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Ibraheem Samirah". Ballotpedia. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  18. ↑ Cline, Nathaniel (June 9, 2021). "Shin unseats Samirah for Democratic nomination in 86th House District race; to face Herndon teacher Julie Perry in November". Loudoun Times. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  19. ↑ Nathaniel Cline (June 9, 2021). "Shin unseats Samirah for Democratic nomination in 86th House District race; to face Herndon teacher Julie Perry in November". LoudounTimes.com. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  20. ↑ Kampeas, Ron (October 23, 2021). "Virginia Democratic delegate accuses Mossad of creating 'fossil fuel wars'". Times of Israel. JTA.
  21. ↑ Twitter post by Josh Kraushaar (2021-11-03)
  22. ↑ "Subramanyam wins Democratic primary for 32nd District Senate seat in Loudoun". INSIDENOVA.COM. June 20, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Samirah wins Democratic nomination for 86th House of Delegates District special election". Loudoun Times-Mirror. January 12, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  24. ↑ "2019 November General: Official Results". Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on November 7, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  25. ↑ "2021 June Democratic Primary". results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  26. ↑ "2023 June Democratic Primary". elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.