Ibraheem S. Samirah (born August 20,1991) is an American dentist and former Democratic elected official who served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2019 to 2022. He was one of the first Palestinian-American and one Muslim Americans elected to the Virginia General Assembly. Prior to entering politics,Samirah practiced dentistry in the Washington,D.C. area and was active in progressive political and social-justice advocacy.
During his tenure in the House of Delegates,he introduced and co-sponsored legislation related to zoning reform,environmental policy,and election access. In 2019,he drew national attention after interrupting a speech by President Donald Trump at a Jamestown commemoration event.
After losing a Democratic primary in 2021,Samirah ran in three subsequent campaigns in 2023 and 2024,none of which resulted in election to office. His political career also included criticism over past social-media posts,2025 guilty plea to federal wire fraud,disputes related to campaign residency requirements,and remarks concerning Israel and U.S. foreign policy.
Early life and education
Samirah was born in Chicago on August 20,1991 to Jordanian-Palestinian parents.[1] Samirah's grandparents were Palestinian refugees.[2] He has described his father as a community activist in the Muslim community.[3] In 2003,when Samirah was 11,his father was denied re-entry into the United States on national security grounds,according to immigration officials at the time.[4] This resulted in the family moving to Amman,Jordan. Samirah's father was readmitted to the United States in 2014,after defeating the government in court where the judge declared in their ruling that the government’s position was “totally asinine.[5][3][6]
After completing dental school,Samirah returned to the Washington,D.C.–Northern Virginia area,where in February 2019 he began working as a senior dentist at District Smiles.[13] Prior to entering elected office,he became active in progressive political causes,including involvement with local Democratic organizations and participation in grassroots campaigns related to housing,education,and civil rights.[14] In Massachusetts,he was involved in coalition-based activism opposing anti-BDS legislation,including efforts to pressure state lawmakers to reject measures seen by civil liberties groups as unconstitutional. Following the withdrawal of the proposed anti-BDS amendment in 2016,Samirah stated that the outcome created greater political space for advocacy groups to engage with local and state officials on issues related to Palestinian rights.[15]
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.[16][17] In a town hall after his election,he was asked by a constituent whether he planned to implement Sharia law,which Samirah stated was an attack on his faith.[18][19][20] There were about two dozen protesters,some with anti-abortion and pro-Israel signs,outside Herndon Town Hall ahead of this meeting.[21][19] During the special election,Samirah campaigned on expanding affordable health care access and funding universal prekindergarten,along with transportation and education improvements in his district. [22]
He ran for reelection unopposed that November.[23] During the primary,Shin’s campaign benefited from substantial independent expenditures by Democratic Principles PAC,a political action committee with limited public disclosure. Recent reports indicate that the PAC appeared to have connections to the national organization Unite America,noting concerns raised during the 2021 election cycle about the influence of opaque or so-called “dark money”groups in Virginia politics.[24]
He drew a challenger in the Democratic primary in 2021 and was defeated by Irene Shin who went on to win the general election.[25] During the primary,Shin’s campaign benefited from substantial independent expenditures by Democratic Principles PAC,a political action committee with limited public disclosure. Recent reports indicate that the PAC appeared to have connections to the national organization Unite America,noting concerns raised during the 2021 election cycle about the influence of opaque or so-called “dark money”groups in Virginia politics.[26]
Legislative priorities and policy positions (housing,environment,healthcare,policing)
In December 2019,he introduced 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.[27][28] 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.[29][30][31] The legislation ultimately did not advance out of committee,but it drew state and national attention as part of a broader debate over “middle housing.”Supporters highlighted the potential for duplexes and small multifamily homes to reduce housing costs,while some residents expressed concerns about changes to single-family neighborhoods.[32] He co-sponsored a bill known as the Virginia Green New Deal,which supporters claimed was intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.[33] He also signed a letter opposing the Transcontinental Pipeline.[34]
In health policy,Samirah advocated for the creation of a state-level public health insurance option to address coverage gaps and rising healthcare costs. He sponsored legislation directing state agencies to study the feasibility of offering a publicly administered insurance plan on Virginia’s health insurance marketplace for residents not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare. Samirah argued that reimbursing providers at Medicare rates could significantly lower premiums without raising taxes and cited evidence that such a model would not threaten hospital viability. He framed the proposal as a response to insurance losses and cost burdens exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and pointed to similar efforts in other states as potential models for Virginia.[35][36]
In September 2020,he voted against a bill to end qualified immunity,later describing the vote as a miscalculation,and drew criticism from some Democratic colleagues;he also called for an amendment to prevent Virginia’s insurance risk pool from covering the cost of lawsuits filed against police.[41]
In 2021,Samirah was one of the few Virginia legislators opposing an Amazon-drafted state data privacy bill;he declined campaign donations from the company and,in a Reuters investigation,criticized the law as allowing technology firms too much latitude to collect and use Virginians’personal data,calling Amazon’s approach “an attempt at controlling the problem before it gets out of their hands.”[42]
Jamestown protest
In July 2019,Samirah interrupted President Donald Trump’s speech in Jamestown during an event marking the 400th anniversary of the Virginia General Assembly. Holding signs reading “go back to your corrupted home,”“deport hate,”and “reunite my family and all shattered by systemic discrimination.”[43]He called out,“Mr. President,you can’t send us back.[44][45] Virginia is our home,”before being removed by Capitol Police and Secret Service officers. He was escorted out by state police as some attendees booed and chanted in support of Trump.[46]
Following the protest,Samirah reported receiving threats,including death threats,via email and social media,and stated that he requested that Virginia Capitol Police investigate. The visit drew criticism from members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus and other Democratic lawmakers,who boycotted the event and argued that Trump’s rhetoric was inconsistent with the values celebrated at the 400th anniversary.[47][48]
In 2022,Samirah wrote to the Fairfax County School Board calling its response to a reported assault on Muslim student Ekran Mohamed at Fairfax High School “unacceptable,”arguing that the School Board had failed to ensure the safety of Muslim students and urging curriculum changes and cultural-sensitivity training to address Islamophobia in schools.[53]
Following Srinivasan's victory in the Democratic primary special election for Virginia's 32nd Senate district,Samirah ran in a special election to replace his seat for Virginia's 26th House of Delegates district.[58][59] Some Democrats questioned whether he met the residency requirements for the 26th district during the campaign.[60]JJ Singh won the election with Samirah coming in third.[61]
Controversies
2014 posts and 2019 campaign controversy
In 2014,while a student,Samirah posted comments on Facebook regarding Israel,including sharing a letter that compared financial support for Israel to backing the Ku Klux Klan,with a comment expressing agreement,and a separate post stating that former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon should “burn a million times”for deaths he attributed to him.[62] During Samirah’s 2019 special election campaign,the right-leaning outlet Big League Politics resurfaced the posts. Some opponents and Jewish organizations described the comments as antisemitic. Samirah issued a written apology,describing the posts as poorly worded and hurtful,and stated that they were intended as criticism of Israeli government policy,not of Judaism or Jewish people.[62][63]
2021 Israel/Mossad tweets
In October 2021,Samirah supported a decision by the Washington,D.C.,chapter of the Sunrise Movement to withdraw from a voting-rights rally due to the participation of Zionist organizations. [64] He also wrote on social media that Mossad “creates fossil fuel wars”through the use of misleading intelligence,citing the Iraq War and other Middle East conflicts.[65] Jewish news outlets and commentators criticized the remarks as promoting a conspiracy theory about Israel’s role in those conflicts. In later statements,Samirah argued that conflating Judaism with Zionism was itself antisemitic and said his comments were directed at Israeli state policy.[64][66]
2025 PPP wire fraud conviction
In 2025,Samirah pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of wire fraud related to an $83,000 Paycheck Protection Program loan he obtained in 2020 for his dental practice.[67] According to court documents,he certified that the practice had four employees and a substantial payroll,although it did not have paid staff at the time. He submitted and backdated payroll and tax records and later sought loan forgiveness based on that documentation. At sentencing,Samirah described the loan as a poor decision made under financial pressure and said he had misunderstood the program’s requirements. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $88,000 in restitution.[68][69]
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.
Samirah identifies himself as Palestinian American and lives in Sterling,Virginia.[16] He has reported receiving threats connected to his political work.[47]
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