by Shawn Nowlin
Another candidate has jumped into the crowded fray in the race for Virginia’s 6th Congressional District.
Earlier this month, Sam Rasoul, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2014, announced that he will be filing for an exploratory committee to run for Congress.
Longtime journalist Beth Macy, FEMA Emergency Manager Pete Barlow and military Veteran Ken Mitchell have also announced that they are running for the seat against incumbent Rep. Ben Cline.
Whoever wins next November will represent nearly 795,000 Virginians throughout the west-central portion of the state.
Born in Warren, Ohio, Rasoul grew up in the Star City. After graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Roanoke College, the proud son of Palestinian immigrants earned a Master of Business Administration from Hawaii Pacific University.
Chairman of the House Education Committee, in November, Rasoul was re-elected to the state House after garnering nearly 70 percent of the vote against independent Maynard Keller.
His progressive platform focuses on making housing more affordable, uplifting working families and criminal justice reform. When he ran for lieutenant governor in 2021, Rasoul finished second in a six-way statewide primary and raised more than $2 million.
“Our region deserves a fighter in Congress who will never back down in the face of injustice at home and abroad, and will tackle the affordability crisis that we all face,” Rasoul, the longest-serving Muslim state lawmaker in the country, said in a news release.
He added, “As a Palestinian-American who has represented Appalachia in the Virginia General Assembly for over a decade, I am proud to have spent my career standing up to special interests who have rigged the system against Virginia’s working families.”
After the Supreme Court ruled that Texas can use its new, redrawn map, California residents overwhelmingly passed Proposition 50 in a special election. The amendment to the state constitution will allow congressional districts to be redrawn.
VA-6 is currently a red-leaning district. In the coming months, Virginians will have an opportunity to approve a referendum that will adopt a similar constitutional amendment.
Rasoul understands that defeating Cline will be no easy task. It will take more than just policy ideas to get across the finish line.
Former Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea Sr. is among Rasoul’s biggest supporters. “I worked alongside Sam for years to improve the lives of the community members we both represent,” he said. “Sam serves with both quiet humility and focused resolve to move us beyond divisive rhetoric and towards a future built by a diverse coalition of voices.”
For the most up-to-date information, visit https://www.sam4va.com.
