Irene Shin
Irene Shin is an American politician and former non-profit executive serving as a delegate of the Virginia [House of Delegates] since 2022. Shin represents the Virginia's 8th [House of Delegates district|8th district], encompassing parts of Chantilly, Herndon, Fairfax County, Virginia|Oak Hill], and Reston. A Democrat, she defeated incumbent Ibraheem Samirah in the Democratic primary in 2021 [Virginia House of Delegates election|2021]. On June 3, 2025, Shin announced her candidacy for the 2025 [Virginia's 11th congressional district special election|special election] in Virginia's 11th congressional district to replace deceased incumbent Gerry Connolly. However, she lost the primary, placing second behind fellow Democrat James Walkinshaw.
Early life and education
The daughter of Korean immigrants, she was born in Glendale, California and raised in Greater Los Angeles. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of [California, Riverside] in 2010.Career
Shin has worked on various Democratic political campaigns, including as finance director for then-Senator Kamala Harris. Until 2024, she was the executive director of non-profit Virginia Civic Engagement Table. Shin serves on the Tysons Transportation District Service Advisory Board for Fairfax County.In December 2024, Shin was selected to join the 2025-2026 Prenatal-to-Three Innovation Fellowship cohort, hosted by Future Caucus for young legislators invested in building bipartisan policy addressing key healthcare issues.
Virginia House of Delegates
2021 election
She announced a primary campaign against Delegate Ibraheem Samirah for District 86 in 2021. Despite challenging an incumbent Democrat, Shin received support from the Virginia Democratic Party establishment including multiple state legislators. She defeated Samirah in the June primary by 230 votes and out-raised him by over $100,000.She defeated Republican Julie Perry in the general election by a margin of 65–34%.