Incumbent Delegate Irene Shin is running to represent the 8th District in the House of Delegates. Delegate Shin is the daughter of Korean immigrants and originally from Los Angeles. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California Riverside and currently serves as executive director for the Virginia Civic Engagement Table. She has worked on several political campaigns and nonprofits. Shin also worked as a finance director for Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2015 successful bid for U.S. Senate.

Access to affordable healthcare is a top priority for Del.Shin. As a teen, she witnessed her father travel back to Korea for a life-changing surgery for cancer, as it was more affordable to get treatment in his home country. She supports lowering the cost of prescription drugs and ending the practice of “surprise billing” to protect patients from unexpected charges after undergoing medical treatment. She also wants to make access to mental healthcare available to all Virginians and will push for early mental health screening at public schools.

If elected, Del. Shin will fight for LGBTQ+ and women’s rights. She will advocate for legislation to prevent bullying or discrimination along the lines of sexual orientation or gender identity. She supports the constitutional amendment that removes the ban on gay marriage in the Commonwealth. Del. Shin believes in protecting abortion access and making birth control affordable. She also wants to pass paid family and medical leave so women can remain valuable members of the workforce.

Del. Shin wants to work to reform the criminal justice system to reduce its harmful impact on communities of color. She plans to address mass incarceration by ending mandatory minimums for nonviolent crimes. She supports banning qualified immunity for police officers, a practice that shields them from accountability for violating people’s civil rights. She advocates for banning the sale of assault weapons and supports recent legislation that requires mandatory background checks on all gun sales and purchases.

Del. Shin believes in making the promise of democracy real for us all by expanding access to the ballot to all voters. She supports removing deliberate barriers that restrict voting access, making vote by mail easier and automatic voter registration. In 2020, she successfully led a coalition of organizations to pressure the state government to extend its voter registration deadline after the online registration system failed. Del. Shin will also work to reform Virginia campaign finance laws using her four-step “Ethical Virginia Campaign Reform Package,” to limit the influence of rich donors in our elections.

Delegate Shin is running against Republican candidate Max Fisher, who runs as a “representation of the average citizen” and builds his campaign on “principled conservatism.” Fisher studied Politics and Communications at Marymount University. His platform points include, protecting voter’s rights, campaign finance reform, and protections for veterans and people with disabilities.

Due to her support of criminal justice reform, affordable healthcare, expanding access to voting , and equality, Delegate Shin is the most progressive choice in this election. Close Window