ARLINGTON, V.A.(TIP): Victoria Virasingh is a progressive Democrat running to represent Virginia’s 8th Congressional District. Her campaign is breaking barriers, inspiring new voter participation in the political process, and getting backed by organizations across the country. As the only Democratic primary occurring in Virginia and one in a reliably blue district, this is certainly a race to pay attention to. Virasingh, daughter of immigrants, was born and raised in Arlington. Given that 48 percent of residents in VA-08 are minorities, her lived experience as a Latina-Asian American provides her with unique insights to the everyday struggles that many in her community face. With valuable professional experience in government, non-profit, and private sectors, Virasingh is running for Congress to address these challenges once and for all, and she’s leading the way for more young women of color to follow. Virasingh is the both the first Latina and first Asian to ever be on the ballot for this race. She is the second woman to ever be on the ballot for this race and is the youngest to ever run for this position.

Being the first at anything is often trying. Nevertheless, Virasingh has risen to this occasion with a strong community cheering for her success. Her campaign submitted 1,628 signatures of locals who support her candidacy, surpassing the required 1,000 signatures. In terms of financial support, she decided not to accept any money from PACs and has instead raised funds from over 1,000 individual donors.

Moved by Virasingh’s compassion, pragmatism, bravery, and boldness, multiple national organizations have endorsed her campaign for Congress. One is Barrier to Entry PAC, which “supports candidates and campaign staff from working class backgrounds as they carve their paths in the Democratic political space.” Another is Her Bold Move who wants “to shatter every glass ceiling that still exists in our government – including the one in the oval office – by electing women to seats that have historically only been held by men.”Victoria Virasingh is the daughter of the district, a bold leader, and a fighter for the people. She’s running for U.S. Congress in VA-08  to shape a future that works for all of us. Learn more about her campaign by visiting: https://www.victoriaforcongress.com. Early voting in Virginia begins Friday, May 6 and the primary election day is Tuesday, June 21. Victoria Virasingh will be the first name on the ballot! For more information about voting, visit the Virginia Department of Elections: https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/calendars-schedules/upcoming-elections.html.