ROANOKE, Va. – UPDATE:
On Friday, Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, announced that he will not go forward with a run for U.S. Congress in 2026. This comes after the Democratic field continued to grow following Virginia’s redistricting referendum, which resulted in multiple candidates switching the district they are running in.
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You can read Del. Rasoul’s full statement here:
“Over the past few months, I have been evaluating the best path forward for me to continue serving our communities as we witness the Trump administration use our taxpayer dollars to fund a genocide abroad and wage an illegal and immoral Middle East war, all while our infrastructure and education systems are left crumbling here at home.
After careful consideration, I have decided that I will not be running for Congress this year so that I can continue focusing on our critical work on the Education Committee as Chairman in the House of Delegates. In the coming days, I will continue to be engaged in the fight to push our congressional candidates and delegation to champion the values and policies our communities are demanding across the Commonwealth.
Our congressional leaders must champion Medicare for All, tackle the affordability crisis, and fight for an arms embargo on Israel. It is an honor to serve the people of Roanoke, and I look forward to the work that lies ahead."
Del. Sam Rasoul
For the latest on the Democratic primary in Virginia’s 6th Congressional District, click here.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, announced he is exploring the possibility of running for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026.
Rasoul represents HD-38, a district that covers a majority of the City of Roanoke. He said in the light of possible mid-decade redistricting, he is looking towards a possible run for Congress in 2026.
“At a time when our community faces potential regional redistricting in Virginia’s 5th, 6th, and 9th Congressional Districts as a consequence of Donald Trump’s relentless attacks on our democracy, I have decided to prepare the paperwork for an exploratory committee to run for the United States House of Representatives in 2026, to be formed after the first of next year.”
Del. Sam Rasoul
The delegate has filed paperwork to form an exploratory committee for the endeavor, and has not chosen a congressional district to run for yet.
Rasoul has represented the City of Roanoke since 2014 and is the first Palestinian-American elected to the Virginia General Assembly. He also ran for lieutenant governor in 2021, coming in second behind Del. Hala Ayala, D-Alexandria, in the Democratic primary.
“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.”
Del. Sam Rasoul
He has embraced a progressive agenda, supporting policies such as Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, and ending military aid to Israel.
The three districts Rasoul mentioned are safely Republican, all having voted for their respective Republican nominees by large margins in 2024. However, due to the current redistricting battle that has overtaken multiple states, the boundaries of Virginia’s congressional districts could quickly change, meaning any of the races could become more competitive than previously thought.