“It doesn’t matter, just run.” (With Irene Shin, Delegate in the Virginia House of Delegates and ED of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table)
So you’re interested in running for state assembly?
In 2021, Irene Shin took on an incumbent Delegate in Virgina’s 86th district and won! Now embarking on her second campaign for the VA House of Delegates, we talk about how she got involved in state-level politics, how she decided to run for office, the first steps she took to declare and build a campaign staff, and what life looks like in a part-time state assembly. In the process we talk about the challenges of being a historic “first,” why it’s so important to make state positions accessible, and the excitement of running in a bellwether state.
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To the best of our knowledge, all audio used by What Can I Do is in the public domain or is used with permission. Our theme song is Good Deeds by Serj Anto, and we hold a license for use of the song through PremiumBeat.
Original artwork is by Matthew Weflen and used with express permission.
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Irene Shin
A resident of downtown Herndon, Irene Shin has been involved in public service in Virginia since 2014. Irene currently works as Executive Director of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table, a nonprofit organization that organizes communities to increase civic education and engagement across the Commonwealth.
Previously, Irene has worked with Supervisor John Foust, now-Vice President Kamala Harris, and spent many years in community and political organizing, as well as a number of nonprofits to recruit and support Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Women to run for office.
Irene is the daughter of Korean immigrants, and was raised in Burbank, California. Her father is a small business owner, and her mother is a homemaker and a home caretaker for those with health problems who require assistance to live independently.
Irene’s family story is similar to many in the 8th District. She went to a state university on a scholarship and paid her way through college by waiting tables.
When Irene was 16, her father had a serious health problem. This was before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and her family did not have health insurance. After meeting obstacle after obstacle and an unaffordable health care system that was impossible to navigate, Irene’s father was forced to fly to Korea to seek treatment. After landing in Seoul, he was given immediate care, was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and the next morning was in life-saving surgery. This kind of immediate care is still unavailable to many in Virginia.
Irene knows how the proble… Read More
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