Salam "Sam" Rasoul (born June 30, 1981) is an American politician serving as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 38th district.[1] He is one of the two Muslim members of the Virginia General Assembly.[1] In November 2020, Rasoul announced his candidacy for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia in 2021.[2] Despite a significant fundraising advantage,[3] Rasoul placed 2nd in the Democratic primary losing to Hala Ayala by a 64,352 votes.[4]
Sam Rasoul | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates | |
| Assumed office January 8, 2014 | |
| Preceded by | Onzlee Ware |
| Constituency | 11th district (2014–2024) 38th district (2024–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Salam Rasoul June 30, 1981 Warren, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Layaly Rasoul |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Roanoke College (BBA) Hawaii Pacific University (MBA) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Early life and education
editRasoul was born in Warren, Ohio in 1981, the son of Palestinian immigrants.[5] He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Roanoke College and a Master of Business Administration from Hawaii Pacific University.[6]
Career
editRasoul first ran for elected office in 2008 when he challenged incumbent Republican Bob Goodlatte for Virginia's 6th Congressional seat. He lost to Goodlatte by 25 percentage points in the heavily Republican district.[7]
Rasoul was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in a special election held on January 7, 2014. The special election was held to fill the vacancy created by the November 2013 resignation of Delegate Onzlee Ware.[8] After winning the Democratic primary by 44 votes, Rasoul received nearly 70% of the vote over his Republican opponent Octavia Johnson in the general election.[9] He was inducted into office on January 8, 2014.[10]
Rasoul is a member of the Legislative Black Caucus and the Rural Caucus in the House of Delegates.[11]
He was a candidate in the 2021 Virginia lieutenant gubernatorial election.[11] Rasoul lost to Hala Ayala. If nominated, he would've been the first Muslim candidate to run statewide anywhere in the South and the first Virginia statewide nominee from Roanoke since Ray Garland, who ran for U.S. Senate in 1971.[12]
Personal life
editRasoul and his wife, Layaly, have three children.[13]
Electoral history
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bob Goodlatte | 192,350 | 61.6% | |
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul | 114,367 | 36.6% | |
| Independent | Janice Lee Allen | 5,413 | 1.7% | |
| Write-in | 262 | 0.1% | ||
| Total votes | 7,309 | 100.00% | ||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul | 5,129 | 70.2% | |
| Republican | Octavia Lyvonne Johnson | 2,166 | 29.6% | |
| Write-in | 14 | 0.2% | ||
| Total votes | 7,309 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul (inc.) | 11,216 | 96.2% | |
| Write-in | 447 | 3.8% | ||
| Total votes | 11,663 | 100.00% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul (inc.) | 15,667 | 96.93% | |
| write-ins | 496 | 3.07% | ||
| Total votes | 16,163 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul (inc.) | 10,269 | 94.38% | |
| write-ins | 611 | 5.62% | ||
| Total votes | 10,880 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sam Rasoul (inc.) | 14,532 | 64.5% | |
| Republican | Charlie Nave | 7,963 | 35.3% | |
| write-ins | 37 | 0.2% | ||
| Total votes | 22,532 | 100% | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
References
edit- ^ a b "Richmond Sunlight » Delegate Sam Rasoul (D-Roanoke)". www.richmondsunlight.com. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ WDBJ, Sarah Irby |. "Delegate Sam Rasoul announces run for lieutenant governor". www.nbc12.com. Retrieved 2020-12-12.
- ^ Times-Dispatch, ANDREW CAIN Richmond. "Rasoul tops fundraising for lieutenant governor". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- ^ "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- ^ "ColorsVA". colorsva.pub. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ "VA Del. Sam Rasoul". Millennial Action Project. Retrieved 2021-05-10.
- ^ "House clerks's office" (PDF).
- ^ Yoon, Erica (January 8, 2014). "Sam Rasoul easily takes Roanoke House of Delegates seat". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ^ Ballhous, Rebecca (January 8, 2014). "Special Election in Virginia: Another Cliffhanger". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ^ Sluss, Michael (January 8, 2014). "Rasoul goes to work in Richmond". The Roanoke Times. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
- ^ a b Vozzella, Laura. "Virginia's crowded race for lieutenant governor draws its 10th candidate". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- ^ "Editorial: Rasoul could make history in more ways than one". Roanoke Times. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
- ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ "2008 U.S. House General Election". Retrieved June 19, 2024.
- ^ a b "Candidate Profile - Sam Rasoul". Retrieved April 22, 2017.
- ^ "2017 November General". Retrieved Jul 31, 2019.
- ^ "Virginia Election Results: November 5, 2019".
- ^ "2021 November General". results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-16.
External links
edit- "Virginia House of Delegates; Delegate Sam Rasoul". Virginia House of Delegates.
- Appearances on C-SPAN