Irene Shin is a Democratic member of the Virginia House of Delegates representing the 8th District in Fairfax County, including parts of Chantilly, Herndon, Oak Hill, and Reston. Elected in 2022 after defeating incumbent Ibraheem Samirah in the 2021 Democratic primary by 230 votes and Republican Julie Perry in the general election , she previously served as executive director of the nonprofit Virginia Civic Engagement Table until 2024 and worked on Democratic campaigns, including as finance director for Senator Kamala Harris. The daughter of Korean immigrants, Shin is a longtime community organizer focused on making government responsive to working families. Notable achievements include passing Malcolm’s Law , legislation designating pregnancy as a qualifying life event for health insurance, and laws preventing utility shutoffs for vulnerable residents during heat waves and emergencies. She serves on the Tysons Transportation District Service Advisory Board and was selected for the 2025-2026 Prenatal-to-Three Innovation Fellowship. In 2025, she ran unsuccessfully in the Democratic primary for Virginia's 11th Congressional District special election, finishing second.

Education and Political Experience

Specific details on Shin's formal education are not publicly detailed in available records. Her political experience includes campaign roles such as finance director for Kamala Harris's Senate campaign, executive director of the Virginia Civic Engagement Table , and election to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2022 for District 8, where she continues to serve.