Abrar Omeish makes Virginia history as youngest and first Muslim woman elected in state’s history

FAIRFAX, Va.— Cheers erupted as 24-year-old Abrar Omeish was elected to the Fairfax County school board, becoming the first-ever Muslim woman and youngest elected official in Virginia’s history. 

Omeish ran for Member-At-Large on the Fairfax County school board against five other candidates. An Independent, she was one of three candidates, including incumbent Karen Keys-Gamara and newcomer Rachna Sizemore Heizer, endorsed by the Democratic party.

As polls closed at 7 p.m., Omeish’s supporters, including members of her local mosque community, excitedly filed in to her election watch party at her home in Fairfax, Virginia.

A large TV screen illuminated the room showing the results as they slowly came in. Anxiously awaiting the results, loud chants of “Abrar! Abrar!” from young supporters filled the room.

Kevin Wu, the campaign’s policy director, was at the computer refreshing the results as they came in.

“I think the faith we [have] in her was reflected by voters across the county...they really bought into the change that she’s going to bring, and the accessibility she brings,” Wu said.

Shortly after 9 p.m. with over 160,000 votes, Omeish claimed victory to thundering claps. 

“I cannot thank the community enough. This was a community effort. We inspired communities and families in a way that that’s immeasurable, that’s unprecedented in the history of this county,” Omeish said.

Omeish joined Keys-Gamara and Sizemore Heizer to fill the three Member-At-Large positions on the Fairfax County school board, beating out three other Republican-backed candidates.

In a 20-minute long acceptance speech, Omeish thanked her supporters profusely for knocking on over 16,000 doors and making countless phone calls to voters. 

“Abrar’s win isn’t only a win for the entire Muslim community but for young women who are constantly being told they have to wait. She said it herself, this wasn’t just a campaign, it was a movement,” said Safa Hawash, a young supporter at the watch party.

Omeish has been open in the past about the challenges and discrimination she’s faced as a young Muslim woman running for office. In her speech after the results, Omeish referenced a “smear campaign” against her and her Democratic-backed peers over a county policy called One Fairfax. The policy, which was met with a bitter partisan divide, is designed to promote racial and socioeconomic equity in schools. Members of Virginia’s Republican party, however, accused Democrats of favoring busing to redistrict schools based on race and income.

“We made the decision that no matter what, it’s more important to us to stand up for what’s right and lose than to win and have given up our values or thrown under the bus the things that make this a great county,” Omeish said.

The night ended with Omeish embracing family and friends, including her tearful elderly grandfather who immigrated to the United States from Libya with his family in 1982. 

Omeish, Keys-Gamara, and Sizemore Heizer begin their term on January 1, 2020, and will hold their positions for the next four years.