Virginia Del. Suhas Subramanyam joins race to succeed Rep. Jennifer Wexton
Virginia Del. Suhas Subramanyam (D-Loudoun) announced Thursday his candidacy to succeed Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.), the latest in a flurry of such announcements by Democrats since last week’s elections gave the party control of the General Assembly.
Subramanyam, 37, is making his bid for federal office on the heels of winning a state Senate race to succeed Sen. John J. Bell (D-Loudoun), who did not seek reelection after being diagnosed with cancer. Wexton has also said she will not seek reelection for health reasons.
A former technology policy adviser to President Barack Obama, Subramanyam said he chose to run for Congress because the problems there, such as perpetual threats of government shutdowns and an inability to find common ground on gun violence, are too urgent.
“I’m motivated to act when I see that the system isn’t working for our community,” he said in an interview. “We need to address the dysfunction in Washington.”
The crowded Democratic field in the 10th Congressional District underscores the importance of the seat Wexton has held since she defeated Rep. Barbara Comstock (R-Va.) in 2018, turning the district blue. Wexton’s departure makes the district more competitive in next year’s fall presidential elections, with Democrats seeking to erase the GOP majority in the House.
Dels. Dan Helmer (Fairfax) and David A. Reid (Loudoun); state Sen. Jennifer B. Boysko (Fairfax); Atif Qarni, a former state secretary of education; and Mark Leighton, a librarian at George Mason University’s law school, have all entered the Democratic race in the past week. Last month, Del. Eileen Filler-Corn (Fairfax), a former House speaker, announced her candidacy.
On the Republican side, Mike Clancy, an attorney and tech company executive, has announced a bid for his party’s nomination.
Subramanyam and Qarni reflect the increasing diversity of the district that is primarily anchored in Loudoun County, extending into Prince William and Fairfax counties and southwest to Rappahannock County. Subramanyam’s parents emigrated from India, while Qarni is Pakistani American.
The once nearly all-White district is now 15.5 percent Asian, according to the nonprofit Virginia Public Access Project, growth that is largely concentrated in the vote-heavy Loudoun County area. Nearly 11 percent of the district is multiracial, while 10 percent is categorized as “other.” White residents represent 55 percent of the district’s population, while 8.5 percent are Black residents.
Subramanyam casts himself as a moderate Democrat working to deliver more equity to his suburban House district, which intersects with large portions of the 10th Congressional District.
He touts a 2021 law he sponsored that requires the owner of the 14-mile Dulles Greenway toll road to prove that a proposed toll increase is reasonable for drivers, will not discourage too many from using the roadway and does not lead to an excessive amount of profit — action that tapped into area commuters’ long-standing frustrations over high tolls.
Subramanyam also sponsored a 2020 law that led to the Dominion Energy utility’s providing $330 million in refunds to its customers after state officials learned that the utility had been overcharging for service. And he helped champion a 2022 law that requires pharmaceutical companies to annually report their drug prices on a Virginia Health Information website.
“I want to do more to address rising costs,” he said.
If elected to Congress, Subramanyam plans to fight for federal legislation securing abortion rights, to lower the cost of prescription drugs and to pass an assault weapons ban.
A co-founder of the Commonwealth Caucus in the General Assembly geared toward bipartisanship, he also hopes to be a moderating voice for the two parties.
“I never compromise my values, but, at the same time, we need to lower the temperature,” he said.
