Press Release: Irene Shin Responds to Opponent’s Extreme Claim of ‘Child Abuse’ for Safe School Reopening

HERNDON, Va. – Today the Democratic Nominee for House of Delegates District 86 Irene Shin releases the following statement:

“When Governor Ralph Northam and the Virginia Department of Health issued the latest school reopening recommendation, in adherence with Center for Disease Control guidelines, my opponent accused the Governor of ‘child abuse.’ While Democrats like Governor Northam are taking steps to reopen schools safely, right-wing extremists like my opponent are endangering the lives of students, many of whom are still ineligible for life-saving vaccinations.

“It is abhorrent that my opponent would compare safety-minded school reopening procedures as ‘child abuse.’ Sadly, I’m not surprised by these latest extreme comments after my opponent’s most recent statement comparing herself to victims of the Holocaust. We need to reopen schools safely in order to restore normalcy and end this pandemic. Our first priority must be to keep students, their families, faculty and staff safe."

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Irene Shin has worked as a community organizer, an activist, and a General Assembly advocate for a number of causes including improving access to healthcare, fighting Big Money's influence in politics, and expanding voting rights to all Virginians.

Irene has also worked to bring transportation solutions and improved mass transit to the region, having served as a member of the Tysons Transportation District Service Advisory Board for Fairfax County.

A lifelong Democrat, Irene has helped dozens of ordinary citizens prepare to run for office. She serves on the board of the Competitive Commonwealth Fund, which recruits and trains Democratic candidates for the House of Delegates across Virginia. 

Currently, Irene is the executive director for a nonprofit focused on increasing civic engagement in Virginia.

Irene lives in downtown Herndon. She enjoys visiting local businesses and walking on the W&OD Trail.