Sam Rasoul, a Palestinian-American politician from Virginia, says he is considering a run for Congress next year, as his state prepares for a probable redrawing that could reshape the nation's political map.
Mr Rasoul, 44, says he is motivated by the desire to advance affordable health care to all Americans, environmental reform and an end to US funding for wars abroad.
“People are anxious for a different type of politics,” he tells The National. “If you show up and listen, people respond.”
Mr Rasoul also says he feels compelled to oppose President Donald Trump's policies. If he wins election, he would join Rashida Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American member of Congress.
Mr Rasoul is part of a new wave of young, progressive politicians making headway in US politics. New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic socialist, won last month on a platform focused on affordability and economic equality.
Mr Rasoul first entered politics in 2008, when he challenged a Republican incumbent for a congressional seat. Aged 27 at the time, he was the youngest congressional candidate in the nation.
He lost that election, but credits that experience for later successes at the polls. He has represented the District of Roanoke in the Virginia House of Delegates since 2014, and has won every re-election cycle since, every two years.
In the Democratic Party, he aligns himself with what
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