Arjoon Srikanth Seeking 1st District House Of Delegates Seat: VA Primary 2025

ARLINGTON, VA — Arjoon Srikanth, a 27-year-old software engineer, was motivated to run for the Virginia House of Delegates because communities in District 1 are under attack. Federal workers, LGBTQIA+ people, and immigrants are being targeted by the Trump administration.

Srikanth is running in the June 17 Democratic Party primary against Sean Phillip Epstein and incumbent Del. Patrick A. Hope to determine who well represent their party in the Nov. 4 general election.

As part of its coverage of the 2025 Democratic Party Primary, Patch has asked each of the Democrats in the District 1 race to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.

Early voting for the June 17 primary is already underway. More information about the election is available online.

Your Name

Arjoon Srikanth

Position Sought

Virginia House of Delegates, District 1

Age (as of Election Day)

27

Campaign Website

Arjoon for VA 1st

Names, ages and any pertinent details you may wish to share.

Single

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government? This includes any relatives who work in the government you're a candidate for.

No

Education

Rice University, BA Computer Science, BA Statistics, Minor in Computation Finance and Modeling

Occupation

Software Engineer - 5 years of experience

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Political Office

N/A

Why are you seeking elective office?

I’m running for this office because our communities are under attack - federal workers, LGBTQIA+ people, and immigrants are being targeted by the current administration. As delegate, I will fight to proactively strengthen our communities, and do everything in my power to disrupt, delay, and call attention to these attacks. This stands in stark contrast to the incumbent delegate, who stayed silent for weeks when, for example, immigrants like Georgetown University Professor Badar Khan Suri were being snatched from their own homes blocks away from our district.

Related: Del. Patrick Hope Faces 2 Challengers In Re-Election Bid In District 1 Of VA House

I’m also running to provide an inspiring, credible alternative vision to the chaos of the federal government. We must do everything in our power to regain trust and support amongst communities that Democrats have lost - young people, working class people, and people of color. The 2024 election was a wake up call for me, and I realized that if we are going to grow our party and rebuild, we’re going to have to not only fight back against this administration, we must also have a positive vision of our own that speaks to the concerns of ordinary Americans.

We must address the exploding cost of living in Virginia, which is pricing out people of all ages from living in the neighborhoods they call home. As delegate, I will pass policies that increase the supply of homes in our Commonwealth, and especially focus on the construction of homes that people can buy. Americans are concerned about climate change, but Virginia has fallen behind in clean energy production living under a 100 year monopoly by Dominion Energy, and there has been little progress in the past few decades to speed up the construction of wind and solar in our Commonwealth. As delegate, I will tackle this existential threat with the seriousness and speed that it demands.

I’m running for office because I’m concerned that if we don’t meet the moment in 2025 - we may be losing our country. The America that welcomed my family and made my life possible seems to be fading, and I want to do everything in my power to keep that dream alive. We need a new generation of leadership who can connect with voters on the platforms that they use, address their concerns with swiftness, and be a leader who is present in the community they serve.

The single most pressing issue facing Arlington voters is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issues facing Arlington voters are the arbitrary mass layoffs and reductions in force perpetrated by DOGE and this administration, which are gravely threatening our local economy here in Arlington. As delegate, I will fight to swiftly issue emergency unemployment benefits to those affected, so that they can sustain themselves during this period. In the near-term, we must also partner with our Chambers of Commerce to place our talented federal workers with businesses who need their valuable skills.

To build economic resiliency, I will focus efforts on diversifying our local economy. Virginia can streamline and accelerate the business creation process to encourage more investment into our region. Arlington alone has the capital and talent to produce a flourishing of new enterprise, ranging from software, to hospitality, to research and development. I will work to secure targeted investments from the Commonwealth budget in clean energy, biomedical, and environmental research that could lead to compounding benefits for our region down the line

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

A critical difference between myself and the incumbent in this race is that I do not take donations from corporate interests. The influence of large donors in Virginia is undeniable, and this is apparent from Delegate Hope’s acceptance of $15,000 from Comstock Holdings, a real estate firm aiming to build a casino in Tysons Corner. Accordingly, Delegate Hope has openly supported the casino, over the opposition of his colleagues such as Senator Saddam Salim and Delegate Holly Seibold who represent Tysons Corner, as well as every member of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.

My background as a software engineer also sets me apart from the other candidates in this race. I have worked as a federal contractor for nearly my entire career, and I have seen firsthand the transformative difference that technology can have on our civil service. If elected, I would be the only software engineer in the General Assembly, in an era where artificial intelligence is poised to radically change the way we work, live and learn.

Related: Early Voting For Democratic Primary In Arlington Underway

I am also a first-time homeowner, and having recently bought a home in Arlington, I know firsthand the struggles that young people are having when they are trying to start a family and lay down roots in the communities they live in. When folks haven’t tested the housing market in decades, they are a bit removed from the unfortunate reality that young people, the working class, and senior citizens are getting priced out of our communities.

Critically, I know the pain and uncertainty that federal workers and contractors are feeling right now, because I’m right there with them. I was let go from my position as a federal contractor two months ago as of writing this, and I have talked to countless people in the community about the callousness this administration has displayed towards our civil service. Arlington deserves a leader who will fight hard for these people in Richmond, and understands the stakes personally.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current officeholder failed the district or constituency?

Delegate Hope has represented some part of Arlington for the last 15 years, but recently, people in the community have seen a decline in his level of engagement. He last made a press release in 2021. Having knocked on thousands of doors throughout the district, it’s clear that voters are not at all familiar with his work in the General Assembly. Worse still, constituent services have suffered – there is a lack of responsiveness over death certificates, unemployment requests, and general inquiries; these are the fundamental building blocks of trust between a Delegate and their district.

The incumbent has also been ineffective and counterproductive at addressing the issues that are facing our district, not least of which is housing affordability. During the 2024 General Assembly Session, the incumbent championed and passed a Historic Preservation bill, HB1395, which GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin signed into law. This anti-housing bill created additional bureaucratic red tape for construction and development all over the Commonwealth, and has led to the indefinite delay of the Melwood Project, a housing complex in South Arlington designed for adults living with disabilities.

I also question Delegate Hope’s commitment to abortion rights. Virginia is the last state in the South to protect reproductive healthcare, yet in this past General Assembly session, Delegate Hope killed SB743 – a bill that would've protected Virginians who accessed reproductive healthcare from extradition by the federal government or any other jurisdiction. The bill was championed by Senator Barbara Favola, another member of the Arlington delegation. The bill had already passed the Senate, but it was killed in the committee in the House of Delegates that Delegate Hope chairs.

The 2025 General Assembly session presented an opportunity to proactively address the forthcoming attacks by the current administration on our district. With two months to prepare between November 5th and the start of the session in January, Delegate Hope’s priorities did not change at all. He sponsored no legislation to support our federal workers, our schools, or vulnerable communities like our immigrants and LGBTQIA+ people, and now claims that such issues will be addressed in a separate special session. When the people of this district needed Delegate Hope to act with urgency, he didn’t meet the moment.

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform.

Virginia has fallen behind in clean energy production, and we must provide more incentives and remove barriers for wind and solar projects throughout Virginia. To that end, I will fight to allow the independent construction of renewable plants throughout our Commonwealth. For example, if a farmer in Culpepper wants to put solar panels on their land, they should be able to do so. That will do three things: The farmer will lower their own energy cost, it will lower the energy needed from the grid, and the farmer can make more money by feeding excess energy back into the grid.

Related: Sean Epstein Seeking 1st District House Of Delegates Seat: VA Primary 2025

I am also excited to introduce and pass legislation that will create baseline safety standards for companies engaged in artificial intelligence large language model development. We have seen states like Colorado and California take the lead on sensible regulations that ensure that powerful models are kept out of the wrong hands and proper precautions are taken to ensure data privacy. As Arlington’s technology industry continues to grow, this will be a great start to keep Virginians safe from potentially catastrophic consequences.

As delegate, I also promise to fight to introduce Home Rule for Virginia’s localities. For too long, residents of communities like Arlington County have been waiting on the General Assembly to address their local issues. From banning gas-powered leaf blowers to the structure of our County Board, each legislative session Arlingtonians wait with bated breath and are constantly disappointed when our concerns are sidestepped and die in committee. As delegate, I will fight to amend the Dillon Rule which precludes localities like Arlington County from passing ordinances that deal with local issues such as the environment, noise pollution, and the structure of our County and City governments. We must bring Virginia in line with the vast majority of US states that delegate certain powers to local governments by introducing home rule.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

I am an active member of my community, serving on the board of directors for my condominium and also a dedicated volunteer for the Arlington Food Assistance Center, driving to collect donations from local farmer’s markets. I also bring years of experience working with federal agencies, from the US Army to the Department of the Treasury. I spent my career using technology to make the jobs of our federal workers easier and more efficient, and I will bring that philosophy of continuous improvement to our General Assembly.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

Early in this race, Representative Don Beyer said that in the darkest of times, your moral responsibility is to do something about it. Our entire campaign is defined by this ethos; righteous duty in this dark hour has compelled me to action.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

When my parents came to this country from India 40 years ago, they did so with the hopes that their children would have a better future than they did. But just the other day, I heard my father say that he doesn’t recognize the America he came to anymore, and things seem to be getting worse by the day. I am not a career politician, this is my first time running for any sort of public office. I'm doing this because the stakes are too high in 2025 to settle for the status quo. I invite everyone to join us and meet the moment to fight for a brighter and more optimistic future.

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