Salaam Bhatti

Bhatti obtained bachelor's degrees in political science from Albright College and in international relations from the University of Aberdeen. He obtained a law degree from Touro University. He worked as a spokesperson and social media manager at Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, as a staff attorney and deputy director at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, and as a director at the Food Research & Action Center.[1][2]

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Unrig the System: Reform taxes so that teachers and nurses aren't paying more taxes than billionaires.Fighting for Working Families. Everything is increasing in cost and our wages are not keeping up. Meanwhile, the wealth inequality gap continues to increase.

The time is now to fight for families by passing Medicare for All, strengthening our safety net and making it truly efficient, and providing paid parental leave & living wages.Rebuild trust. We cannot trust our elected officials to act in the people's interests if they're voting to maintain campaign funding from corporations/foreign interests, or if they're using information to increase their net worth. This is why I support banning Congressmembers from trading stocks, getting corporate PAC and foreign interest money out of politics, and ending the genocide in Gaza.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about policies that help families live with dignity and stability. That starts with economic security to help meet their basic needs, such as affordable food, housing, and energy. I grew up benefiting from programs like WIC and free school meals, and as a public-interest lawyer, I worked across party lines to expand SNAP and cash assistance, seeing firsthand how effective policy can reduce hardship.

I’m committed to going beyond making health care affordable through supporting Medicare for All. We must strengthen accountability in government through campaign finance reform and ensure public policy is guided by liberty and justice for all - both at home and abroad.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Qasim Rashid, Track AIPAC

Campaign websiteBhatti's campaign website stated the following:Care for EveryoneHealth insurance companies are bleeding us dry. Salaam supports Medicare for All — real coverage for every Virginian, including dental, vision, and mental health. No premiums or deductibles. No denials. No surprise bills. No more bankruptcies. When you get access to primary care, you will get the care you need before your problems gets worse – and more expensive.Tax BillionairesBillionaires pay lower tax rates than the teacher who teachers your children or the nurse who helped you. Salaam supports taxing the richest Americans to fund schools, infrastructure, and healthcare.People Over PACsYour vote is drowned out by corporate money. Salaam will fight for to get big money out of politics so elected officials actually work for you, not donors or foreign interests.Her Decision, Period.Politicians don’t belong in your doctor’s office. Every woman in VA-01 deserves to make decisions about her reproductive healthcare – contraception, abortion, all of it — regardless of income or zip code.Reclaim the BayThe Chesapeake Bay is our economy, our identity, and our inheritance. Salaam supports investments in improving the Bay’s health and returning federal funding to dredge the jetties on a regular basis.Fix ImmigrationStrong borders and a working system aren’t opposites. Salaam supports real reform, including hiring more immigration judges to speed up the process and modernizing immigration to meet today’s demands. Salaam supports replacing ICE with a system built around human rights and due process.Education and WorkforceWe cannot cut education budgets and expect teachers and students to perform better. Salaam supports fully funding the Department of Education. Investing in our children today is proven to pay dividends tomorrow. Additionally, a stronger, more resilient America relies on subsidizing both higher and vocational education. These two pathways must be presented on equal footing to children because we need both paths to build a strong nation.Stop Bombing Homes, Start Building HomesYour tax dollars are bankrolling wars that serve foreign interests and make a few people really rich, not Virginia families. Salaam will vote to end unauthorized wars and restore Congress’s constitutional authority to declare them. We should build hospitals, homes, and schools here instead of bombing hospitals, homes, and schools there. We must withhold offensive and defensing funding from Israel until they stop committing genocide and human rights violations.Reclaim Voting RightsThe Supreme Court handed state legislatures a blank slate to redraw maps. Communities throughout the First District can lose the legal shield that protected them for fifty years. Salaam will pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to restore what the Supreme Court took.Pay Our TeachersVirginia’s teachers are underpaid and overworked. Salaam will fight for competitive salaries, fully funded programs, and mental health resources.Farmers FirstSalaam will break up the agribusiness monopolies, end the tariff recklessness that punishes farmers twice, and fight to keep Virginia’s supply chains open. This district was built by people who work the land and they deserve a congressman who fights for them. Salaam will also push for a bipartisan Farm Bill.End Gun ViolenceSalaam supports universal background checks, red flag laws, and federal research into root causes. Salaam also supports veterans teaching firearm safety in our schools.End the SqueezeGas, groceries, rent, healthcare are all up. Wages? Stagnant. Salaam will fight against the policies driving this cost-of-living crisis and push for relief that reaches families from the Northern Neck to Henrico and Chesterfield. This includes moving the needle towards a living wage without running small businesses out of business. One method Salaam seeks to do that is through reducing their costs via Medicare for All.— Salaam Bhatti's campaign website (June 25, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.