Salaam Bhatti is a public-interest lawyer, husband, and father of two boys, and is running as a Democrat for Congress to fight for families across Virginia’s 1st District.
Salaam is a child of immigrants who came to America to pursue the American dream. He understands the affordability crisis because he’s lived it. Salaam grew up benefiting from programs like WIC and free school meals and struggling through poverty while in law school and the early years of his career.
For nearly a decade, Salaam has won real victories for people who’ve been ignored for too long. While at the Virginia Poverty Law Center, he led bipartisan efforts to expand SNAP food assistance for 25,000+ families, helped secure free school meals for tens of thousands of children, and increased cash assistance for families by historic amounts. Salaam’s advocacy led to the repeal of unjust and racist laws in Virginia and set an example for states across the nation.
Salaam helped build a SNAP screening tool for Virginians. This simple, accessible tool has since rolled out nationwide and helped over 2.5 million families unlock more than $100 million in SNAP and WIC benefits. Salaam has appeared before the Virginia General Assembly and Congress, advised state and federal agencies, and trained thousands of neighbors in Virginia and throughout the country on getting to the table and raising their voices.
Now, Salaam is running for Congress because the stakes for working families have never been higher.
His approach is based on experience that is practical, pragmatic, and efficient with people-first solutions — not ideological fights.
Salaam Bhatti is ready to continue fighting for working families with the integrity, compassion, and real-world experience Washington desperately needs.