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Tysons-area state Sen. Saddam Azlan Salim announced Monday that he will run for Congress if Virginia voters approve a redistricting amendment later this month.

The 36-year-old Democrat joins a crowded primary field for the proposed 7th Congressional District. The contenders already include two other state lawmakers and a former Virginia first lady.

“With the challenges families face, rising costs, climate change, income inequality and a broken justice system, we need leaders in Washington ready to take them head-on,” Salim said.

Salim, whose family experienced homelessness, framed his campaign as an effort to repay the support they received. He pledged to stand up to billionaires, corporate political action committees, AIPAC and ICE.

The announcement came weeks after the end of Virginia’s legislative session. Salim introduced 15 bills that reached the governor’s desk during his third year in the state Senate.

Among them was S.B. 749, which would make selling or transferring an “assault firearm” a misdemeanor. He also introduced three measures intended to restrict federal immigration enforcement activities at the state level and “end ICE abuses.”

Salim said last month that the proposals were right for Virginia and that he believed courts would uphold them. In announcing his congressional campaign, he said he was ready to bring the same fight to Washington.

“If you believe everyone deserves a safe home, a good job, clean air and water and a justice system that respects our rights, then I’m asking you to stand with me,” Salim said. “Together, we’ll build a future where every family doesn’t just get by but experiences progress.”

Salim entered the state Senate in 2023 after defeating 16-year incumbent Chap Petersen in the Democratic primary for the 37th Senate District. His current district includes Fairfax City, Falls Church, Oakton, Vienna and Tysons.

Only part of that territory would be included in the proposed 7th Congressional District. The sprawling, “lobster-shaped” seat would extend east to the Potomac River, south to Powhatan County and east to Augusta County.

The new district can take effect only if voters approve a constitutional amendment on April 21 authorizing a one-time mid-decade redistricting process.

Approval requires a simple majority. The General Assembly could then enact proposed maps expected to favor Democrats in all but one of Virginia’s 11 congressional districts. Democrats currently hold five of those seats.