Atif Qarni

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Atif Qarni

| image = VA Secretary of Education Visit 10 (42347786924) (cropped).jpg

| office = 19th Virginia Secretary of Education

| governor = Ralph Northam

| term_start = January 13, 2018

| term_end = November 24, 2021

| predecessor = Dietra Trent

| successor = Fran Bradford

| birth_name = Atif Mustafa Qarni

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1978}}

| birth_place = Pakistan

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic

| spouse = Fatima Pashaei

| education = George Washington University (BA)
George Mason University (MA)
Strayer University (MEd)
Vanderbilt University (EdD)

| allegiance = {{flag|United States}}

| branch = {{flag country|United States Marine Corps}}

| unit = Reserve

| rank = Sergeant

| serviceyears = 1996–2004

| battles = Iraq War

}}

Atif Mustafa Qarni (born 1978) is an American teacher, former military non-commissioned officer, and Democratic politician who was appointed by Governor Ralph Northam as Virginia Secretary of Education.{{cite web |last=Moomaw |first=Graham |date=21 December 2017 |title=Northam names Prince William civics teacher Atif Qarni as education secretary |url=http://www.richmond.com/news/virginia/government-politics/northam-names-prince-william-civics-teacher-atif-qarni-as-education/article_abb90598-f92d-5132-9927-88aaf82fe6fe.html |access-date=December 24, 2017 |website=Richmond Times-Dispatch}}

Early life and education

Emigrating from Karachi, Pakistan, with his family at the age of ten, Qarni grew up in Parkville, Maryland, before moving to Manassas, Virginia, in 2005. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in sociology from George Washington University, a master’s in history and a teaching license in secondary education from George Mason University, a master's in educational administration from Strayer University, and is a doctoral candidate at Vanderbilt University.{{Cite news |last=Truong |first=Debbie |date=December 21, 2017 |title=Pr. William middle school teacher appointed Virginia's next education secretary |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/pr-william-middle-school-teacher-appointed-virginias-education-secretary/2017/12/21/8f95795e-e688-11e7-a65d-1ac0fd7f097e_story.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{Cite web |last=Kirby |first=Jess |date=2024-06-06 |title=10 questions for 16 congressional candidates |url=https://www.loudountimes.com/0local-or-not/1local/10-questions-for-16-congressional-candidates/article_b22a47a2-2370-11ef-9576-c7e679d0b374.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Loudoun Times-Mirror |language=en}}https://www.asianfortunenews.com/2013/10/election-profile-atif-qarni-virginia-school-teacher-adding-new-role/

Career

He served in the United States Marine Corps, was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and rose to the rank of Sergeant.{{cite web |last=Khan |first=Hasan |date=August 5, 2016 |title=Footprints: Marine turned teacher countering Trump's rhetoric |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1275546 |access-date=December 24, 2017 |website=Dawn}} He served as a paralegal at the international law firm McDermott Will & Emery before beginning a career in teaching.{{Citation needed|date=November 2024}} He then served as a civics, economics, U.S. history, and math teacher at Beville Middle School in Dale City. Qarni ran for a seat in the Virginia House of Delegates in 2013, losing to incumbent Bob Marshall,{{Cite web |last=Hatzipanagos |first=Rachel |date=2013-11-05 |title=Election Results: How Manassas Park Voted in the Delegate Races |url=https://patch.com/virginia/manassaspark/amp/19723603/election-results-how-manassas-park-voted-in-the-delegate-races |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Patch |language=en}} and for the Virginia Senate in 2015, losing the Democratic nomination to Jeremy McPike.{{Cite web |title=Virginia Elections Database » 2015 Senate of Virginia Democratic Primary District 29 |url=https://historical.elections.virginia.gov/elections/view/46974/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Virginia Elections Database |language=en-US}} He was appointed as the Virginia Secretary of Education by governor Ralph Northam in 2017.{{Cite web |last=Koma |first=Alex |date=2017-12-21 |title=Northam names Prince William teacher as Virginia's next education secretary |url=https://www.insidenova.com/news/education/prince_william/northam-names-prince-william-teacher-as-virginias-next-education-secretary/article_06bf7136-e681-11e7-abc6-a7d9a70f31b9.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Inside NOVA |language=en}} In 2021, he resigned from the cabinet position to become the managing director of external affairs at Temple University’s Hope Center.{{Cite web |last=Hand |first=Mark |date=2021-12-01 |title=Northam Appoints New Education Secretary As Qarni Leaves For Temple University |url=https://patch.com/virginia/richmond/qarni-leaves-va-secretary-education-heads-temple-univ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Patch Media |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Leonor |first=Mel |date=2021-11-30 |title=Virginia Education Secretary Atif Qarni has resigned, heading to post at Temple University |url=https://richmond.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/virginia-education-secretary-atif-qarni-has-resigned-heading-to-post-at-temple-university/article_7a1e3b6b-209a-5f2d-97ee-d4ffe696ff94.html |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=Richmond Times-Dispatch |language=en}} In 2024, he ran in the Democratic primary for Virginia's 10th congressional district, placing third.{{Cite web |last=Vakil |first=Caroline |date=2024-06-19 |title=Suhas Subramanyam wins Virginia Democratic primary for Wexton's seat |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4728335-suhas-subramanyam-virginia-jennifer-wexton/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2023-11-11 |title=Former Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni Enters the Race for Virginia's 10th Congressional District |url=https://www.wfla.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/667178147/former-virginia-secretary-of-education-atif-qarni-enters-the-race-for-virginias-10th-congressional-district/ |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=WFLA |language=en-US}}

Electoral history

class="wikitable"
Date	Election	Candidate	Party	Votes	%
colspan="6" \| Virginia House of Delegates, 13th district
rowspan="3" \| Nov 5, 2013{{cite web\|title=November 2013 General Election Official Results \|publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections \|url=http://elections.virginia.gov/Files/Electionresults/2013/November-5/electionresults.virginia.gov/resultsSW829a.html?eid=7&type=HOD&map=CTY \|access-date=January 7, 2015 \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406053902/http://elections.virginia.gov/Files/Electionresults/2013/November-5/electionresults.virginia.gov/resultsSW829a.html?eid=7&type=HOD&map=CTY \|archivedate=2015-04-06}} \| rowspan="3" align="center" \| General \| Robert G. Marshall \| {{party shading/Republican}} \| Republican \| align="right" \| 8,946 \| align="right" \| 51.33
Atif M. Qarni \| {{party shading/Democratic}} \| Democratic \| align="right" \| 8,448 \| align="right" \| 48.47
colspan="2" \| Write Ins \| align="right" \| 35 \| align="right" \| 0.20
colspan="6" \| Virginia Senate, 29th district
rowspan="3" \| Jun 9, 2015{{cite web \|title=June 2015 Democratic Primary Official Results \|publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections \|url=http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2015%20June%20Democratic%20Primary/Site/GeneralAssembly.html \|accessdate=May 29, 2016 \|archive-date=June 11, 2016 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611202943/http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2015%20June%20Democratic%20Primary/Site/GeneralAssembly.html \|url-status=dead}} \| rowspan="3" align="center" \| Primary \| Jeremy S. McPike \| rowspan="3" {{party shading/Democratic}} \| Democratic \| align="right" \| 1,377 \| align="right" \| 43.18
Atif M. Qarni \| align="right" \| 1,152 \| align="right" \| 36.12
Michael T. Futrell \| align="right" \| 660 \| align="right" \| 20.70
colspan="6" \| United States House of Representatives, Virginia's 10th district
rowspan="12" \|Jun 18, 2024 \| rowspan="12" \|Primary \|Suhas Subramanyam \| rowspan="12" {{party shading/Democratic}} \| Democratic \| align="right" \| 13,504 \| align="right" \| 30.4
Dan Helmer \| align="right" \| 11,784 \| align="right" \| 26.6
Atif Qarni \| align="right" \| 4,768 \| align="right" \| 10.7
Eileen Filler-Corn \| align="right" \| 4,131 \| align="right" \| 9.3
Jennifer Boysko \| align="right" \| 4,016 \| align="right" \| 9.0
David Reid \| align="right" \| 1,419 \| align="right" \| 3.2
Michelle Maldonado \| align="right" \| 1,412 \| align="right" \| 3.2
Adrian Pokharel \| align="right" \| 1,028 \| align="right" \| 2.3
Krystle Kaul \| align="right" \| 982 \| align="right" \| 2.2
Travis Nembhard \| align="right" \| 722 \| align="right" \| 1.6
Marion Devoe \| align="right" \| 386 \| align="right" \| 0.9
Mark Leighton \| align="right" \| 224 \| align="right" \| 0.5

class="wikitable"

Date

Election

Candidate

Party

Votes

colspan="6" | Virginia House of Delegates, 13th district

rowspan="3" | Nov 5, 2013{{cite web|title=November 2013 General Election Official Results |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://elections.virginia.gov/Files/Electionresults/2013/November-5/electionresults.virginia.gov/resultsSW829a.html?eid=7&type=HOD&map=CTY |access-date=January 7, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406053902/http://elections.virginia.gov/Files/Electionresults/2013/November-5/electionresults.virginia.gov/resultsSW829a.html?eid=7&type=HOD&map=CTY |archivedate=2015-04-06}}

| rowspan="3" align="center" | General

| Robert G. Marshall

| {{party shading/Republican}} | Republican

| align="right" | 8,946

| align="right" | 51.33

Atif M. Qarni

| {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| align="right" | 8,448

| align="right" | 48.47

colspan="2" | Write Ins

| align="right" | 35

| align="right" | 0.20

colspan="6" | Virginia Senate, 29th district

rowspan="3" | Jun 9, 2015{{cite web |title=June 2015 Democratic Primary Official Results |publisher=Virginia State Board of Elections |url=http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2015%20June%20Democratic%20Primary/Site/GeneralAssembly.html |accessdate=May 29, 2016 |archive-date=June 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611202943/http://results.elections.virginia.gov/vaelections/2015%20June%20Democratic%20Primary/Site/GeneralAssembly.html |url-status=dead}}

| rowspan="3" align="center" | Primary

| Jeremy S. McPike

| rowspan="3" {{party shading/Democratic}} | Democratic

| align="right" | 1,377

| align="right" | 43.18

Atif M. Qarni

| align="right" | 1,152

| align="right" | 36.12

Michael T. Futrell

| align="right" | 660

| align="right" | 20.70

colspan="6" | United States House of Representatives, Virginia's 10th district