Democrat · West Virginia's 2nd District · 2026
Ace Parsi
Parsi came from Iran as a child knowing no English.
Biography
Ace Parsi came to America from Iran as a child speaking no English, while his mother supported the family through sewing and babysitting and his brother worked in a grocery store.12 He and his wife moved to her home state of West Virginia when their daughter was born, and they now live in Morgantown.21
Parsi graduated from Penn State in 2005, where he studied political science and economics and participated in student government and civic engagement.3 After college, he served with AmeriCorps at a school in Redwood City, California, where he ran activities after school and taught English to parents.3 He later pursued a master's in public policy at the University of California, Berkeley.3
His professional work includes community organizing, civic education and coalition building.1 At iCivics, he served as director of coalition engagement, working with organizations supporting civic and history education.1 He left that role earlier this year to run for Congress.2
Parsi's priorities include affordability and better incentives for people entering teaching, nursing and other care professions.2 He supports community votes on data center development and stronger congressional authority over decisions to go to war.2 The Democrat is challenging Republican incumbent Riley Moore in November.4
Record and controversies
Protest arrest
WVVA reported that Parsi was arrested January 20, 2026 and charged with trespassing during a peaceful sit in at Senator Shelley Moore Capito's Morgantown office.5 The action protested cuts to SNAP and Medicaid; Parsi said his own family's experience with assistance informed his participation.5 A later court disposition was not verified in this review.