Top story
‘Wow’: Trump’s new press secretary pummeled after ‘brutally bad’ Sean Hannity grilling
The topic centers on Aaron Fritschner, serving as deputy chief of staff to Congressman Don Beyer (D-VA).
Updated Oct 16, 2026, 2:28 PM ET
Democratic · 3 November 2026
Don Beyer
U.S. Representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district (since 2015)
Don Beyer, a Democrat who has represented Virginia's 8th congressional district since 2015 and was earlier lieutenant governor of Virginia and ambassador to Switzerland, faces Republican Tony Sabio, a former CIA and Secret Service officer, in 2026.
2026 Races & Market Forecast
Live TruthIndex™ and prediction market consensus for races contested by Don Beyer.
Latest coverage
Live News
Recent media coverage for Don Beyer.
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Press Release: Don Beyer Says Opposition to Trump Arch Project Is Growing
Don Beyer, the U.S. Representative for Virginia’s 8th District (VA-08), has expressed that opposition to the Trump Arch Project is growing.
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Don Beyer: Why you should vote for me
Don Beyer is running for re-election to represent Virginia’s 8th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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Grupo de deputados solicita interrupção da expansão de IA no tráfego aéreo de Washington
The article notes that US lawmakers, including Don Beyer (VA-08), joined colleagues to push back against expanding AI use in air traffic control.
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As Trump's proposed arch looms over D.C., protesters pin their hopes on the midterms
The article covers Virginia Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08) speaking at a protest-related event, criticizing Trump’s proposed arch project in D.C. and the broader political climate ahead of the midterms.
No story this week names this candidate.
- Born
- June 20, 1950
- Birthplace
- Trieste, Free Territory of Trieste
- Education
- Gonzaga College High School (1968)
Williams College (economics, 1972)
George Mason University (master's studies in computer science, from 2022)
Biography & Campaign Analysis
Background
Don Beyer was born on June 20, 1950, in the Free Territory of Trieste, the son of U.S. Army officer Donald Sternoff Beyer Sr. and Nancy McDonald.
The oldest of six children, he was raised in Washington, D.C. He graduated from Gonzaga College High School in 1968 as class salutatorian and from Williams College in 1972, magna cum laude in economics and Phi Beta Kappa.
After college he worked at the Volvo dealership his father bought in 1973, and in 1986 he and his brother Michael bought the business, which grew as the Beyer Automotive Group to nine dealerships; he sold his share to his brother in 2019.
In 2022 he enrolled at George Mason University to pursue a master's degree in computer science.
Career
Beyer's public career began in 1986, when Governor Gerald L. Baliles appointed him to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. He was elected lieutenant governor of Virginia in 1989 and re-elected in 1993, serving from 1990 to 1998 and presiding over the Virginia Senate.
As the Democratic nominee for governor in 1997, he lost to Republican Jim Gilmore. President Barack Obama nominated him as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein in 2009, and he held the post until May 2013.
In 2014 Beyer ran to succeed retiring Democrat Jim Moran in the 8th district, winning the June 10 primary with 45.7% of the vote and the November general election with 63.1%. He has been re-elected five times, most recently in 2024 against Republican Jerry Torres.
Beyer serves on the Committee on Ways and Means and is the senior House Democrat on the Joint Economic Committee, and he belongs to the Congressional Progressive Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition. He and his wife, Megan, have two children, and he has two children from a previous marriage.
2026 race
Don Beyer is seeking re-election in Virginia's 8th congressional district, which covers Alexandria, Falls Church, all of Arlington and parts of eastern Fairfax County, and which he won with 71.5% of the vote in 2024.
He won the 2026 Democratic primary with 67.1% of the vote against four challengers, the closest being former Alexandria city councillor Mo Seifeldein with 18.0%. His Republican opponent is Tony Sabio, a former CIA and Secret Service officer.
Libertarian Shelly Arnoldi and independent consultant Tim Sharman also appear on the ballot for the general election on November 3, 2026.