U.S. House, Virginia 8th Congressional District · November 3, 2026
Who should I vote for in Virginia's 8th Congressional District?
Don Beyer has the strongest record in Virginia's 8th Congressional District. Don Beyer scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tim Sharman at 56 and Tony Sabio at 56, as of October 5, 2026. Don Beyer's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tim Sharman's highest marks are accountability and communication. Shelly Arnoldi (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Libertarian
Shelly Arnoldi
On the ballot as Shelly M. Arnoldi
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 58
- Qualifications
- 56
- Performance
- NR
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Don Beyer
On the ballot as Donald S. Beyer, Jr.
64 / 100
Public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 63
Republican
Tony Sabio
On the ballot as Tony A. Sabio
56 / 100
Public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 56
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
Independent
Tim Sharman
On the ballot as Tim S. Sharman
56 / 100
Public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 58
- Qualifications
- 55
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Shelly Arnoldi
- On the record2026-02
In February 2026, while running for Fairfax County Republican Committee chair, Jewish Insider and WJLA reported her social media posts saying Jews should move to Israel; the JCRC condemned them and she denied intending harm.
Sources: Jewish Insider, Feb. 4, 2026, WJLA 7News, Feb. 7, 2026
- On the record2025-11-04
Ran as an independent for Virginia House of Delegates District 16 in November 2025, then was placed on the 2026 congressional ballot as the Libertarian nominee for the 8th District.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Shelly Arnoldi, Virginia Department of Elections, Nov. 3, 2026 federal offices candidate list
- Credit1991 to 2001
Served as a U.S. Navy officer from 1991 to 2001 and later worked as an engineer and a federal civilian employee overseas.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Shelly Arnoldi, WJLA 7News, Feb. 7, 2026
Don Beyer
- Mark against2021-05-14
The FEC assessed his committee, Friends of Don Beyer, a $3,101 administrative fine for not filing 48-hour notices on $29,500 in contributions before the June 2020 primary, upheld May 14, 2021 and paid in full.
Sources: FEC Administrative Fine #3926, Friends of Don Beyer, FEC Administrative Fine #3926, Reports Analysis Division memorandum, Jan. 19, 2021
- On the record2026-07-15
Voted Aye on the Massie amendment to strike $3.3 billion in military financing for Israel, which failed 104 to 314 with House Democrats split 103 to 98 and their leader opposed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, July 15, 2026, ARLnow and The Associated Press, July 16, 2026
- On the record2026
His three main Democratic primary challengers criticized his acceptance of corporate PAC money and his trading of securities while in Congress; he won the Aug. 4, 2026 primary.
Sources: WTOP, July 14, 2026, ARLnow, Aug. 24, 2026
- On the record2021-01-06
Voted Nay on both objections to state electors on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021 (Roll Calls 10 and 11).
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
- On the record2016-11-28
PolitiFact rated False his Nov. 8, 2016 statement that the U.S. has trade surpluses with each of its 20 trade-agreement countries, finding deficits with seven of them.
Sources: PolitiFact, Nov. 28, 2016, PolitiFact, Don Beyer scorecard
- On the record1986 to 2024
Co-owned Beyer Automotive Group of Falls Church with his brother from 1986, sold his interest to his brother in 2019, and the eight-dealership group was sold to new owners in 2024.
Sources: Haig Partners, Oct. 2024, Falls Church News-Press, Oct. 24, 2024, ARLnow, Oct. 10, 2024
- Credit2021 to 2023
Chaired the Joint Economic Committee in the 117th Congress on the Speaker's recommendation and was named the committee's senior House Democrat for the 118th Congress by the Democratic leader.
Sources: Office site press release, Dec. 2020, Office site press release, 2023
- Credit2015 to 2022
GovTrack lists eight enacted bills he sponsored, including the Cleaner, Quieter Airplanes Act and the National Secure Data Service Act in the 117th Congress.
Source: GovTrack, enacted legislation
- Credit1990 to 2013
Served two terms as lieutenant governor of Virginia, 1990 to 1998, and as U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein, 2009 to 2013.
Tony Sabio
- On the record2023-11-07
Ran for the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County School Board in November 2023 with the Fairfax County Republican Committee's endorsement.
Sources: Patch, Sept. 20, 2023, Patch, May 23, 2025
- Credit1996 to 2025
Served six years in the U.S. Navy, then with the Secret Service and the CIA for more than 15 years, before founding a security consultancy in Northern Virginia.
Sources: ARLnow, May 23, 2025, Washington Examiner, Aug. 14, 2026, Patch, May 23, 2025
Tim Sharman
- On the record2026-08
Qualified for the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot as an independent after the Virginia Department of Elections certified his paperwork, and told ARLnow he spent about $42,000 of his own money to qualify.
Sources: ARLnow, Aug. 24, 2026, Virginia Department of Elections, Nov. 3, 2026 federal offices candidate list
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Annual financial disclosure for 2025 filed April 12, 2026. Periodic transaction reports for 2023 to 2026 were each filed within 45 days of the trades. No House Ethics Committee record found. One $3,101 FEC administrative fine, 2021.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10075444, House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20035555, filed Oct. 1, 2026, House Clerk financial disclosure index, 2026, House Committee on Ethics site search for Beyer, FEC Administrative Fine #3926, Friends of Don Beyer
Tony Sabio. Candidate financial disclosure report filed with the House Clerk on April 26, 2026. FEC reports are on file. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10076201, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Tim Sharman. Candidate financial disclosure report filed with the House Clerk on Oct. 2, 2026. FEC reports are on file. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: House Clerk financial disclosure, Filing ID 10082920, FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Voted Aye on July 15, 2026 on the Massie amendment to strike $3.3 billion in military financing for Israel, which failed 104 to 314 with the House Minority Leader opposed and the Minority Whip in favor.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, July 15, 2026, ARLnow and The Associated Press, July 16, 2026
Tony Sabio. No public record found.
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Shelly Arnoldi. Took part in the Sept. 8, 2026 Arlington County Civic Federation forum and the Sept. 28, 2026 League of Women Voters forum, every general election forum reported.
Sources: ARLnow, Aug. 28, 2026, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, ALXnow, Sept. 30, 2026, ARLnow, Oct. 1, 2026
Don Beyer. Took part in the Sept. 8, 2026 Civic Federation forum and did not attend the Sept. 28 League of Women Voters forum. His office lists five telephone town halls in 2025 and a June 28, 2025 NAACP town hall.
Sources: ARLnow, Aug. 28, 2026, ARLnow, Sept. 15, 2026, ALXnow, Sept. 30, 2026, Office site, telephone town hall calendar, Office site, Alexandria Town Hall with NAACP
Tony Sabio. Took part in the July 9, 2026 Shiloh Baptist Church forum, the Sept. 8, 2026 Arlington County Civic Federation forum and the Sept. 28, 2026 League of Women Voters forum, every general election forum reported.
Sources: WJLA 7News, July 10, 2026, ARLnow, Aug. 28, 2026, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, ALXnow, Sept. 30, 2026, ARLnow, Oct. 1, 2026
Tim Sharman. Took part in the Sept. 8, 2026 Arlington County Civic Federation forum and the Sept. 28, 2026 League of Women Voters forum, every general election forum reported.
Sources: ARLnow, Aug. 28, 2026, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, ALXnow, Sept. 30, 2026, ARLnow, Oct. 1, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Shelly Arnoldi. Served ten years as a U.S. Navy officer and has worked as a professional engineer. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Shelly Arnoldi, WJLA 7News, Feb. 7, 2026
Don Beyer. Lieutenant governor of Virginia 1990 to 1998, ambassador 2009 to 2013 and U.S. representative since 2015. No House Ethics Committee conduct record found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Don Beyer, House Committee on Ethics site search for Beyer
Tony Sabio. Served in the U.S. Navy, the Secret Service and the CIA, and runs a security firm. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: ARLnow, May 23, 2025, Patch, May 23, 2025
Tim Sharman. Described by Patch as a former business executive and by ARLnow as a consultant who founded a company. No formal conduct finding found.
Sources: Patch, Oct. 2, 2026, ARLnow, Aug. 24, 2026
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Shelly Arnoldi. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1991 to 2001 and later as a federal civilian employee. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Shelly Arnoldi
Don Beyer. Voted Nay on both electoral vote objections on Jan. 6 and 7, 2021 (Roll Calls 10 and 11). No roll call vote on an objection was held in January 2017. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
Tony Sabio. Served in the U.S. Navy from 1996 to 2002 and later in the Secret Service and the CIA. No official finding of misuse of office found.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tony Sabio, Washington Examiner, Aug. 14, 2026
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Shelly Arnoldi. Navy officer for ten years, then an engineer and federal civilian employee; her campaign states 27 years managing facilities and construction projects. Has not held elected office.
Don Beyer. Serving his sixth term in the U.S. House, in office since Jan. 6, 2015. Earlier served two terms as lieutenant governor of Virginia and as ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Sources: Office site, Biography, GovTrack, VA-8, Ballotpedia, Don Beyer
Tony Sabio. Six years in the U.S. Navy, then the Secret Service and the CIA, and now chief executive of RockFinn Group LLC, a security firm. Has not held elected office.
Sources: ARLnow, May 23, 2025, Patch, May 23, 2025, VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026
Tim Sharman. Former business executive, consultant and founder of TrulyUs, where he is chief executive. Has not held elected or appointed office.
Sources: ARLnow, Aug. 24, 2026, VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Shelly Arnoldi. Published positions in general terms through the Patch questionnaire and her campaign site, including parental rights in education, cutting spending, term limits and immigration enforcement.
Don Beyer. Chaired the Joint Economic Committee in the 117th Congress and was named its senior House Democrat for the 118th. Sits on the Ways and Means Committee. His office and campaign sites publish issue pages on 14 subjects.
Sources: Office site press release, Dec. 2020, Office site press release, 2023, GovTrack, committee membership, Campaign site, Priorities
Tony Sabio. Published positions in general terms through Ballotpedia's survey and a five-part campaign platform on energy costs, jobs, small business, public safety and health care.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tony Sabio, candidate survey, Campaign site, Promise for America
Tim Sharman. Published positions in general terms through the Patch and VPM questionnaires, including an American Opportunity Fund proposal, health care reform and term limits.
Sources: Patch, Oct. 2, 2026, VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Shelly Arnoldi. Answered the Patch candidate questionnaire, took part in two 2026 forums and publishes issue pages. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and is not among the VPM questionnaire respondents.
Sources: Patch, Sept. 25, 2026, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, ARLnow, Oct. 1, 2026, Ballotpedia, Shelly Arnoldi
Don Beyer. Offers an e-newsletter, held telephone town halls in 2025, took part in the Sept. 8, 2026 forum and answered the VPM public media questionnaire through his staff. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Office site, Contact, Office site, telephone town hall calendar, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, Ballotpedia, Don Beyer
Tony Sabio. Completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey and the VPM public media questionnaire, took part in three 2026 forums and publishes issue pages on his campaign site.
Sources: Ballotpedia, Tony Sabio, VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, ARLnow, Oct. 1, 2026, Campaign site, Promise for America
Tim Sharman. Answered the Patch and VPM questionnaires, took part in two 2026 forums and publishes a campaign site. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey.
Sources: Patch, Oct. 2, 2026, VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, FFXnow, Sept. 11, 2026, ARLnow, Oct. 1, 2026, Ballotpedia, Tim Sharman
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Shelly Arnoldi. The state candidate list gives an Alexandria address in the Fort Hunt area of Fairfax County, inside the district. Her campaign states she came to Northern Virginia in 2010.
Sources: Virginia Department of Elections, Nov. 3, 2026 federal offices candidate list, Campaign site, About
Don Beyer. Lives in Alexandria. His family's Falls Church auto business dates to 1973 and he co-owned it from 1986 to 2019. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 60 percent of individual contributions from Virginia ($884,625 of $1,465,500).
Sources: VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, Haig Partners, Oct. 2024, FEC contribution totals by state
Tony Sabio. Told VPM he lives in Lorton, Fairfax County. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show all $8,765.77 of itemized individual contributions from Virginia.
Sources: VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, FEC contribution totals by state
Tim Sharman. Told VPM he lives in Alexandria, and the state candidate list gives an Alexandria address in the 22314 ZIP code, inside the district. No itemized individual contributions are reported to compute an in-state share.
Sources: VPM, 8th District candidate Q&A, Oct. 2, 2026, Virginia Department of Elections, Nov. 3, 2026 federal offices candidate list
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Co-owned Beyer Automotive Group, eight dealerships with about $400 million in annual sales, from 1986 to 2019. The FEC assessed his committee a $3,101 administrative fine in 2021 for late 48-hour notices on $29,500 in 2020 contributions, paid in full.
Sources: Haig Partners, Oct. 2024, FEC Administrative Fine #3926, Friends of Don Beyer, FEC Administrative Fine #3926, Reports Analysis Division memorandum, Jan. 19, 2021, FEC candidate page
Tony Sabio. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through July 15, 2026, showing $21,917.19 raised. No FEC administrative fine record found. Founder and chief executive of a security firm; no size found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search, Patch, May 23, 2025
Tim Sharman. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through June 30, 2026, showing $25,000 raised. No FEC administrative fine record found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Center for Effective Lawmaking Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.357 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.539, classed as meeting expectations. GovTrack counts 8 enacted bills as primary sponsor, the most recent in the 117th Congress.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, enacted legislation
Tony Sabio. No public record found.
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Missed 194 of 6,404 roll call votes, 3.0 percent, from January 2015 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Tony Sabio. No public record found.
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Lists one district office, in Alexandria, and offers help with federal agencies. His office calendar shows five telephone town halls in 2025, an in-person town hall with the NAACP on June 28, 2025 and a resource fair for federal workers.
Sources: Office site, Contact, Office site, telephone town hall calendar, Office site, Alexandria Town Hall with NAACP, Arlington Public Library events calendar, April 29, 2025
Tony Sabio. No public record found.
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. Lugar Center Bipartisan Index score of -0.58192 in the latest posted House scores (118th Congress), ranked 238 of 436.
Source: Lugar Center and McCourt School Bipartisan Index, House Scores, 118th Congress
Tony Sabio. No public record found.
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Shelly Arnoldi. No public record found.
Don Beyer. No public record found.
Tony Sabio. No public record found.
Tim Sharman. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 5, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Virginia's 8th Congressional District?
Don Beyer has the strongest record in Virginia's 8th Congressional District. Don Beyer scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, ahead of Tim Sharman at 56 and Tony Sabio at 56, as of October 5, 2026. Don Beyer's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Tim Sharman's highest marks are accountability and communication. Shelly Arnoldi (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Virginia's 8th Congressional District in 2026?
Shelly M. Arnoldi (Libertarian), Donald S. Beyer, Jr. (Democratic, incumbent), Tony A. Sabio (Republican), Tim S. Sharman (Independent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Shelly Arnoldi a good candidate for Congress?
Shelly Arnoldi has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
Is Don Beyer a good candidate for Congress?
Don Beyer scores 64 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 14 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Tony Sabio a good candidate for Congress?
Tony Sabio scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 9 of 15 criteria: character 56 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Tim Sharman a good candidate for Congress?
Tim Sharman scores 56 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 8 of 15 criteria: character 58 of 100, qualifications 55 of 100, performance no record. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Virginia race scored, the trailing candidate's path to victory, and the Virginia 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.