Democrat Don Beyer To Seek 5th Term In Congress Representing Parts Of Northern Virginia

ARLINGTON, VA — U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D) made it official on Monday. He will be running again to represent the Virginia's 8th Congressional District, according to a statement released Monday.

Victoria Virasingh, who launched her campaign back in August, will face Beyer in the Democratic Party Primary on June 21. So far, two GOP candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for the 8th Congressional District seat, Monica Carpio and Heerak Christian Kim. The Republican Party candidate will also be decided in a June 21 primary.

Seeking his fifth term in office, Beyer said he felt a powerful sense of urgency to continue his fight to build a strong and equitable economy, and confront the threat of climate change, according to the release. He also wished to continue protecting "our democracy" from those who sought to undermine it.

“This year I worked harder than ever to help my constituents, opening thousands of constituent cases with federal agencies on behalf of Northern Virginians and returning millions of dollars to VA-8 taxpayers," he said, in the release. "I helped enact major legislative accomplishments, including the American Rescue Plan, the enhanced Child Tax Credit, and the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. My bipartisan anti-hate crime legislation was signed into law by President Biden. I represented the United States at the Glasgow Conference on Climate Change, and chaired Congress’s Joint Economic Committee during one of the swiftest economic recoveries in American history."

In the Congress, Beyer chairs the Joint Economic Committee and also serves House Committee on Ways and Means, and on the House Committee on Science Space and Technology, where he is also the chairman of the Space Subcommittee. Beyer is also the co-chair of the New Democrat Coalition's Climate Change Task Force.

As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Beyer helped draft the Build Back Better Act, which included comprehensive action on climate.

“We must ensure that we have an economy that allows everyone to succeed, which means making health care, child care, and housing more affordable," he said, in the release. "We must protect Americans’ right to vote, and pass reforms to prevent gun violence. I remain focused on the goal of delivering guaranteed paid family and medical leave to every American worker."

Beyer has served four terms representing his district, which includes Alexandria, Arlington, Falls Church and portions of Fairfax County. Prior to being elected to Congress, he served as lieutenant governor of Virginia and served as ambassador to Sweden and Liechtenstein under President Obama.