Republicans have their candidate in place for the 8th District U.S. House of Representatives race.
Tony Sabio, a national-security professional and self-described Reagan conservative, was the lone Republican to file for the party’s nomination by the May 26 at 5 p.m. deadline.
“He submitted on the very first day,” Susan Valentine, chair of the 8th District Republican Committee, told the Arlington GOP at its May 26 meeting.
While the Virginia Department of Elections still has to certify his paperwork, Valentine said she was moving forward with the expectation he had made the Nov. 3 ballot.
“From our end, he is our nominee, and I’m delighted,” she said.
According to his campaign website, Sabio has served in the U.S. military, Secret Service and CIA. “On day one, I will advance a clear legislative agenda focused on national security, economic strength, small business growth, and workforce opportunity,” he says on the site.
Sabio has been running for more than a year. As the Republican nominee, he will face the winner of the Aug. 4 Democratic primary where incumbent U.S. Rep. Don Beyer (D) will face several challengers, with the winner also moving on to Nov. 3.
The 8th District includes all of Arlington County and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church, as well as portions of eastern Fairfax County. Beyer has represented it since first winning election in 2014.
Sabio could not be at the Republican meeting owing to work obligations. In his place, his wife Abigail told GOP members they both appreciated the party’s nod.
“Thank you for believing in him,” she said.
“He believes deeply in service, in showing up, in accountability,” Abigail Sabio said of her husband.
Arlington County Republican Committee chair Matthew Hurtt said he began meeting with Sabio last summer. He said the candidate will be a visible presence on the campaign trail and in rallying Republicans.
“He’s been to our committee before; he’s been to our events,” Hurtt said of Sabio, who in 2023 unsuccessfully sought the Providence District seat on the Fairfax County School Board.
The 8th District in its current configuration is seen as a Democratic stronghold. In 2024, Beyer won 72% of the vote district-wide, including 75% in Arlington, against three challengers.
Under the congressional redistricting proposed by General Assembly Democrats and approved by voters, the 8th District would have been radically reconfigured, losing all of Falls Church and about 60% of Arlington and meandering down to the Williamsburg area.
The Virginia Supreme Court, on a 4-3 vote, declared the process used by the General Assembly to hold the referendum to be improper. As a result, there will be no changes to Virginia’s 11 congressional districts this year.
Also at the May 26 Republican meeting, U.S. Senate candidates David Williams and Kim Farington made stump speeches. They will be among the Republicans facing off in the Aug. 4 state primary; the winner moves on to challenge Democratic incumbent Sen. Mark Warner.
