*Note: In April 2026, Virginia voters approved a constitutional amendment permitting mid-decade redistricting. Certification of the vote was blocked by court order. Candidates for this election will be finalized following the May 26 filing deadline.

Incumbent Don Beyer, Michael Duffin, Adam Dunigan, and Mo Seifeldein are running in the Democratic primary for Virginia's 8th Congressional District on Aug. 4.

The primary reflects a broader division within the Democratic Party, with challengers framing incumbents as establishment politicians doing too little to combat President Donald Trump (R) and the Republican Party. With around 76,000 federal employees living in the 8th District, federal layoffs and employee turnover and affordability are also central themes of the election.

According to Blue Virginia, "Rep. Beyer has been a pretty strong progressive, both on domestic and foreign policy, so it won’t be easy [for challengers] to come at him from his 'left' politically."

Beyer won election to the 8th District in 2014, defeating Micah Edmond (R) 63%-31%. Beyer also served as lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998 and as the United States ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from 2009 to 2013. When announcing his 2026 campaign for re-election, Beyer said, "Today, Northern Virginia is under attack, and we need a proven fighter to stand up to Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their corrupt Trump Administration cronies to defend our community. I am seeking reelection to Congress because I am that fighter."

Duffin is a former U.S. State Department official who lost his job during federal layoffs in July 2025. Duffin says, "As a fired Fed, I want to fight for the rights of federal employees and ease the economic pain of middle-class families. ... Our party and district need someone who truly understands the economic pain the people of Northern Virginia are feeling and will work in lockstep with unions to fight for the rights of federal workers."

Dunigan is a former U.S. Marine and CIA case officer. He left the CIA in 2025, saying, "I could no longer be complicit or silent as the second Trump administration destroys the moral fabric of this nation." Dunigan says he is running because "our democracy is at risk. We are witnessing the crescendo of an authoritarian project led by Trump," and that "the Democratic establishment as it stands now isn’t going to save us."

Seifeldein is a former attorney at the U.S. Department of Labor. He left the department in 2025 to protest the Trump administration's layoff of federal employees and its immigration policy. Seifeldein also served on the Alexandria City Council from 2019 to 2021. Seifeldein says he "is running for Congress to represent Virginia’s 8th District with an agenda focused on affordability, equity, and opportunity," and that "we need leaders who don’t just vote the right way—they fight the right way. I’ve lived the struggles of this district, and I’ve delivered real change."

As of May 17, The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales, and Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball all rated the 8th District as Safe/Solid Democratic.