Donald Sternoff Beyer

Democrat Representative of Virginia's 8th district

  • Representative

    Virginia, district 8

    January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

5

Congresses Served

5

House Terms

June 20, 1950 (74 years old)

Birthday

  • American businessman, diplomat, and politician
  • Served as the U.S. representative for Virginia’s 8th congressional district since 2015
  • Owned automobile dealerships in Virginia and engaged in community and philanthropic work
  • Served as the 36th lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1998
  • Was the Democratic Party’s nominee for governor of Virginia in 1997 but lost to Republican Jim Gilmore
  • Served as United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein from 2009 to 2013 under President Barack Obama
  • Announced candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, winning the seat in the general election
  • Born in the Free Territory of Trieste to a U.S. Army officer
  • Graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College in economics and was a Presidential Scholar and a National Merit Scholarship winner
  • Enrolled at George Mason University for a master’s degree in computer science with a concentration in machine learning during his congressional career
  • Sold his share of the family’s automobile dealership business to his brother in 2019
  • Has served on the boards of various business, philanthropic, and public policy organizations
  • Received numerous awards and honors for his service and leadership in various capacities
  • Played significant roles in political campaigns, including serving as Finance Chairman for Mark Warner’s PAC and National Treasurer for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential campaign
  • Endorsed and campaigned for Barack Obama in the 2007–08 presidential election and served on Obama’s transition team at the Department of Commerce
  • Has been a frequent critic of the Trump administration and proposed legislation to increase taxes on assault-style guns by 1,000%
  • Voted with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time as of 2022
  • Committee assignments include the Committee on Ways and Means and the Joint Economic Committee
  • Member of several caucuses including the New Democrat Coalition, Congressional Arts Caucus, and Congressional Progressive Caucus
  • Married with four children and two grandchildren, with a net worth of more than $124 million as of May 2019