Don Beyer

Don Beyer
Official portrait, 2023
Chair of the Joint Economic Committee
In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023
Preceded by	Mike Lee
Succeeded by	Martin Heinrich
Vice Chair of the Joint Economic Committee
In office January 16, 2020 – February 3, 2021
Preceded by	Carolyn Maloney
Succeeded by	Martin Heinrich
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2015
Preceded by	Jim Moran
United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein
In office September 8, 2009 – May 29, 2013
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Peter Coneway
Succeeded by	Suzan G. LeVine
36th Lieutenant Governor of Virginia
In office January 13, 1990 – January 17, 1998
Governor	Douglas Wilder George Allen
Preceded by	Douglas Wilder
Succeeded by	John Hager
Personal details
Born	Donald Sternoff Beyer Jr. (1950-06-20) June 20, 1950 (age 73) Trieste, Free Territory of Trieste (now Italy)
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Carolyn McInerney ​ ​ (m. 1972; div. 1986)​ Megan Carroll ​ (m. 1987)​
Children	4
Education	Williams College (BA) George Mason University
Website	House website
Don Beyer's voice Don Beyer speaks in support of the Inflation Reduction Act Recorded August 12, 2022

Donald Sternoff Beyer Jr. (/ˈbaɪ.ər/ BY-ər; born June 20, 1950) is an American businessman, diplomat, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Virginia's 8th congressional district since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, his district is in the heart of Northern Virginia and includes Alexandria, Falls Church, and Arlington.

Beyer has owned automobile dealerships in Virginia and has a long record of involvement in community and philanthropic work. From 1990 to 1998 he served as the 36th lieutenant governor of Virginia during the gubernatorial administrations of Doug Wilder (1990–1994) and George Allen (1994–1998). His party's nominee for governor of Virginia in 1997, he lost to Republican Jim Gilmore, who was then the Attorney General of Virginia. From 2009 to 2013, he served as United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein under President Barack Obama.^[1]

In 2014, Beyer announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives seat for Virginia's 8th congressional district held by the retiring Jim Moran. Beyer won the 12-candidate Democratic primary in June with 45% of the vote and defeated Republican Micah Edmond, 63% to 33%, in the general election.^[2]