Shelly
M. Arnoldi
Libertarian candidate for Virginia's 8th Congressional District; licensed PE and Navy Civil Engineer Corps veteran
- sources
- 9
- positions
- 11
- endorsements
- 4
Background
Shelly M. Arnoldi is the Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia's 8th Congressional District in the November 3, 2026 general election. She is a licensed Professional Engineer and U.S. Navy veteran who grew up in Sheboygan, Wisconsin and has lived in Northern Virginia since 2010, with her campaign address listed in Alexandria. 13
Arnoldi served in the U.S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps from 1991 to 2001 and subsequently worked as a government civilian, including a senior role at the National Gallery of Art. Her campaign credits her with more than 27 years of experience managing facilities and construction projects for military installations, Department of Defense schools, and cultural institutions including the Smithsonian. 18
She holds a BS in Electrical & Computer Engineering from Marquette University (1991) and a master's in Environmental Engineering from Old Dominion University (1998). 14
Arnoldi has no prior elected office. She ran as an independent for Virginia House of Delegates District 16 in 2025, receiving 866 votes but not winning. She is not the incumbent in the 2026 congressional race. 357
At a glance
- Party
- Libertarian
- Running for
- U.S. House · District 8, Virginia
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
- Website
- shellyarnoldi4va.org(opens in a new tab)
Where they stand
Each position links to the page it was drawn from. Quotes are verbatim.
Timeline
- Oct 6filingVirginia Department of Elections updates November 3 candidate list confirming Arnoldi on ballot
The Virginia Department of Elections published its updated federal offices candidate list for the November 3 election, confirming Arnoldi as the Libertarian candidate in Virginia's 8th Congressional District.
Virginia Dept. of Elections: Candidates & Referendums · Sep 29, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 30endorsementiVoterGuide lists candidate-reported endorsements for Arnoldi including Stand For Health Freedom and VA Police Benevolent Association
iVoterGuide published a profile listing endorsements submitted by Arnoldi herself, including Stand For Health Freedom, the Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia, and the Virginia Police Benevolent Association. These are candidate-reported and not independently confirmed in the listing.
Shelly M. Arnoldi · Sep 30, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 28debateArnoldi participates in League of Women Voters televised forum; Beyer declines invitation
Arnoldi joined Republican Tony Sabio and independent Tim Sharman in a live televised forum organized by the League of Women Voters. Rep. Don Beyer declined his invitation to the event, according to a later report by The Daily Signal on October 7.
Local Event: Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Candidate Forum Airs Live September 28 · Sep 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 25newsPatch publishes candidate profile of Arnoldi detailing her background and campaign priorities
Arnoldi described her motivation for running as a Navy veteran, engineer, and mom concerned about school closures, mandates, and parental rights. She listed parental rights, government accountability, cost of living, immigration, vaccine mandates, protecting unborn life, term limits, and bureaucracy as key issues, and said she had signed the U.S. Term Limits pledge.
Candidate Profile: Shelly Arnoldi For VA 8th ... - Patch · Sep 25, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 18newsEarly voting opens in Virginia; Arnoldi listed on ballot as Libertarian candidate for VA-8
Early voting began statewide on September 18. Voter guides published around this time list Arnoldi as the Libertarian candidate for Virginia's 8th Congressional District, alongside Don Beyer (D), Tony Sabio (R), and Tim Sharman (I).
Virginia voter guide: What to know ahead of 2026 midterm elections · Sep 18, 2026 (opens in a new tab) - Sep 8debateArnoldi appears at Arlington County Civic Federation forum, addresses ICE and data centers
Arnoldi participated in a candidate forum with Rep. Don Beyer, Tony Sabio, and Tim Sharman. She said she would not defund ICE, called for halting data center expansion pending review, and expressed distrust of government control of AI. Reported by ARLnow on September 15.
Rep. Beyer and challengers clash over ICE, data centers ... · Sep 15, 2026 (opens in a new tab)
Endorsements
- Americans for Health Freedom organizationListed in the campaign website's Endorsements section. The displayed text thanks Arnoldi for signing the group's pledge 'to pull the COVID shots off the market and refuse pharmaceutical donations.' This documents a pledge; it does not explicitly confirm a formal endorsement. shellyarnoldi4va.org
- Stand for Health Freedom organizationListed in the campaign website's Endorsements section. A 'View Endorsement' link is shown, but no announcement date or endorsement statement text was available in the reviewed content. shellyarnoldi4va.org
- Libertarian Party of Northern Virginia organizationListed in the campaign website's Endorsements section. ARLnow described Arnoldi as having the party's backing in a Sept. 1, 2026 article; Aug. 28, 2026 candidate listing likewise identified her as endorsed by the party. shellyarnoldi4va.org
- Virginia Police Benevolent Association organizationListed by iVoterGuide among endorsements 'reported by candidate.' Could not be independently verified from the association's site or the campaign website content reviewed. ivoterguide.com
Sources 9
- [1] Shelly M. Arnoldi(opens in a new tab) Sep 30, 2026
- [2] Virginia Dept. of Elections: Candidates & Referendums(opens in a new tab) Sep 29, 2026
- [3] Local Event: Virginia’s 8th Congressional District Candidate Forum Airs Live September 28(opens in a new tab) Sep 28, 2026
- [4] Shelly M. Arnoldi - iVoterGuide(opens in a new tab) Sep 27, 2026
- [5] Candidate Profile: Shelly Arnoldi For VA 8th ... - Patch(opens in a new tab) Sep 25, 2026
- [6] Shelly Arnoldi for Virginia's 8th(opens in a new tab) Sep 22, 2026
- [7] Virginia voter guide: What to know ahead of 2026 midterm elections(opens in a new tab) Sep 18, 2026
- [8] Rep. Beyer and challengers clash over ICE, data centers ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 15, 2026
- [9] Libertarian takes on Rep. Beyer, pledging to cut government waste ...(opens in a new tab) Sep 1, 2026