Shelly M. Arnoldi is running as the Libertarian candidate for Virginia's 8th Congressional District in the Nov. 3 general election.

Arnoldi, a Navy veteran and engineer, said her campaign focuses on cutting government waste and supporting civil liberties, according to ARLnow. She faces Democratic Rep. Donald S. Beyer Jr., Republican Anthony A. Sabio and independent Tim S. Sharman, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

  • Party: Libertarian
  • Residence background: Born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in electrical and computer engineering, Marquette University (1991); master's degree in environmental engineering, Old Dominion University (1998); high school diploma, Sheboygan North High School
  • Family: Mother of four, according to her campaign's Facebook page
  • Professional license: Licensed professional engineer, according to her campaign's Facebook page

Arnoldi said she earned her engineering degree at Marquette University on an ROTC scholarship, according to her Ballotpedia profile.

Experience and public service

Arnoldi served as a Civil Engineer Corps officer in the U.S. Navy from 1991 to 2001, according to BallotReady profile data. Her federal career spans decades. After the Navy, she held several engineering and management roles:

  • Engineer at Naval Facilities Engineering Command, known as NAVFAC (2002–2003)
  • District engineer at the Department of Defense Education Activity (2003–2008)
  • Production division director at NAVFAC (2008–2010)
  • Program manager at the Smithsonian Institution (2010–2016)
  • Deputy chief of facilities engineering at the National Gallery of Art (2016–2019)

She is a site services program manager at R&K Solutions, a position she has held since 2025, according to BallotReady.

Arnoldi ran for Virginia House of Delegates District 16 in 2025, according to Ballotpedia. She was also a candidate for Fairfax County Republican Committee chair in 2026, according to ARLnow.

Her community affiliations include the Waynewood Recreation Association, Fort Hunt Youth Athletic Association and the Virginia Medical Freedom Alliance, according to Ballotpedia. She is also affiliated with the Weston A. Price Foundation, Children's Health Defense, the Informed Consent Action Network and The American Legion Post 24.

On the issues

Arnoldi has stated two campaign priorities: cutting government waste and supporting civil liberties. No detailed policy positions or proposals were available beyond those stated priorities.

Candidate information was drawn from Ballotpedia, BallotReady and the candidate's campaign Facebook page. The McLean Ledger invited all candidates in this race to participate in a questionnaire. Responses, where available, are reflected in this profile.

Virginia voters can find polling locations and registration information through the Virginia Department of Elections.