Anthony A. Sabio, a Republican and former Central Intelligence Agency officer, is running for Virginia's 8th Congressional District seat in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.

Sabio is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady election data. The race also includes Donald S. Beyer Jr., a Democrat; Shelly M. Arnoldi, a Libertarian; and Tim S. Sharman, an independent.

Candidate information

Sabio was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, according to ARLnow. His mother is Puerto Rican and his father is Filipino, according to Puerto Rico Report. He holds a degree in aviation from Liberty University, according to the same outlet. Sabio says he adopted an at-risk teen from the Fairfax County foster system.

He has been affiliated with the American Legion, the America United Foundation, the Patriot Guard Riders and the Worthy Ranch, according to Puerto Rico Report.

Experience and public service

Sabio served as a Hospital Corpsman First Class in the U.S. Navy from 1996 to 2002, according to BallotReady profile data. He worked as a Technician ERT K9 with the U.S. Secret Service beginning in 2007, according to a producer-reviewed chronology.

He served as a Specialized Skills Officer in counter intelligence at the Central Intelligence Agency from 2007 to 2018, according to BallotReady. He then worked as chief security officer at Colorado Security Agency from 2018 to 2022.

Sabio has served as chief executive officer of The RockFinn Group LLC since 2022 and in security operations at Liasion API International Consulting Group Inc. since 2022, according to BallotReady. He also served as interim town manager for the Town of Purcellville, Virginia, according to Smarter.Vote, and has been a commentator and writer for Law Enforcement Today, according to the Fairfax County Republican Committee.

Sabio ran for the Fairfax County School Board in the Providence District in 2023, according to Smarter.Vote. He did not win that race.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Sabio's responses to a Smarter.Vote questionnaire.

Healthcare: Sabio's campaign proposes what it calls an "American Health Freedom Plan," emphasizing competition, portability and patient choice. The plan, according to Sabio, would guarantee access to coverage for people with preexisting conditions. It would provide bridge coverage and temporary assistance during job loss, illness or financial hardship, expand health savings accounts and permit nationwide insurance purchases.

The plan would also increase price transparency, encourage generic and biosimilar competition and drug-price benchmarking, reduce pharmacy benefit manager influence and use state-based high-risk pools with targeted federal reinsurance.

Energy: Sabio proposes an "Energy Affordability & American Power Act." The plan, according to his campaign, would create nuclear-ready grid zones and accelerate small modular reactor development. It would require large energy users to contribute to dedicated generation and protect households from utility-cost shifts tied to hyperscale demand. It would also modernize the grid for reliability, resilience, cybersecurity and affordability.

Economy and small business: Sabio's campaign platform includes a "Small Business First Act." The proposal, according to Sabio, would reduce regulatory burdens, expand access to capital, support domestic manufacturing and local investment, and expand workforce development. It would also provide automatic short-term relief, payroll-tax deferrals and tax credits for qualifying small businesses during federal shutdowns.