3 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
3 candidates · ballot order · Suhas Subramanyam currently holds this seat
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
A national strategic plan for data centres, which dominate his district's land use and power demand.
Protecting federal workers, a large part of the district's workforce.
Technology and artificial intelligence policy, his professional background.
Abortion rights.
Environmental protection.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for the 10th District since January 2025; elected in 2024 with 52.1%.
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2020 to 2024 and the Senate of Virginia in 2024; technology policy adviser in the Obama White House.
Voted for the Laken Riley Act, calling the bill "flawed" but saying "there needs to be accountability in instances where someone commits a crime, whether they're documented or undocumented."
Has called for a national strategic data centre plan and cautioned against unchecked growth in his district.
Won the August 4, 2026 Democratic primary unopposed.
Reported $1,170,446 raised with $582,812 on hand.
Arguments in favor
He has both Virginia senators, Governor Abigail Spanberger and his predecessor Jennifer Wexton behind him, along with AFGE, Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund — and no Democrat ran against him despite reporting that a primary challenge was possible.
— Endorsements from the officials and organisations named; August 2026 primary result
Arguments against
Immigrant-rights advocates in Prince William County publicly criticised him for voting for the Laken Riley Act, which expands the grounds on which people without legal status can be detained and deported, and the Virginia Young Democrats expressed "great disappointment" and urged him to reverse course.
— Prince William County immigrant advocacy organisations and the Virginia Young Democrats, January 2025
He won the 2024 Democratic primary for this seat only narrowly even with his predecessor's endorsement, and reporting through 2025 held that he could face a challenge in 2026 if he did not change course on votes like Laken Riley.
— Reporting on the 2024 primary and the 2026 nomination outlook
What we couldn’t verify
Both criticisms come from within his own party and from early in his term. No National Republican Congressional Committee material naming Subramanyam was found, and no criticism of him by name from Dave Beckwith or Ahsen Malik.
The data centre question is the district's largest local controversy and he has taken a cautioning position on it; no organised opposition to that position was found.
In the end no Democrat filed against him, so the anticipated primary challenge did not materialise.
Federal spending discipline, argued from his Pentagon budget experience.
National defence and support for veterans.
Service over political career — "I didn't set out to run for Congress. I set out to serve."
Cost of living in Northern Virginia.
Government accountability.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Thirty-year United States Air Force veteran; former deputy assistant secretary of defense; cancer survivor.
Holds a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from Notre Dame and a master's in mechanical engineering from the University of Dayton.
Has lived in Loudoun County for seventeen years; ran unsuccessfully for this seat in 2022.
Won the August 4, 2026 Republican primary with more than 72% against Julie Perry and Anthony Suttles.
Reported $107,334 raised with $54,260 on hand.
Has not held elected office.
Arguments in favor
He won the nomination outright with more than seventy per cent against two rivals, and brings a specific credential to a district full of federal workers: thirty years in the Air Force and a Pentagon post overseeing what he describes as a $500 billion portfolio.
— August 2026 primary results; his own account of his Defense Department service
Arguments against
He reported $107,334 raised against the incumbent's $1.17 million — a more than ten-to-one gap — in a district every forecaster rates safe or solid Democratic, and this is his second unsuccessful attempt at the seat.
— Federal Election Commission filings; Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball and Decision Desk HQ ratings
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Beckwith by name could be found — not from Suhas Subramanyam or his campaign, not from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and not in Loudoun, Fauquier or Prince William news coverage. Searches covered DCCC materials, his name against criticism and opponent terms, and InsideNoVa, the Prince William Times, the Fauquier Times and Loudoun Now.
He has not made public statements about Subramanyam by name in the coverage found; the September 22 debate will be the first direct exchange.
No party committee or elected-official endorsements were found beyond the district Republican committee listing him as a candidate.
Data centre policy, the district's dominant local issue.
Universal health security.
Electoral reform.
Lowering inflation and grocery prices.
Abortion rights and immigration enforcement policy, on both of which he publishes detailed positions.
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Lives in Gainesville, in the Prince William County portion of the district.
A middle school teacher and a father of two; the Virginia Mercury's voter guide describes him as a political newcomer who says he would bring “a fresh and valuable viewpoint” to Congress.
Qualified for the November 2026 ballot as an independent, which he says required personally collecting 1,885 petition signatures.
Publishes positions on abortion, data centres, climate, immigration enforcement, inflation, Iran and Israel, health security and electoral reform.
Has not held elected office.
We found no published arguments for or against this candidate.
What we couldn’t verify
No published criticism of Malik by name could be found — not from either major-party campaign, not from a party committee, and not in Loudoun or Prince William news coverage — and no published case for him beyond his own campaign site. Because no case against him exists on the record, none is presented for him either.
The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce named Malik as one of three participants when it announced its September 22 debate, and its event page now describes a debate between two candidates and does not list him. Malik says his invitation was rescinded after another candidate objected, and attributes that objection to the incumbent or his campaign. The Chamber has published no explanation, neither of the other campaigns has commented, and no news outlet has reported on it, so who asked for the change and why is not established. This entry records the dispute rather than resolving it.
No fundraising figures or endorsements were found.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Virginia held its primaries on August 4, 2026. Three candidates appear on the November ballot: Democratic incumbent Suhas Subramanyam, Republican Dave Beckwith and independent Ahsen Mujeeb Malik. The roster is confirmed against the Virginia Department of Elections certified federal candidate list for the November 3, 2026 general election, revised September 8, 2026. The district covers Loudoun, Fauquier and Rappahannock counties, Manassas and Manassas Park, and parts of Fairfax and Prince William. It leads the country in data centre development. Forecasters rate it safe or solid Democratic; Subramanyam has reported $1,170,446 raised to Beckwith's $107,334. The Loudoun Chamber of Commerce announced a September 22 debate at the National Conference Center. Its announcement named all three candidates, including Malik; its event page now describes a debate "between the two candidates" and lists only Subramanyam and Beckwith. Malik says he was confirmed and then had his invitation rescinded. The Chamber has not published a reason for the change, and no news outlet has reported one.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Virginia ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.
Your ballot is determined by your election authority, not by us. Verify your registration, precinct, and sample ballot at Virginia Department of Elections.