As of 2000, the district has 643,503 residents, 13.7% are African American, 9.5% are Asian, 16.4% are Hispanic and 64.5% are white.[2]
Virginia's eighth congressional district is traditionally a Democratic stronghold, most notably in the urban communities of Arlington and Alexandria.
| Representative |
Lived |
Party |
Term |
Note |
| District created: March 4, 1789 |
| Josiah Parker |
(1751–1810) |
Anti-Administration |
March 4, 1789 - March 3, 1793 |
Elected to Virginia 11th District |
| Thomas Claiborne |
(1749–1812) |
Anti-Administration |
March 4, 1793 - March 3, 1795 |
|
| Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1795 - March 3, 1799 |
Defeated |
| Samuel Goode |
(1756–1822) |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1799 - March 3, 1801 |
Defeated |
| Thomas Claiborne |
(1749–1812) |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1801 - March 3, 1803 |
Elected to Virginia 17th District |
| Walter Jones |
(1745–1815) |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1803 - March 3, 1811 |
Declined to run |
| John P. Hungerford |
(1761–1833) |
Democratic-Republican |
March 4, 1811 - November 29, 1811 |
Election invalid |
| John Taliaferro |
(1768–1852) |
Democratic-Republican |
November 29, 1811 - March 3, 1813 |
Defeated |
| Joseph Lewis, Jr. |
(1772–1834) |
Federalist |
March 4, 1813 - March 3, 1817 |
Defeated |
| Charles F. Mercer |
(1778–1858) |
Federalist |
March 4, 1817 - March 3, 1823 |
Elected to Virginia 14th District |
| Burwell Bassett |
(1764–1841) |
Crawford D-R |
March 4, 1823 - March 3, 1825 |
|
| Jackson |
March 4, 1825 - March 3, 1829 |
Defeated |
| Richard Coke, Jr. |
(1790–1851) |
Jackson |
March 4, 1829 - March 3, 1833 |
Declined to run |
| Henry A. Wise |
(1806–1876) |
Jackson |
March 4, 1833 - March 3, 1837 |
|
| Whig |
March 4, 1837 - March 3, 1843 |
Elected to Virginia 7th District |
| Willoughby Newton |
(1802–1874) |
Whig |
March 4, 1843 - March 3, 1845 |
Defeated |
| Robert M. T. Hunter |
(1809–1887) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1845 - March 3, 1847 |
Elected to U.S. Senate |
| Richard L. T. Beale |
(1819–1893) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1847 - March 3, 1849 |
Declined to run |
| Alexander R. Holladay |
(1811–1877) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1849 - March 3, 1853 |
Declined to run |
| Charles J. Faulkner, Sr. |
(1806–1884) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1853 - March 3, 1859 |
Appointed Minister to France |
| Alexander R. Boteler |
(1815–1892) |
Opposition |
March 4, 1859 - March 3, 1861 |
Declined to run |
| Vacant |
March 4, 1861 - January 28, 1870 |
Civil War |
| James K. Gibson |
(1812–1879) |
Conservative |
January 28, 1870 - March 3, 1871 |
Declined to run |
| William Terry |
(1824–1888) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1873 |
Defeated |
| Eppa Hunton |
(1822–1908) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1873 - March 3, 1881 |
Declined to run |
| John S. Barbour, Jr. |
(1820–1892) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1881 - March 3, 1887 |
Declined to run |
| William H. F. Lee |
(1837–1891) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1887 - October 15, 1891 |
Died |
| Vacant |
October 16, 1891 - December 8, 1891 |
Special election |
| Elisha E. Meredith |
(1848–1900) |
Democratic |
December 9, 1891 - March 3, 1897 |
Declined to run |
| John F. Rixey |
(1854–1907) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1897 - February 8, 1907 |
Died |
| Vacant |
February 9, 1907 - November 4, 1907 |
|
| Charles C. Carlin |
(1866–1938) |
Democratic |
November 5, 1907 - March 3, 1919 |
Resigned |
| Vacant |
March 4, 1919 - April 26, 1919 |
Special election April 1919 |
| R. Walton Moore |
(1859–1941) |
Democratic |
April 27, 1919 - March 3, 1931 |
Declined to run |
| Howard W. Smith |
(1883–1976) |
Democratic |
March 4, 1931 - March 3, 1933 |
Elected to Virginia At-Large District |
| District eliminated March 4, 1933 |
| District recreated: January 3, 1935 |
| Howard W. Smith |
(1883–1976) |
Democratic |
January 3, 1935 - January 3, 1967 |
Defeated |
| William L. Scott |
(1915–1997) |
Republican |
January 3, 1967 - January 3, 1973 |
Elected to U.S. Senate |
| Stanford E. Parris |
(1929–2010) |
Republican |
January 3, 1973 - January 3, 1975 |
Defeated |
| Herbert E. Harris |
(b. 1926) |
Democratic |
January 3, 1975 - January 3, 1981 |
Defeated |
| Stanford E. Parris |
(1929–2010) |
Republican |
January 3, 1981 - January 3, 1991 |
Deceased |
| James P. Moran, Jr. |
(b. 1945) |
Democratic |
January 3, 1991 - Present |
|