Don Beyer

Donald S. Beyer, Jr. was the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia from 1990-1998 during the gubernatorial administrations of Democrat Doug Wilder (1990-1994) and Republican George Allen (1994-1998). Mr. Beyer was the Democratic nominee for Governor of the U.S. state of Virginia in 1997, losing to Republican James S. Gilmore III, who had served as Virginia's Attorney General for most of Beyer's second term. During his tenure as Lieutenant Governor he served as President of the Virginia Senate. As Lieutenant Governor, he chaired the Economic Recovery Commission, the Virginia Commission on Sexual Assault, the Virginia Commission on Disabilities, the Poverty Commission and was co-founder of the Northern Virginia Technology Council.

As a private citizen, Mr. Beyer is the owner of a chain of Volvo, Land Rover, and Subaru car dealerships in Northern Virginia. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Williams College, magna cum laude in Economics in 1972. He, his wife and two of his four children reside in Alexandria, Virginia.

Don Beyer served as the National Treasurer for the Dean for America presidental campaign of former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, who in the 2004 Democratic primary was seeking the nomination of that party for President of the United States.

Don Beyer had previously contemplated a run in 2006 for the U.S. Senate against Republican George Allen, but has since ruled it out. He did, however, leave the door open to a 2008 run for the seat currently occupied by Senator John W. Warner.