8th District Candidate Tim Sharman (I)

Campaign Website: https://timsharmanforcongress.com/

Candidate Questionnaire from WAMU:

1. In 20 words or fewer, what is your top campaign priority?

Affordability. Opportunity. Preparing America for the AI and robotics transition

2. Why do you want to run for Congress in Virginia's 8th District?

I'm running for Congress because political dysfunction between Democrats and Republicans is getting in the way of addressing urgent national issues around affordability, opportunity and the AI transition. As an Independent I can work outside of that dysfunction and rally people on either side to work on bold solutions.

Government should work. Politics shouldn't get in the way.

3. How do you use artificial intelligence in your daily life? What specific regulations would you propose on the use of AI?

I use AI quite a lot, I especially enjoy vibe-coding amusing little web-apps. I did not use AI for any of the responses in this questionnaire. I want to protect our communities. Local communities should decide whether and where data centers are built. Families and small businesses should not pay higher electricity and water costs because enormous new data centers arrive in their communities. I will help build the energy America will need and prepare for the transformation of work. That's why America needs an AI & Robotics Transition Program. We need sensible national rules for AI while preserving appropriate state and local authority. I call to abolish the Justice Department's AI Litigation Task Force.

4. 20,000 Virginians lost their federal jobs last year, including many in the 8th District. How would you support people in your district who are still recovering from those job losses?

No more government shutdowns for a start. Hurting Federal workers in 2025 because of a political spat was a clear example of political dysfunction at its worst. DOGE was also a highly flawed approach to government efficiency.

To address our urgent national issues we need a government that is effective as well as efficient. I can't predict whether that will mean the same number of government workers in the Northern Virginia area.

The goal should be a government equipped with the people it needs to do its job well.

5. Where do you stand on the proposed Dominion Energy–NextEra merger?

I approve if the [Virginia State Corporation Commission] is satisfied that it protects VA customers in the long term

6. What are your thoughts on the White House’s current position on immigration enforcement, and how specifically would you use your position in Congress to influence federal immigration policy?

I'm an immigrant.

Simply, we want – and need – immigrants. One of the great things about America is that people want to come here and build their lives. That doesn't hold for a great many countries.

Immigrants need to demonstrate that they want to build their lives in America, they need to gain a stake in the local and national community. It shouldn't be about money, or their degree, or their work history. And we need to be thoughtful about where we need workers, and where we don't.

At the same time, we need to end illegal immigration (as much as possible). People who have established their lives here and obeyed our laws should have a path to legal status and ultimately citizenship. If they have a serious criminal record, deport them.

It's like locking the back door and putting a grill over it. But the front door has a great big welcome mat.

7. Northern Virginia is facing an affordability crisis. What specific policy idea would you push to help lower costs for your constituents?

I would start with healthcare. I have specific proposals to reduce the enormous cost of American healthcare and automatically enroll everyone in health insurance.

We also urgently need to have a tariff policy that makes some strategic sense. Congress should push the Trump Administration hard on that, and have a clear bipartisan strategic framework.

I'm not going to pretend I have a policy on each and every aspect of affordability, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't be working to find ways to increase the supply of housing and childcare, and to address the structural issues that make these resources expensive and hard to find.