In the 5th Congressional District race, Democratic challenger Tom Perriello has out-raised incumbent Republican John McGuire, as WMRA previously reported. But those numbers only tell part of the voter engagement story. WMRA’s Meredith McCool reports.
Based on the FEC data published October 15, Tom Perriello had raised more than $3.1 million with about $1 million cash on hand. John McGuire had raised about $2.2 million with less than half a million dollars cash on hand. But those numbers don’t tell the whole story. In this midterm cycle, some electoral organizers are prioritizing voter engagement.
LYNLEE THORNE: We go out and talk to people. In 2025, we reached out to 253,000 Virginia voters who had not voted in at least two of the last four elections.
Lynlee Thorne is the political director at Rural GroundGame, which formed in 2019 to provide support to rural Democratic campaigns, committees, and community leaders. Rather than raising money for congressional candidates, they perform behind-the-scenes tasks such as compiling voter data and running payroll as a free service to campaigns.
THORNE: We do a lot of listening, and we do a lot of engagement with a local candidate, and we're always asking them like, "What's important? Why are you running for office?” … The last few years we've been doing more of these public events, and just really trying to increase our listening and collaboration with communities to surface some of the issues for awareness.
In addition to producing billboards and digital ads, Rural GroundGame has filmed interviews of rural residents speaking from their lived experiences. In one video posted on their website, an unnamed woman in a plaid shirt stands in a field with farm equipment in the background. She recounts the time she pleaded with her husband not to call an ambulance during a medical emergency because of the expense.
STORYTELLER PROJECT INTERVIEWEE: My story is not unique. … This happens to a lot of small business owners. Even if you are in a position where you think you're comfortable in America, you don't know when that comfort might go away.
As she speaks, the video displays the text: “Republican cuts to Medicaid (starting in late 2026) will make millions of Americans more vulnerable in medical emergencies,” citing Congressional Budget Office estimates that enacting the Medicaid provisions in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” would increase the number of people without health insurance by 7.8 million in 2034 relative to baseline projections under current law.
Virginia conservatives are also leading efforts to get out the vote. Nancy Russell is the president of the Virginia Federation of Republican Women, or VFRW.
NANCY RUSSELL: We are an auxiliary of the Republican Party. … Our local Virginia Federation has about 1,500 members and about 40 clubs. Clubs go all the way out to the 9th District, Pulaski, and all the way out to the 1st, Chesapeake. And then up to the north, we have a ton in Northern Virginia. God bless those ladies, you know, because it's not an easy slog up there.
The auxiliary’s mission is –
RUSSELL: A combination of political activity, community service, and then higher education scholarships. … So we do a whole lot. I kid with the ladies that our goal is to elect Republicans, but also to help people understand that Republicans and Republican women are not evil people. We do good things, too.
This election cycle –
RUSSELL: We're not doing anything different than we always do. … We are encouraging members to be officers of election. Everyone's concerned about election integrity. … So let us get into the poll, make sure everything's been done right. … But if you're inside the polling place, then you know what goes on.
Russell said that the VFRW is also helping voters be conversant about the three proposed amendments to the state’s constitution.
RUSSELL: The Hanover women met Friday before last and probably filled out – I'm gonna guess we did 500 postcards in a couple hours. It was a big army of women about the amendments. Why to vote no.
New efforts to increase voter engagement are also underway. A Washington, D.C. based organization called Free DC has sent busloads of canvassers to Charlottesville to energize voter turnout in support of Tom Perriello. I spoke with Alex Dodds, campaign director at Free DC, about their collaboration with Indivisible Charlottesville to “Flip the Fifth.”
ALEX DODDS: We were founded at the start of 2025, and in the 19 months since then, a relatively small group of conservative members of Congress have attacked D.C.’s local power. … None of them are things that D.C. wants. … The members of Congress introducing these bills is a relatively small group, and one of the people who has been introducing these bills and voting for them – almost every single one – is Rep. John McGuire.
For example, Rep. McGuire introduced H.R. 5103 – the “Make the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful Act of 2025” – which would establish an executive branch commission to advise on certain criminal and immigration matters in the city.
DODDS: I know that the Republican talking points are that they are making D.C. safer and more beautiful. The lived reality of everyone here is that this task force is terrorizing communities here. … The armed soldiers who are occupying our neighborhoods through the National Guard deployment are part of this task force. No one – not a single person in D.C. – wants this task force to become permanent the way that John McGuire has proposed.
In their first Charlottesville canvass on September 5, volunteers knocked 3,600 doors. They hope to double that in their subsequent canvasses.
DODDS: We are prioritizing turnout rather than persuasion. … You can either focus on persuading people who disagree with you to come to your side, or you can just focus on turbocharging turnout for the people who you know agree with you. We have heard that there is so much frustration with John McGuire, and so much excitement and support for Tom Perriello.
Dodds shared this final encouragement for voters.
DODDS: Get out and vote. This is an election where the more participation, the better, no matter where you sit in the fight. And make sure that everyone who you know, that you care about, has a plan to vote.
Voting continues through Election Day, Tuesday, November 3.
