The Fifth Congressional District was considered a safe bet for Republicans until 2008, when the top of ticket, Presidential candidate Barack Obama sparked an extraordinary turnout of Black voters and liberals excited by his candidacy. Riding his coattails after a vigorous campaign of his own, Charlottesville native Tom Perriello was also victorious and – during his two-year term in office – won respect and name recognition. We caught up with him at a public holiday celebration.
“You have so many people who can’t afford to pay their bills right now, because healthcare costs are going up and housing costs are going up," he said in explaining the decision to run.
Since leaving office, Perriello has worked as a diplomat, trying to settle disputes and ease suffering in Sierra Leone, Kosovo, Darfur and Afghanistan. Now, he hopes his experience in mediation might win over political independents and disillusioned Republicans. Democrats have vowed to re-draw congressional district boundaries, so Perriello isn’t sure which voters he’ll need, but he says he’s not worried.
“Regardless of where the maps are drawn, people know I’m not going to take corporate PAC money, and I’m going to stand up for everyday folks.”
But he’ll still have some primary competition. Albemarle County Supervisor Mike Pruitt, a Navy veteran and civil rights attorney, says he’s staying in the race to represent working class rural communities like the one where he grew up.
