Sunday, January 20, 2008
Democrat says time is right
Republican Virgil Goode says his race against Democrat Tom Perriello will be exciting but hard.
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From The Roanoke Times
Riding the wave of success that Democrats have enjoyed at the state and national levels, political newcomer and 5th Congressional District Democratic candidate Tom Perriello says he can unseat six-term Rep. Virgil Goode, R-Rocky Mount.
"Americans are ready for a change," Perriello said. "They don't want people who will vote right or left; they want people who will vote right or wrong."
After breaking fundraising records by bringing in more than $263,000 since Labor Day, Perriello, 33, has opened the eyes of both Democrats and Republicans as a strong contender for the seat.
Perriello has all but locked up the Democratic Party's nomination after the only other contender, David Shreve of Albemarle County, dropped out of the race.
The 5th District stretches south from the Charlottesville area to Southside Virginia, and west to Bedford and Franklin counties.
A native of the district, Perriello has worked as a national security analyst for the Century Foundation and founded many faith-based peace groups.
Perriello said his work with the foundation and the groups helped him raise the money necessary to launch a competitive campaign.
More than 370 people have donated to his campaign since Labor Day.
As of the last campaign finance reporting deadline of Sept. 30, Perriello had $110,744 in cash on hand, while Goode had $351,757. New reports to the Federal Election Commission are due later this month.
"People know that when I step up to do something, I produce results," said Perriello, adding that the economy and educational opportunities are the two biggest issues facing the district. "Americans are hungry for result-oriented politics. We want to create the largest grass-roots network that the 5th District has ever seen."
With Democrats gaining control of Congress in 2006 and Democrats gaining control of the state Senate, Fred Hudson, 5th District Democratic chairman, said the seat is ripe for change.
"It is very clear to anyone who has been watching the last three months of politics that Americans are not only ready for a change, but anxious for a change," Hudson said. "The presence of Mark Warner as a [U.S.] Senate candidate will help as well."
Perriello's fundraising momentum also has caught the attention of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
"This is a race that we are definitely watching," said Kyra Jennings, spokeswoman for the committee's South region, which stretches from Florida to Maryland. "Perriello is a real change from Virgil Goode. Perriello has the ability to be competitive."
Unseating Goode, however, promises to be a tough feat for Perriello.
The last Democrat to hold the seat was Goode, when he won the seat in 1996. He was unopposed in 1998.
Goode declared himself an independent in 2000 before joining Republican ranks in 2002.
Goode has easily won re-election since: in 2000 (with 67 percent of the vote), 2002 (63 percent), 2004 (64 percent) and 2006 (59 percent). Many Democrats and independents in the past have voted for him.
"Virgil is popular and close to the people," said George Sterling, Republican chairman for the 5th District. "He votes how the people want him to vote. He gives the people what they want and he helps the folks."
Hudson said that to defeat Goode, Democrats in the district cannot be divided.
"We need a very united Democratic front," Hudson said. "We want to make sure that we bring in new voters. We have been working very hard to strengthen our local committees."
Perriello said the key to winning the election is gaining the independent vote.
"Our problems reach beyond any one party or individual," Perriello said. "We are already reaching out to Republicans and independents. I've put a lot of miles on my truck, and I hope to put on more."
Goode said this race will be the toughest he has faced since first being elected.
"It's going to be hard this year," said Goode, 61. "The presidential race always brings out more people. There's always a lot of excitement. I'm always worried. It's going to be an exciting election."
Goode said he is eager to begin the campaign season to see where Perriello stands on the issues.
