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===2008===
===2008===
{{Main|United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2008#District 5}}
{{Main|United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2008#District 5}}
In the 2008 election, Perriello launched a campaign based on [[conviction politics]], achieving a surprise win over Republican incumbent [[Virgil Goode]], a longtime figure in Virginia politics who had represented a large portion of the district in the [[Senate of Virginia]] before serving in Congress.<ref name="Top 10">{{cite news |author=Alexander Burns|title=Top 10 political upsets of 2008 |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16879.html |work=[[The Politico]] |publisher= |location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|date=December 29, 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref> Perriello trailed Goode in the polls by 30% only three months before the election. ''Politico'' remarked that Goode's campaign was impaired by remarks by Goode that were interpreted as anti-Muslim and by a flap over Goode's tenuous connection to a gay-theme movie. <ref name="Top 10"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rogers/sex-drugs-and-earmarks-vi_b_134862.html |title=Michael Rogers: Sex, Drugs and Earmarks: Virgil Goode makes his party proud |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=2008-10-15 |accessdate=2011-01-10}}</ref>
In the 2008 election, Perriello launched a campaign based on [[conviction politics]], achieving what was widely discussed as a "stunning upset" over entrenched Republican incumbent [[Virgil Goode]], a longtime figure in Virginia politics who had represented a large portion of the district in the [[Senate of Virginia]] before serving in Congress.<ref name="Top 10">{{cite news |author=Alexander Burns|title=Top 10 political upsets of 2008 |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16879.html |work=[[Politico]] |publisher= |location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|date=December 29, 2008 |accessdate=2009-03-19}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Kleefeld|first=Eric|title=SurveyUSA Poll: Dem Perriello Getting Crushed In VA-05|url=http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/09/surveyusa-poll-dem-perriello-getting-crushed-in-va-05.php|accessdate=March 2, 2011|newspaper=[[Talking Points Memo]]|date=September 2, 2010}}</ref> Perriello trailed Goode in the polls by 30% only three months before the election. ''[[Politico]]'' remarked that Goode's campaign was impaired by remarks by Goode that were interpreted as anti-Muslim and by a flap over Goode's tenuous connection to a gay-theme movie. <ref name="Top 10"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-rogers/sex-drugs-and-earmarks-vi_b_134862.html |title=Michael Rogers: Sex, Drugs and Earmarks: Virgil Goode makes his party proud |publisher=Huffingtonpost.com |date=2008-10-15 |accessdate=2011-01-10}}</ref>


The traditionally Democratic urban areas of the district gave Perriello significant margins over Goode. While Goode won 13 of the 20 county-level jurisdictions in the district, Perriello won all but one independent city, [[Bedford, Virginia|Bedford]], which went for Goode by only 16 votes. Ultimately, Perriello prevailed largely on the strength of a more than 25,000 vote margin in Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County. Perriello's performance showed the most dramatic improvements over past Democratic voting in the more [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] areas of the district hardest hit by decades of job loss and economic slowdown. As a presidential candidate, [[Barack Obama]] also improved on past Democratic performance, but he ultimately lost this district by around 7,500 votes (2.5 percentage points). For example, Perriello significantly outperformed Obama in the strongly conservative southwestern portion of the district (ironically, where Goode is from). Perriello may also have been helped by [[coattails]] from atop the ticket, as [[Mark Warner]] won the district in a landslide with 65 percent of the vote.<ref>https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2008/07261AFC-9ED3-410F-B07D-84D014AB2C6B/Official/1_s.shtml</ref>
The traditionally Democratic urban areas of the district gave Perriello significant margins over Goode. While Goode won 13 of the 20 county-level jurisdictions in the district, Perriello won all but one independent city, [[Bedford, Virginia|Bedford]], which went for Goode by only 16 votes. Ultimately, Perriello prevailed largely on the strength of a more than 25,000 vote margin in Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County. Perriello's performance showed the most dramatic improvements over past Democratic voting in the more [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] areas of the district hardest hit by decades of job loss and economic slowdown. As a presidential candidate, [[Barack Obama]] also improved on past Democratic performance, but he ultimately lost this district by around 7,500 votes (2.5 percentage points). For example, Perriello significantly outperformed Obama in the strongly conservative southwestern portion of the district (ironically, where Goode is from). Perriello may also have been helped by [[coattails]] from atop the ticket, as [[Mark Warner]] won the district in a landslide with 65 percent of the vote.<ref>https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2008/07261AFC-9ED3-410F-B07D-84D014AB2C6B/Official/1_s.shtml</ref>

Revision as of 00:15, 2 March 2011

Tom Perriello
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 5th district
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded byVirgil Goode
Succeeded byRobert Hurt
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
Parent(s)Dr. and Mrs. Vito Perriello, Jr.
ResidenceIvy, Virginia
Alma materYale Law School (J.D.)
Yale University (B.A.)
ProfessionAttorney[1]
WebsiteCampaign website

Thomas Stuart Price "Tom" Perriello (Template:Pron-en; born October 9, 1974) is the former U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district, serving from 2009 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes much of Southside Virginia and stretches north to Charlottesville.

Early life and education

Perriello is a lifelong resident of Ivy, a small unincorporated community west of Charlottesville. He attended Murray Elementary School, Meriwether Lewis Elementary School, Henley Middle School and Western Albemarle High School in the county school system, and then graduated from St. Anne's-Belfield School, a private school. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scout Troop 114 in Ivy, and was a legislative page in the Virginia House of Delegates. He earned B.A. (1996) and J.D. (2001) degrees at Yale University, where he also became a member of Scroll and Key.[1][2]

Career

From 2002-03, Perriello was Special Advisor to the international prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, where he worked with child soldiers, amputees, and local pro-democracy groups, and helped to prosecute warlords.[3] He later became the Court's Spokesman and helped to indict Liberian dictator Charles Taylor, peacefully forcing him from power. He has worked as a consultant to the International Center for Transitional Justice in Kosovo (2003), Darfur (2005), and Afghanistan (2007) where he worked on justice-based security strategies.[1] Perriello has also been a fellow at The Century Foundation and consultant to the National Council of Churches of Christ. He helped to launch FaithfulAmerica.org, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, and is a co-founder of DarfurGenocide.org and Avaaz.org, an international on-line community of 3.3 million members, operating in 12 languages, dedicated to building a global response to "problems without borders" such as climate change. He has also worked with the Rev. James Forbes on prophetic justice principles.[4]

Perriello, a resident of Albemarle County, has spent much of his career working in West Africa and the Middle East to create strategies for sustainable peace, and he was involved in the peace processes that helped end the civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia.[5]

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

During the 2009 legislative session, Periello voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,[6] the American Clean Energy and Security Act,[7] and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010.[8]

Perriello voted against the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2009,[9] because the bill extended unemployment benefits for only some states and excluded Virginia.[10]

Perriello is a supporter of the War on Terror.[11] Although he cast votes for the continuation of U.S. military action in Afghanistan,[12][13] he also cosponsored legislation requiring U.S. President Barack Obama to submit an exit strategy for the end of combat operations in Afghanistan.[14][15] Perriello also opposed removing the United States Armed Forces from Pakistan.[15] In 2010, Perriello voted in support of the defense bill, 2010 military appropriations and spending for combat operations.[13][16][17]

Political campaigns

2008

Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia, 2008 § District 5

In the 2008 election, Perriello launched a campaign based on conviction politics, achieving what was widely discussed as a "stunning upset" over entrenched Republican incumbent Virgil Goode, a longtime figure in Virginia politics who had represented a large portion of the district in the Senate of Virginia before serving in Congress.[18][19] Perriello trailed Goode in the polls by 30% only three months before the election. Politico remarked that Goode's campaign was impaired by remarks by Goode that were interpreted as anti-Muslim and by a flap over Goode's tenuous connection to a gay-theme movie. [18][20]

The traditionally Democratic urban areas of the district gave Perriello significant margins over Goode. While Goode won 13 of the 20 county-level jurisdictions in the district, Perriello won all but one independent city, Bedford, which went for Goode by only 16 votes. Ultimately, Perriello prevailed largely on the strength of a more than 25,000 vote margin in Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County. Perriello's performance showed the most dramatic improvements over past Democratic voting in the more conservative areas of the district hardest hit by decades of job loss and economic slowdown. As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama also improved on past Democratic performance, but he ultimately lost this district by around 7,500 votes (2.5 percentage points). For example, Perriello significantly outperformed Obama in the strongly conservative southwestern portion of the district (ironically, where Goode is from). Perriello may also have been helped by coattails from atop the ticket, as Mark Warner won the district in a landslide with 65 percent of the vote.[21]

2010

Main article: Virginia's 5th congressional district election, 2010

In a hard fought campaign, Perriello lost to Republican nominee State Senator Robert Hurt in a race between the two and Independent candidate Jeffrey Clark. During the race, Perriello was noted for touting democratic achievements during his two years in office rather than running from them. In the words of Stephen Colbert he had "the guts to stand by what the Democrats have achieved."[22] In recognition of his support for gun rights, Perriello received the endorsement of the National Rifle Association.[23] He also received the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the race in recognition of his “strong support for veterans, national security and defense, and military personnel issues.”[24]

Propane gas line incident

In March 2010, a propane gas line at Perriello's brother's home was cut, after the brother's address was mistakenly listed on a Tea Party website as the congressman's. The incident was investigated by the FBI as a threat to Perriello over his vote on healthcare reform.[25]

References

  1. ^ a b c Goldsmith, Will (October 7, 2008). "Can he go the distance?". Charlottesville News & Arts. Retrieved August 24, 2010.
  2. ^ Perriello, Vito Jr. (October 5, 2008). "Letter: Dr. and Mrs. Vito Perriello Jr. - Perriellos tell of son's roots". Martinsville Bulletin. Martinsville, Virginia. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ Gibson, Bob (October 6, 2007). "Perriello enters race for 5th seat". The Daily Progress. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  4. ^ Baker, Bernard (February 5, 2008). "Pastor: Poverty 'weapon of mass destruction'". Danville Register & Bee. (via WSLS-TV). Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  5. ^ Hopkins, Shawn (January 1, 2008). "Perriello wants to bring changes". Martinsville Bulletin. Retrieved 2008-05-18.
  6. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 46". Clerk of the House. January 28, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  7. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 477". Clerk of the House. June 26, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  8. ^ Was Rep. Tom Perriello targeted for his vote on healthcare bill? {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |web= ignored (help)
  9. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 722". Clerk of the House. September 22, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2010.
  10. ^ "Perriello Fights to Extend Unemployment Benefits in Virginia". Tom Perriello. September 30, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2010.[dead link]
  11. ^ "Personal Statement re:Foreign Policy".[dead link]
  12. ^ "Voting History: Rep. Thomas Perriello D, VA-5] - U.S. Congress". OpenCongress. Retrieved 2010-08-21.
  13. ^ a b "HR 4899". The New York Times.
  14. ^ "H.R. 2404".
  15. ^ a b "H.Con.Res.301 - Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, to remove the United States Armed Forces from Pakistan". OpenCongress.
  16. ^ "HR 5136". The New York Times.
  17. ^ "HR 3326". The New York Times.
  18. ^ a b Alexander Burns (December 29, 2008). "Top 10 political upsets of 2008". Politico. Washington, D.C. Retrieved 2009-03-19.
  19. ^ Kleefeld, Eric (September 2, 2010). "SurveyUSA Poll: Dem Perriello Getting Crushed In VA-05". Talking Points Memo. Retrieved March 2, 2011.
  20. ^ "Michael Rogers: Sex, Drugs and Earmarks: Virgil Goode makes his party proud". Huffingtonpost.com. 2008-10-15. Retrieved 2011-01-10.
  21. ^ https://www.voterinfo.sbe.virginia.gov/election/DATA/2008/07261AFC-9ED3-410F-B07D-84D014AB2C6B/Official/1_s.shtml
  22. ^ Rayfield, Jillian (October 28, 2010), "Colbert To Tom Perriello: Is Running On The Democrats' Record 'A Cry For Help'? (VIDEO)", Talking Points Memo, retrieved February 5, 2011
  23. ^ Dashiell, Joe (October 15, 2010), "Tom Perriello makes it official. NRA endorses 5th District Democrat", WDBJ7, retrieved February 5, 2011{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  24. ^ Adams, Mason; Siuss, Michael (October 6, 2010), "Perriello endorsed by VFW PAC", The Roanoke Times, retrieved February 5, 2011{{citation}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  25. ^ Barr, Andy (March 24, 2010). "FBI investigates Virginia incident". Politico. Retrieved March 24, 2010.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tom Perriello.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 5th congressional district
2009–2011 		Succeeded by

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