Tom Perriello announces candidacy for Congress in the Fifth District

Tom Perriello is the latest Democrat in our part of the state to throw his hat into the congressional ring for the 2026 midterm cycle.

Perriello was just 34 when he shocked the world, in a manner of speaking, upsetting incumbent Republican Virgil Goode in the 2008 Fifth District congressional race, after trailing in the polls in mid-September by 34 points.

He only ended up serving one term, losing to State Sen. Robert Hurt by four points in the 2010 cycle.

After stints at the Center for American Progress and the State Department in the second Obama administration, Perriello ran for the Democratic Party gubernatorial nomination in the 2017 cycle, unfortunately falling short to State Sen. Ralph Northam – who would go on to embarrass us with, among other things, the blackface yearbook scandal.

Perriello took over the reins of the Win Virginia PAC, which led the effort to take a chunk out of the Republican advantage in the House of Delegates, with Democrats gaining 15 seats in the 2017 cycle to go from 34 delegates to 49.

Since, Perriello has served as the executive director of a nonprofit, Open Society Foundations, and was, for a year, a Special Envoy to Sudan in the Biden administration.

And now, he’s back, aiming to return to Congress representing the Fifth District.

Here’s where the congressional redistricting effort really starts to feel real.

Good candidates like a Tom Perriello are coming out of the woodwork with the reality that Democrats are redrawing districts to create four new Democrat-majority districts, including the one representing the Charlottesville-Albemarle area where Perriello resides.

“Look, the facts are simple: for too many working families across Virginia, the cost of living has become overwhelming. Prices keep rising, but salaries aren’t keeping up. Meanwhile, Congressman John McGuire and MAGA Republicans in Congress have refused to stand up to Trump’s reckless tariffs and voted to cut food and healthcare for thousands of people in our district – all the while protecting tax breaks for large corporations. Who is standing up for us in Congress?” Perriello said in a campaign announcement video released on Tuesday.

“That’s why I decided to get in the race – because Virginians deserve a representative who will fight for them,” Perriello said. “I was born and raised right here in Albemarle County, and for the past 25 years I’ve devoted my life to serving our community, our Commonwealth, and our country. In Congress, I fought to expand healthcare by voting for the Affordable Care Act, even when pundits warned it could cost me my seat. I worked to bring jobs, broadband, and infrastructure investments to our district, including the Robertson Bridge in Danville.

“I am excited about this race, and I hope you are, too,” Perriello said. “I’m ready to show up in every corner of this district – to listen, to learn, and to fight for the people who make our communities strong. I hope you’ll join me in this campaign. Together, we can build a future where every family can do more than just get by, but can actually get ahead.”

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