The Town Hall: A Tale of Two Virginia Congressmen

Tom Perriello: 100+ Hours of Town Halls

John McGuire: Zero Town Halls

In case you missed it, the Daily Progress on Thursday reported that “many constituents” across the current 5th Congressional District have said that U.S. Rep. John McGuire is “especially weak this election cycle because of his refusal to host public events and engage with the community.” Asked about whether he should hold a town hall with constituents who disagree with his votes, Rep. McGuire responded by saying, “I don’t think it’s fair.”

Rewind to 2009, when then-Congressman Tom Perriello conducted more than 100 hours of town halls across the 5th Congressional District, some lasting as long as five hours, some before Tea Party crowds, in the months before the Affordable Care Act passed.

Compare and Contrast:

Perriello:

“He has pledged to do town halls in every county of his district — more than 20. He has also met separately with Tea Party groups in his district, as well as with liberal advocacy groups.” [NPR, 8/12/09]

McGuire:

“After a year in office, McGuire still has not held a public town hall, hosting only a handful of tele-town halls in which calls are screened.” [Daily Progress, 2/19/26]

Perriello:

Headline: Va. Democrat Navigates Series Of Rowdy Town Halls [NPR, 8/12/09]

McGuire:

Headline: A thousand attend empty-seat town hall for Rep. John McGuire [29News, 4/27/25]

Perriello:

“Perriello says he doesn’t mind if people blow off steam or raise their voices at him.” [NPR, 8/12/09]

McGuire:

“‘Imagine if you drive [to a town hall] and these people are just screaming the whole time. Do you think that’s fair? I don't think it's fair,’ he said.” [Daily Progress, 2/19/26]

“We understand that Congressman McGuire has cast a lot of bad votes that hurt paycheck-to-paycheck families. We understand his being scared to explain himself why he voted to make health care more expensive, but that’s part of his job,” said Bridgette Harrison, campaign manager for Perriello. “One of the reasons people of all political stripes appreciate Perriello is because he took time to listen to every viewpoint, and then show voters the respect of explaining why he voted for the Affordable Care Act, higher wages, and consequences for corruption.”

Perriello will run in the 6th Congressional District, should voters approve the ballot referendum for new Congressional maps in April. Otherwise, he will continue to run in the existing 5th Congressional District, currently held by Republican Rep. John McGuire.

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Born and raised in the Charlottesville area, Tom Perriello has spent decades fighting against corruption and attacks on democracy, at home and abroad. He had the honor of representing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District and casting a decisive vote for the Affordable Care Act. Before and after Congress, Tom led non-profit organizations fighting to double the minimum wage, expand Medicaid and rural health care access, and protect civil rights. Tom has led a range of local and national resistance efforts to end the abuses of both Trump Administrations. Tom worked for President Obama and represented the United States for several tours of service as a diplomat, focusing on peace negotiations in sub-Saharan Africa. Tom will never accept donations from corporate PACs or lobbyists, because he fights to give hardworking Virginia families a fair shot at the American Dream.

Analysis: Tom Perriello brings experience to Virginia’s Fifth, faces tough district