Former Congressman Tom Perriello Announces Candidacy for 5th Congressional District

PCHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Former Congressman Tom Perriello of Charlottesville today announced his candidacy for Congress in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. 

“It is not right that Virginians are working harder and harder just to afford the rising cost of food, electricity, and health care. We shouldn’t have to pay more out of our pockets because John McGuire and this Congress are letting reckless tariffs and rampant corruption drive up prices,” said Perriello. “You know that I’m going to show up in every community, listen, and fight with everything I got to make sure your priorities are my priorities in Congress.”

Today, 37,000 people in the 5th District are expected to lose their health care and remain uninsured, because of laws Rep. John McGuire has voted to support. Additionally 9,000 households in the district are at risk of losing their SNAP benefits, which harms families and the local businesses they support. Perriello is running to restore protections for working and middle class families.

Perriello, who was born and raised in Albemarle County, has spent the past 25 years serving his community and country as a diplomat, teacher, and executive of non-profit organizations. Elected to Congress in 2008, he fought for Virginia’s 5th District by making his first priority the support for historic, streamlined investments in infrastructure, public education, law enforcement, clean energy jobs and rural internet access, which helped prevent a second depression in the wake of the housing market collapse. Perriello cast a brave vote to pass the Affordable Care Act — even though pundits predicted it would cost him the seat — because it guaranteed coverage of pre- and post-natal care, blocked insurance companies from kicking people off coverage for a pre-existing condition, and allowed young people to stay on their family insurance. He also brought his experience supporting peace negotiations to his service on the Veterans Affairs Committee where he received an A+ rating from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association.

Perriello’s public service career also includes serving as the United States Special Envoy for the African Great Lakes and the Democratic Republic of the Congo under President Obama. Most recently, he served as U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and led negotiations to break the world’s largest humanitarian embargo, allowing greater emergency access to over 30 million vulnerable civilians inside Sudan. Tom has spent the intervening years leading civic organizations, championing economic opportunities for working families. During his intervening years in civil society, Tom has led organizations advancing economic fairness, civil rights, and anti-corruption reforms.  

Perriello’s campaign launch video is HERE. He is available for media interviews on Dec. 9 and Dec. 10. He will hold a kick-off event at Random Row in Charlottesville on Dec. 10 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. with more events to come throughout the district. The kickoff event is open to both press and the public. ut your press release text here.