Perriello secures Dem slot to challenge Goode, and Virgil is worried 
by Alan Zimmerman
When Tom Perriello secured the nomination as the Democratic Party candidate for Congress from the 5th District on March 4, he not only earned the right for himself to represent the Democratic Party in the 2008 race.
He also secured the potential for all the citizens of the 5th District to be a part of the long-needed change that is coming to our Country -- change to get us out of the rut of the past few years and into a better, more secure future.
Perriello was born and raised in the 5th District, the youngest of four children of Vito and Linda. Perriello’s dad is a pediatrician in Charlottesville, and according to Perriello’s website (PerrielloForCongress.com), “From an early age, he was taught that a strong faith is a lived faith. His parents raised him to believe that to whom much is given, much is expected, and those lessons have shaped his lifelong commitment to service.”
After earning a law degree from Yale University, Perriello went to the West African countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, both of which were suffering from long civil wars. In Sierra Leone, Perriello worked with child soldiers, amputees and local pro-democracy groups, and played a significant role in the peace and reconciliation process that ended twelve years of bloodshed in that Country.
In Liberia, Perriello was a special advisor and spokesman for the international prosecutor that forced dictator Charles Taylor from power – without firing a shot.
Since then, Perriello has worked in both Darfur and in Afghanistan.
Back home, Perriello help found FaithfulAmerica.org in 2004, one of the many new organizations that brings together faith communities to fight for children’s health care, supporting a higher minimum wage, environmental stewardship, and responsible solutions in Iraq.
Indeed, faith plays a significant role in both Perriello’s life and campaign. It drives his view of the world and the change that he hopes to bring, change such as economic justice and fair opportunity for all, the restoration of our sense of community and commitment to the common good, and a guarantee of the best possible healthcare and education for our children.
Specifically, Perriello says he wants to ensure a living wage for hard-working Americans, so people can spend more time with their families rather than having to work two or more jobs to put food on their tables. He says he will end the corporate tax breaks that move many of our jobs overseas.
On education, Perriello states, ”There is no higher calling for government than to help its people reach their God-given potential, and there are few better ways to do that than to ensure that all our children receive a quality education. We must support our local teachers and help recruit and retain new ones. We must develop better ways of evaluating our schools to encourage a focus on knowledge and learning. Educational opportunities must begin earlier and continue later in life by prioritizing a pre-K year, affordable and accessible college education and vocational training, and the lifelong skills training required to ensure American workers remain competitive in the global economy.”
And on national security, Perriello will look to his experience in helping to bring peace and security to Africa, and “focus on results instead of rhetoric.”
Perriello’s campaign has generated enthusiasm among Democrats both nationally and in the 5th District. Since entering the race, Perriello has been out-raising Virgil Goode in net dollars 3:1. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has moved the race from “Safe Republican” to “In Play” status, and the campaign has attracted the attention of the national Netroots, which proved so instrumental in Democratic gains in the House in 2006.
On the ground in the district, Perriello’s campaign reports that it has already opened offices in Franklin County and Charlottesville and will be opening an office in Danville shortly. Volunteers have logged over 1300 hours.
And as for Goode?
Well, the Roanoke Times reported recently that Goode thinks this will be his toughest race yet.
“It’s going to be hard this year,” the paper quotes Goode as saying.
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