Tom Perriello

Tom Perriello has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 5th district of the State of Virginia, since 2009 (map).

Vision
I believe it is time for a politics of right and wrong, not right and left. It is time for leaders who turn the challenges of today into the opportunities of tomorrow by focusing on results and sustainable solutions.

I believe that the challenges of our generation will require bold new ideas and leaders with the moral courage to match that of everyday Virginians.

I believe that in a fair and just society, neighbors look out for one another, individuals know that personal freedom requires personal responsibility, and we understand that America is at its best when each of us asks, “What can I give back?” instead of “What’s in it for me?”

On the Issues
Economic Fairness Tom will fight to ensure that all hard-working Americans are guaranteed a living wage and secure retirement. Parents should have time to spend with their families instead of having to work multiple jobs just to put food on the table. Tom will end the practice of giving tax breaks to companies that take American jobs overseas and will make sure that corporations and CEOs are held accountable for their actions.

Healthcare Every American deserves access to a doctor, and none of our elderly should ever have to face the soul-crushing choice of whether to buy medicine for a spouse or put food on the table. Furthermore, our employers should not be burdened with healthcare costs that put them at a disadvantage to their competitors in other countries.

Education and Job Training 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.

National Security Americans are less safe today than on September 12th because of the decisions made by this Administration and many in Congress. Tom has spent much of his career fighting for justice-based security solutions in Western Africa, Darfur, Iraq, and Afghanistan, and he will apply the expertise he gained by focusing on results instead of rhetoric in Congress.

Oil Independence Our national security, our climate, and our economic competitiveness demand that we achieve independence from fossil fuels during this generation. Our leaders have lacked the courage to do what is necessary to make our country safe and to encourage the “dot-com” boom of the next generation—alternative energy and efficiency technologies. Tom will ensure that the farmers, businesses, and consumers of the 5th District have the tools and the incentives to lead America through this challenge.

A Life of Service
Tom Perriello was born and raised in the fifth district and lives in Albemarle County a few miles from where he grew up. Tom is a product of Murray, Meriwether Lewis, Henley and Western Albemarle High School and graduated from St. Anne’s Belfield. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Yale University. He is presently a guest lecturer at the University of Virginia School of Law.

He has worked on justice-based security strategies in Afghanistan and Kosovo, prosecuted warlords in Sierra Leone, and developed alternative peace strategies to curb acts of genocide in Darfur. He has been a consultant to the International Center for Transitional Justice and the National Council of Churches of Christ, an analyst for AfghanistanWatch, and a Fellow with The Century Foundation. He is a founding partner of Res Publica, which develops innovative solutions to global justice and security threats. Tom also co-founded Avaaz.org, an international on-line community of 1.5 million members, operating in 12 languages, dedicated to building a global response to “problems without borders,” such as climate change.

Tom co-founded Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, helped to launch FaithfulAmerica.org and DarfurGenocide.org, and worked for the Rev. Dr. James Forbes on prophetic justice principles. All these efforts were part of a resurgent faith-based movement to challenge a culture of instant gratification and greed with a call to the common good.

“We need to restore the founding American ethic that we are better off when we are in this together. Since the original thirteen colonies joined together as the United States, through Civil War and the Great Depression, we have risen or fallen according to this simple rule: America thrives when we are united in a common purpose for the common good.” – Tom Perriello

Campaign Bio
Virginia Upbringing Born and raised in the 5th district, Tom is the youngest of four children of Vito and Linda Perriello. Tom was an Eagle Scout in the Stonewall Jackson Area Council, and he attended Albemarle County public schools and St. Anne’s-Belfield. 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.

Fighting Atrocities in Africa After receiving his law degree from Yale University, Tom accepted an assignment working to end atrocities in the West African countries of Liberia and Sierra Leone, which had suffered long civil wars fueled by blood diamonds. Tom’s work with child soldiers, amputees, and local pro-democracy groups in Sierra Leone played a significant role in the peace and reconciliation process that ended twelve years of violence in that country.

Tom then became Special Advisor and spokesperson for the International Prosecutor during the showdown that forced Liberian dictator Charles Taylor from power without firing a shot. After this success, Tom served as a national security analyst for the Century Foundation. He has worked inside Darfur and twice in Afghanistan.

Changing the American Debate on Faith in Politics Since 2004, Tom has helped to launch a political and social movement in this country that is credited with shifting the national debate about America’s moral priorities. He helped found FaithfulAmerica.org and Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, which bring together faith communities to fight for children’s health care, supporting a higher minimum wage, environmental stewardship, and responsible solutions in Iraq. Inspired by the prophetic vision of Dr. King, Wilberforce, and Micah, Tom believes that America must reverse the erosion of our commitment to the common good and restore our understanding that our nation rises or falls together. 

2008 elections
Perriello was the Democratic nominee in the 2008 congressional elections for Virginia's 5th Congressional District. . Perriello went on to defeat incumbent Virgil Goode in November 2008 elections.

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Campaign contributions
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Committees
Perriello is assigned to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

Affiliations

 * Director, Namati
 * Executive Committee,Center for American Progress

Contact
Official Perriello for Congress campaign website

Perriello for Congress PO Box 306 Ivy, VA 22945

[mailto:webmaster@perrielloforcongress.com webmaster@perrielloforcongress.com]

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:Virginia and the U.S. Congress
 * Jessica Barba Brown - former aide

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on Virginia’s 5th Congressional District
 * FEC Contributions page on Tom Perriello not yet available

External articles

 * Perriello enters race for 5th seat: Hopeful seeks to bring faith, global experience to D.C. October 7, 2007, The Daily Progress
 * Perriello looks like choice for Democrats: Shreve leaves 5th District race January 9, 2008, The Daily Progress
 * Democrat says time is right January 20, 2008, The Roanoke Times
 * Perriello wants to bring changes January 23, 2008, Martinsville Bulletin
 * Report: Perriello topped Goode in 2007 fundraising February 3, 2008, Danville Register & Bee
 * Perriello narrows funding gap: He raises nearly 3 times more in fourth quarter than incumbent Goode February 4, 2008, Richmond Times-Dispatch
 * Pastor: Poverty 'weapon of mass destruction' February 5, 2008, Danville Register & Bee
 * Perriello Ready to Challenge Goode in the Fifth February 7, 2008, Augusta Free Press Show