Tom Perriello

First elected: 2008 (def. Rep. Virgil Goode)

Margin of victory in last election: 727 votes

Votes on key issues

Health care overhaul: Yes

Cap and trade: Yes Tom Perriello got as much of an earful on health care as any congressman. The Democrat held countless town hall meetings on the bill across his sprawling 5th District, a politically divided tract of central Virginia that spans Charlottesville and Danville. But Perriello is banking on Democratic faithful to carry him to what would amount to an upset victory in November. Republicans believe Perriello has a slim chance of keeping his seat without a popular presidential candidate at the top of the ticket. And Perriello’s voting record puts him at odds with opinions in his own district, said Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Pat Mullins. “In both [Nye and Perriello’s] cases their first votes were to confirm Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the house,” said Mullins. “That in itself could be reason to disqualify them.”

Perriello’s hope for re-election lies in motivating supporters who see his decision to take tough votes in a tough district as a sign of integrity. The district includes some heavily Democratic areas, especially the city of Charlottesville, which voted for him in 2008 by a 4 to 1 margin. His vote on health care won applause from the Virginia Organizing Project, which does not directly support candidates. Executive Director Joe Szakos said the Charlottesville-based group knocked on 350,000 doors in the past two years on the health care issue, and disputes the notion that reform efforts aren’t favored by voters. Their effort was not linked to specific legislation, however. “We didn’t do all 350,000 in the Fifth District, but we did enough to know that there is widespread support out there for health care reform,” he said.