Goode, Perriello too close to call

A fiercely contested race between six-term U.S. Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., R-Rocky Mount, and Democrat Tom Perriello of Ivy was too close to call at press time Tuesday night.

With 97.4 percent of precincts reporting, it appeared that Perriello, a 34-year-old national security consultant, and Goode, 62, were in a dead heat. Perriello had 50.11 per-cent of the vote, compared with Goode’s 49.83 per-cent.

The Associated Press and CNN both projected Goode as the winner Tuesday, but Perriello took a slight lead over Goode late in the evening.

“We’re confident that Tom Perriello has gained the support of a huge number of people across the district,“ said Perriello campaign spokeswoman Jessica Barba in a 10 p.m. statement. “At this point, the vote totals show Perriello up by more than 2,000 votes with dozens of precincts yet to be reported. This race is too close to call. We need to make sure the voice of every 5th District citizen is heard.“

While the outcome of the race was uncertain, Perriello had vastly out-performed every other challenger Goode has faced. Goode has represented the district - which includes Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson - since 1997. Prior to Tuesday, Goode enjoyed smooth sailing during each re-election bid, consistently winning around 60 percent of the vote every two years.

“Virgil Goode’s about as close to a Virginia institution as you can get,“ said Stephen J. Farnsworth, a George Mason University expert on Virginia politics.
Farnsworth has said that taking on Goode in the 5th District is like “trying to fight an alligator in a swamp.“

In August, Perriello was polling 33 points behind Goode. On Monday, the Democrat had closed the gap and was shy by only three points. Helping Perriello’s chances on Election Day was a massive effort by the Democrats to register a record-breaking number of new voters, as well as a strong voter turnout operation.

The coattails of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and U.S. Senate candidate Mark R. Warner almost certainly helped as well. Some analysts referred to the race between Perriello and Goode as Virginia’s 2008 “sleeper race.“ Perriello managed to raise slightly more money than Goode and was able to flood the district’s radio and TV stations with campaign advertising. The Democratic Congressional Cam-paign Committee pumped another $720,000 into the district in recent days to pay for even more TV ads on Perriello’s behalf.

Perriello received substantial margins in the Charlottesville area, winning 63.2 percent of the vote in Albemarle County and 81 percent of the vote in Charlottesville. The Democrat also won wide majorities in Danville and Martinsville.

For his part, Goode received strong support in the rural counties of Pittsylvania, Appomattox, Bedford, Campbell and elsewhere. During Goode’s re-election bid, the incumbent promised to continue pushing for more oil drilling off America’s coast and in an Alaskan wildlife preserve. He touted his endorsement by the National Rifle Association, promising to protect his constituents’ right to bear firearms. He often mentioned his opposition to the $700 billion bailout of the financial industry. And he recently began advocating for the elimination of the IRS and all federal taxes, which he wants to see replaced by a national sales tax.

Goode also ran on his record of directing congressional earmarks to his district, such as millions of dollars for high-tech projects in Danville, Gretna and other 5th District communities.
Toward the end of the race, Goode sought to portray Perriello as a carpetbagger, calling him a “New York lawyer” and referring to Perriello’s style as “New York slick.“

Perriello, who resides and grew up in Albemarle County, spent the campaign emphasizing the economy, pointing out that the 5th District has lost more than 10,000 jobs while Goode has been in office. Another top priority of Perriello’s is to work toward energy independence. Perriello often said that such a goal would take more than just off-shore oil drilling. It would require, he said, an all-of-the-above approach that includes all types of renewable energy sources.

By focusing on ending America’s foreign oil dependence, he said, the 5th District could position itself to create thousands of “green” jobs.

Perriello also questioned Goode’s effectiveness, citing a Roll Call survey that found Goode as one of Congress’ least influential members. He promised voters that, if elected, he would do more as a member of the majority party to send home earmarks that boost the local economy.

In recent days, the Perriello campaign has highlighted a controversy involving a 2003 gay-themed film, “Eden’s Curve.“ The film, produced and co-written by a Danville man, depicts gay sex, violence and drug use. In its closing credits, Goode and his wife, Lucy, are thanked for their support.

Goode’s longtime press secretary, Linwood Duncan, played a role in the film. Two weeks after it was revealed that Duncan was in the movie, Duncan resigned from Goode’s staff, citing health reasons.

When the movie was screened at Toronto’s gay and lesbian film festival in 2003, a brochure promoting the film included the taxpayer-funded fax number for Goode’s Danville office. Goode promised to investigate the matter.

The Perriello campaign sought to make hay out of the brouhaha, holding a protest outside Goode’s Danville office and sending out a statement demanding answers about whether taxpayer money was spent to promote “Eden’s Curve.“ Voters in the 5th District reported Tuesday that they had received a robo-call criticizing Goode over “Eden’s Curve” on Monday.