2010 elections

Two Virginia Dems Go Down -- And It Could Get Worse

Eric Kleefeld | November 2, 2010, 8:56PM

Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA)

It's looking like a bloodbath tonight for Virginia Democrats, with two incumbent Congressmen already going down to defeat -- and possibly more on the way.

The Associated Press reports that Democratic Rep. Rick Boucher of VA-09, who was first elected in 1982, has lost re-election to Republican Morgan Griffith in this southwest Virginia district, after many years of its voters splitting their ticket between Boucher and Republican candidates.

Meanwhile, freshman Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello (D) of VA-05, who upset Republican incumbent Virgil Goode in 2008, has lost to Republican Robert Hurt.

That's not all: Two other freshman Dems, Glenn Nye and Gerry Connolly, both of whom picked up seats from the Republicans in 2008, are currently trailing in their seats. With 44% of precincts reporting in VA-02, Nye trails Republican Scott Rigell by 53%-43%. In VA-11, Connolly trails his 2008 Republican opponent Keith Fimian by a narrower 50%-48%, with 30% of precincts reporting.

Late Update: ABC and CBS have called VA-02 for Rigell. That's three Democrats losing in Virginia, with a possible fourth on the way.

Stephen Colbert

Colbert To Tom Perriello: Is Running On The Democrats' Record 'A Cry For Help'? (VIDEO)

Jillian Rayfield | October 28, 2010, 12:53PM

Stephen Colbert talked to Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) last night about his tough re-election campaign, and called him "a rare breed" of Democrat because "you're actually campaigning on the Democrats' record. Why are you trying to hurt yourself like this? Is it a cry for help?"

Colbert had pointed out earlier in the show that most Democrats are running away from President Obama and the Democratic Party's record. "Last time I saw that many people run away from their party was when I called the cops on some high school kids," Colbert said.

Perriello, Colbert said, is one Democrat "who has the guts to stand by what the Democrats have achieved," but is having a tough time in the campaign as a result. So Colbert asked him why he's been "throwing around these esoteric concepts like education and jobs. Why not run on a universal message: Muslims freak me out."

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VA-05

Obama To Stump For Liberal Star Perriello In VA-05

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 26, 2010, 12:46PM

President Obama and Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

President Obama will lend a helping hand to an embattled star of the progressive movement in the House, TPM has learned. On Friday, Obama will stump for Rep. Tom Perriello, the first-term Democrat from Virginia's 5th Congressional district who's facing tough competition from Republicans eager to take back his Charlottesville-area seat.

A Democratic source speaking on background called the Obama visit "big" and said the VA-05 race is "still close."

The TPM Poll Average shows Hurt leading the race with 47.6% of the vote and Perriello running a close second with 43.5% support. Third-party conservative candidate Jeffrey Clark draws 2.7% support.

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2010 elections

MoveOn Takes On Corporate-Funded Campaigns In New Set Of 28 Ads

Marc Kilstein | October 22, 2010, 8:43AM

MoveOn ad, "Our Ad"

In a new television ad blitz, the liberal grassroots group MoveOn.org Political Action is releasing 28 new TV spots in various toss up Senate and House races across the country. The ads take aim at Republican candidates who have benefited from "corporate front-group spending," as the organization has stepped up its fight against corporate money in politics following the Supreme Court's ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.

The ads, which use a single template for all 28 races, are titled "Our ad." They feature pictures of MoveOn members holding up signs, reiterating the narrator's script: "This ad is not paid for by the corporate front groups and oil billionaires who are trying to buy this election. This is our ad made by hard working Americans who live right here in [name of contest's state] and we have one simple message. [Name of Republican candidate] is backed by one of those front groups, and if he's on their side, then he's sure not on ours. Vote [name of Democratic candidate]."

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VA-05

SEIU Aims To Give Perriello A Boost In VA-05 With New Ad (VIDEO)

Evan McMorris-Santoro | October 13, 2010, 7:25PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

The SEIU is behind a new TV ad targeting Robert Hurt, the Republican nominee opposing Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA). The ad gets right at the heart of the national narrative, ripping Hurt for votes in the state legislature that, according to the SEIU, mean he's opposed to extending unemployment benefits to workers who have lost their jobs.

Will the ad have an impact? Depending on which poll you believe, it might or might not. Public polling from robo-call pollster SurveyUSA has shown Hurt ahead by double-digits, though Democrats have howled that the pollster's methodology is not getting an accurate sample of the district. Polling conducted by partisan firms on both sides have shown the race to be closer, with just a few points separating the two nominees.

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2010 elections

TPM's Top 10 House Races To Watch

Christina Bellantoni | September 13, 2010, 8:37AM

Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner

It might be a painful night for House Democrats on November 2. Most analysts are predicting a Republican takeover of the House, with as many as 80 or so seats in play, and the GOP only needing to win 39 to seize back control. The TPM Poll Average shows voters nationwide prefer generic Congressional Republican candidates over Democrats 47.3%-40.7%.

Many of the Democrats who won in the Obama 2008 tidal wave are the most vulnerable, and the Democrats who captured Bush-won districts in 2006 aren't breathing much easier. But Democrats see glimmers of hope in open seats, and may win some of their own.

TPM chose 10 House races to watch this fall. They will be competitive, likely entertaining, and are bellwethers to help determine whether the nation sees Speaker Pelosi or Speaker Boehner at the dais come January.

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VA-05

Tea Partier Staying Put In VA-05: Says Robert Hurt Engaging In 'Politics Of Personal Destruction'

Christina Bellantoni | September 7, 2010, 4:00PM

Jeff Clark, Independent Candidate for VA-05 District

Remember the Virginia tea partier who said he'd drop his bid if the person responsible for leaking unflattering documents about him to the press stepped forward? Shocker: No one did.

Jeffrey Clark, running as an independent hoping to peel off votes from state Sen. Robert Hurt as they challenge Rep. Tom Perriello this fall, isn't pleased. Clark thinks Hurt operative Chris LaCivita of Swiftboat fame gave the local newspapers papers showcasing his financial dirty laundry.

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VA-05

SurveyUSA Poll: Dem Perriello Getting Crushed In VA-05

Eric Kleefeld | September 2, 2010, 1:06PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

A new SurveyUSA poll says that Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), who was elected in a big upset in 2008 riding a Democratic wave, is doomed this year.

The numbers: Republican state Sen. Rob Hurt 61%, Perriello 35%, and independent Tea Partier Jeff Clark at only 2%. The survey of likely voters has a ±4% margin of error. In the previous SurveyUSA poll from mid-July, Hurt led by 58%-35%-4%.

Perriello was elected in 2008, in a stunning upset against Republican Rep. Virgil Goode, who had made a name for himself speaking vocally against Islam over the previous two years. Perriello won by 50.1%-49.9%. John McCain also carried the district by just 51%-48%, much narrower than its previous double-digit margins for George W. Bush.

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VA-05

Virginia Tea Partier Says GOPer With 'Swift Boat' Staffer Is Up To Dirty Tricks (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | September 1, 2010, 3:16PM

Jeff Clark, Independent Candidate for VA-05 District

State Sen. Robert Hurt's campaign against Rep. Tom Perriello (D) in Virginia's 5th Congressional district is hitting a new snag, with an independent tea party challenger accusing his team of foul play. Jeffrey Clark, who calls Hurt too moderate, is charging that a Hurt operative leaked some unflattering stories about Clark's finances to the local paper.

Clark, a tea party type running as a third-party candidate this fall, suggested in a television interview that Hurt's consultant Chris LaCivita is behind recent news stories about Clark's 1993 bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills. He told supporters in an email that he was told the same packet of information would be leaked to the Daily Progress in Charlottesville if he didn't end his potentially spoiling bid. Clark is offering to drop his campaign now if the person who told the paper his financial details comes clean in the next day.

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VA-05

Robert Hurt Makes Nice With Tea Party In VA-05: 'Get Rid Of The IRS'

Christina Bellantoni | August 6, 2010, 9:44AM

VA-05 GOP candidate Robert Hurt.

Things just got a little easier for state Sen. Robert Hurt, who is challenging freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) in one of the most closely-watched races in the nation. Hurt's staunchest rival in the primary has come around, with that former candidate saying he's now backing Hurt (R-VA) because of positions Hurt has taken that put him firmly on the far-right's side, including a promise to cut funds for what conservatives think are unconstitutional government agencies.

As TPM has chronicled, Hurt at first faced an uphill battle as he tried to win over GOP voters in the central and southside Virginia district. Tea party groups said he wasn't conservative enough because he voted for a $1.38 billion tax increase in 2004, and they balked when it was obvious Hurt was the preferred candidate of the Washington establishment as a longtime state lawmaker. But even though his less-experienced rivals fizzled out, tea party groups refused to endorse Hurt and a third-party candidate is still trying to throw a wrench in things. But Thursday, Hurt made nice with tea partiers and former candidate Jim McKelvey endorsed him after more than a month of holding back.

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Tom Perriello

Poll: Dem Perriello Running 23 Points Behind GOPer In VA-05

Evan McMorris-Santoro | July 20, 2010, 6:32PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

A new poll out of Virginia's 5th Congressional District should give Republicans hoping to knock freshman progressive Rep. Tom Perriello (D) out of the Congress in the fall something to cheer about. According to a poll conducted by SurveyUSA over the weekend, Perriello is running more than 20 points behind the Republican nominee in the race, state Sen. Robert Hurt.

The totals: Hurt 58, Perriello 35, independent candidate Jeffrey Clark 4.

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VA-05

In Hot House Race Republican Candidate Pledges To 'De-fund' Health Care Reform

Christina Bellantoni | July 19, 2010, 10:46AM

VA State Sen. Robert Hurt (R)

Republican State Sen. Robert Hurt, running against freshman Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello in one of the House races that Republicans must win if they want to recapture the House, has pledged to "de-fund" the health care reform law that his rival backed.

Hurt (R-VA) joined onto the DeFundIt.org pledge to say he would vote to withhold budget funding for the new law if he wins the election this fall. DeFundIt claims 135 candidates have signed the pledge, and specifically boasted in a release that Senate candidate Sharron Angle (R-NV) also supports the "de-fund" pledge.

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2010 elections

The Top 5 Republicans Who Think The Tea Partiers Are Bad News

Christina Bellantoni | July 16, 2010, 11:49AM

A tea party really with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Rep. Bob Inglis (R-SC) and Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT) inset.

Maybe it's just sour grapes, but sure seems like a lot of Republicans are hating on the tea party these days. Spurned GOPers ousted in primaries have been the most vocal, but even candidates who tried to court the tea party are criticizing the approach of the populist movement.

Whether it's because they feel liberated (or because, as some tea partiers have suggested, maybe they are liberals at heart), here's TPM's roundup of the Top Five Republicans who have spoken ill of the movement in recent weeks.

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VA-05

Palin Trying To Put The Hurt On Democratic Freshman

Christina Bellantoni | July 12, 2010, 1:55PM

Sarah Palin and VA-05 candidate state Sen. Robert Hurt (R)

Look no further than central Virginia to see a microcosm of the battle royale for control of Congress. Freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) is defending himself in a reddish district for supporting President Obama's domestic agenda, earning himself a spot on the list of the nation's most vulnerable incumbents. Attempting to unseat Perriello is state Sen. Robert Hurt, who got a cash boost from former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Hurt hasn't yet released his second quarter fundraising totals, but Perriello raised $660,000. He had $1.7 million cash on hand as of the June 30 filing closing date. The campaign says 97 percent of Perriello's donations are below $200, and note he doesn't take money from federally registered lobbyists or corporate political action committees.

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VA-05

Tea Party Group Refuses To Back Robert Hurt In VA-05

Christina Bellantoni | June 14, 2010, 7:00PM

US House candidate Robert Hurt (R-VA)

State Sen. Robert Hurt (R-VA) probably thought he'd put his Republican problems behind him when he overwhelmingly captured the party nomination to challenge Rep. Tom Perriello last week. Not so much, as a former GOP rival Jim McKelvey and the local tea party are refusing to endorse Hurt's candidacy.

We've been writing for months about Virginia's 5th district, likely to be ground zero for Republicans who are attempting to win back control of the U.S. House this fall. Hurt was considered the most electable and best-known in the district, which spans central and Southside Virginia. But he was bruised in the primary by a host of Republican opponents who labeled him a moderate tax-raiser who was too close to the Washington establishment. Nothing's really changed.

According to the Lynchburg News and Advance, the Lynchburg Tea Party said in a statement they "cannot and will not endorse a candidate that does not align with our core principles," an argument that stems mostly from Hurt's vote in favor of a $1.4 billion tax increase in 2004 to balance the state budget. The much smaller Danville Tea Party has reportedly said they are likely to endorse Hurt in the spirit of unity.

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Tea Party

Last Night's Tea Party Winners And Losers

Christina Bellantoni and Evan McMorris-Santoro | June 9, 2010, 1:17PM

NV-SEN candidate Sharron Angle (R)

You win some, you lose some. The tea party movement - scattered across the country and without a unified message, leader or even Web site - scored several big victories in last night's Super Duper Tuesday elections. But in several races, they fell short.

What does it all mean? The Republicans are probably going to continue reaching out to tea party activists who have energy and are helping with their quest to take back Congress. But as we saw with Sen. Bob Bennett (R-UT), it's not just the Democrats the tea party is after. Republicans are fair game in primary elections.

Here's TPM's scorecard of how tea partiers fared last night.

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VA-05

VA-05: Hurt Wins GOP Nod To Challenge Perriello

Christina Bellantoni | June 8, 2010, 7:47PM

US House candidate Robert Hurt (R-VA)

State Sen. Robert Hurt easily won the Republican nomination today in Virginia's fifth Congressional district, pitting him against freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) in what will be one of the most competitive races this fall.

Hurt, once targeted from the right as a tax-raiser favored by the Washington establishment, cleared the field of contenders by earning 46 percent when the Associated Press called the race. The next-closest vote-getter, Jim McKelvey, had 28 percent. The other candidates held either in single digits or just at 10 percent, a result that was expected despite an intense primary battle that once had Hurt on the ropes.

McKelvey, who has been hammering Hurt in recent days with an ad feature a mock endorsement from former President Bill Clinton, is the only candidate who has not promised to endorse Hurt should he win.

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VA-05

Perriello: I'm Prepared For Major Battle Once VA-05 Republicans Pick Nominee

Christina Bellantoni | June 8, 2010, 12:05PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

Freshman Rep. Tom Perriello said in an interview that it doesn't matter which Republican candidate wins today's primary election to challenge him in Virginia's fifth Congressional district election in November because he's been prepping for a major battle since winning his seat in the first place.

Perriello (D-VA) told me Monday night that Republican-affiliated groups began running ads against him soon after he unseated Rep. Virgil Goode (R) and that it was a given that his district would be a prime battleground for this fall's midterm elections.

"We fought back," he said.

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VA-05

VA-05: GOPers Await Fate In A Race At The Heart Of Midterm Elections

Christina Bellantoni | June 8, 2010, 8:36AM

GOP primary candidates for VA-5: Feda Morton, Robert Hurt, Jim McKelvey

It's one of the most hotly contested primaries this election cycle with seven Republicans vying to take on Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello in Virginia's fifth Congressional district. The GOP would need to oust Perriello, a vulnerable freshman, if they want to recapture the House this fall, and today, we'll find out who will carry the Republican mantle into the November election.

State Sen. Robert Hurt, the establishment-favored candidate, is poised to win the primary today, having bested tea partiers and conservative favorites who attracted national attention this year but fizzled out. This primary battle was in many ways a test of the tea party's mettle in this south central Virginia district that was held by a Republican for many years until Perriello won in an Obama wave in 2008. And the general election will be a microcosm of many of the elements at play in national politics today - a Republican who doesn't fit the exact conservative mold and a Democrat the GOP will try to paint as a Nancy Pelosi yes man out of step with the district.

Republicans will try to put Perriello on the defensive over his vote for health care reform, the stimulus plan and a cap and trade climate bill to capitalize on general discomfort with fiscal issues in Washington. Meanwhile, if Hurt wins, the Democrats will slam him on the same topic that Republicans used to target him in the primary - a 2004 vote for a $1.4 billion tax increase under then-Gov. Mark Warner (D). The Democrats suggest Hurt's tax record is fair game and that it puts his credibility in question. They'll also use the critiques from his GOP rivals to bolster their own argument.

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2010 elections

A Primary Primer: A Guide To Tuesday's Big Races

Eric Kleefeld | June 7, 2010, 1:32PM

A woman votes on November 7, 2006

Tomorrow is a veritable "Super Tuesday" of primaries in this non-presidential election year, with a whole host of top-tier primaries going on across the country. A total of 11 states are holding primaries: Arkansas, California, Iowa, Maine, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, North Dakota, South Carolina, South Dakota and Virginia.

So let's take a look at some of the most notable races.

AR-SEN (D): One of the biggest races tomorrow is the Democratic Senate primary runoff between incumbent Sen. Blanche Lincoln and Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. Lincoln has been aggressively targeted for defeat by organized labor and liberal activists, due to her opposition to the public option during the health care debates. (She did vote for the final bill that was signed into law, and which did not include a public option.) The TPM Poll Average gives Halter a lead of 49.7%-44.9%, but there is also an important caveat: Research 2000 has been the only pollster to publicly release numbers on this race during the runoff period, so we are dependent on only one source of data.

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VA-05

Tea Party Fail: Moderate GOPer Heading To Nomination In Hot Central Virginia Race

Christina Bellantoni | June 2, 2010, 10:56AM

VA State Sen. Robert Hurt (R)

A few months ago it seemed the towns around Lynchburg, Virginia would be ground zero for a political shift -- Republican voters scoffed at an establishment favorite candidate as they set their sights on the fifth district. Now, the conservative favorite Laurence Verga has deflated, losing campaign staffers who say the more moderate Republican state Sen. Robert Hurt is all-but-certain to handily capture the party nomination for the central Virginia district on June 8. That would pit Hurt -- who drew ire for backing a 2004 state tax increase but is otherwise a pretty standard Republican -- against freshman Rep. Tom Perriello, a Democrat who won a GOP seat during the 2008 Obama tidal wave. He's vulnerable but has amassed a campaign war chest of more than $1.5 million.

But the GOP isn't free and clear yet of an intraparty battle, with yet another "true" conservative threatening to run as an independent in the general election if Hurt clears the seven-candidate field. Jeffrey Clark says he'll make a third party run if Hurt wins the GOP nomination, according to the Washington Post. Clark told the Lynchburg News and Advance that he views Hurt as a "situational conservative."

There are few polls and Republican sources on the ground say it's possible something would surprise them next Tuesday, but even former Verga loyalists told me privately that he's toast and Hurt will win.

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VA-05

Vulnerable Dem Rep. Perriello Raises Over $600K In First Quarter 2010

Eric Kleefeld | April 12, 2010, 2:35PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), who is widely viewed as being one the most vulnerable House Democrats this year, announced a strong fundraising quarter over the weekend, bringing in over $600,000 and having $1.4 million in cash on hand.

Perriello's district voted 51%-48% for John McCain in 2008, while Perriello narrowly unseated incumbent Republican Rep. Virgil Goode by margin of just 727 votes out of over 315,000 cast. There is currently a crowded Republican primary to face Perriello.

Meanwhile, Politico reports that unlike other House members in vulnerable seats, who are lying low after voting for the health care bill, Perriello has been actively campaigning in the district, meeting with voters and discussing how it will affect them.

Tom Perriello

Poll: Targeted Freshman Dem Perriello Tied Or Ahead Of GOP Candidates In Close Virginia Race

Eric Kleefeld | February 11, 2010, 10:34AM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

A new survey by Public Policy Polling (D) finds that freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA), who is often cited in the press as one of the most endangered Democrats in the House, is actually not in bad shape at all. Perriello is in a tight race in his swing district, but he is not the goner that conventional wisdom has made him out to be.

Perriello leads Albemarle County Supervisor Ken Boyd by 46%-42%, and he is tied at 44%-44% with state Sen. Robert Hurt, an establishment candidate much derided by the Tea Party movement. Perriello also leads businessman Jim McKelvey by 45%-37%, and he leads former Navy pilot Michael McPadden by 45%-36%. Perriello has a 44%-34% lead over businessman Laurence Verga, a favorite of the Tea Parties.

So what explains the the fact that Perriello still appears to be competitive in a race that many observers have viewed as a top pick-up opportunity for the Republicans? (For now, Perriello doesn't make it into double-digits among self-identified GOP voters in any of these match-ups. But the GOP isn't able to get a huge lead among independents, either.) Or is Perriello running a smarter campaign than people are giving him credit for? It's hard to say, but the new poll has Perriello's net approval rating in slightly negative territory, with 42% approval to 46% disapproval, which makes his current leads and tied results all the more interesting.

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Virginia Republican Party

Virginia GOP: Tell Cap-And-Trade Dems How Much 'Global Warming' You Get This Weekend! (VIDEO)

Christina Bellantoni | February 5, 2010, 12:53PM

The Virginia Republican Party is out with a whopper Web video today mocking the incoming massive snowstorm as "global warming."

Showing images of cars stuck in giant snow banks, ominous weather reports and a ruler showing more than a foot of the white fluffy stuff, the Virginia GOP attempts to exploit the storm for political gain.

The ad, called "12 inches of Global Warming" is specifically targeting Reps. Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Tom Perriello (D-VA) in advance of the fall midterm elections.

Boucher and Perriello "think global warming is a serious problem for Virginia" the ad claims, "so serious" they voted to "kill jobs" by backing the House cap-and-trade bill this summer.

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VA-05

Top GOP Candidate Plays Tax Enemy As Tea Party Rivals Say He's Too Moderate

Christina Bellantoni | January 13, 2010, 3:26PM

Congressional candidate Robert Hurt (R-VA)

The frontrunner for the Republican nomination in Virginia's fifth congressional district is shoring up his conservative credentials - criticizing tax increases and making sure his Web site includes no mention of his vote for the biggest tax hike the state has ever had.

During the legislative session this month State Sen. Robert Hurt will be carrying legislation for the state's new Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell and Republican Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli and his bills are likely to earn plaudits from conservatives.

As his six opponents attack him for voting to raise nearly $1.4 billion in taxes during the 2004 legislative session under then-Gov. Mark Warner (D), Hurt's new Web site portrays the candidate as a champion of tax cuts.

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VA-05

Tea Party Primaries Percolating Nationally

Christina Bellantoni | January 6, 2010, 12:26PM

A sign spotted on Capitol Hill at this fall's tea party rally on health care.

Republicans have put Democrats on the defensive in the Congressional midterm elections, but are facing their own challenges from conservatives across the country more frequently identifying with the tea party movement.

The trend started last fall when national momentum built behind conservative candidate Doug Hoffman in New York's 23rd Congressional district, pushing the party-chosen Republican Dede Scozzafava out of the race.

Now, Democratic sources tell us, tea party challengers have sprung up across the country. In many cases they are specifically saying they want to fight against the "establishment" of the National Republican Congressional Committee-backed candidates and incumbents who are too comfortable with the Washington way.

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VA-05

VA-05 Candidate Once Targeted By Grover Norquist Now Signs His Anti-Tax Pledge

Christina Bellantoni | January 4, 2010, 11:15AM

Republican contenders scrambling to win the nomination to challenge Rep. Tom Perriello in Virginia's fifth Congressional district are sparring over taxes and one candidate is trying to get back in antitax crusader Grover Norquist's good graces.

State Sen. Robert Hurt (R-VA) recently signed Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform pledge to oppose any tax increases if elected, and huddled with the group in Washington to say he regretted voting for a $1.4 billion tax increase in 2004 under then-Gov. Mark Warner (D).

Hurt has been criticized as too moderate for the nomination, though he's considered the favorite among a field of lesser known challengers. One conservative blogger hailed the transformation as coming back from the "dark side," then mocked Hurt as thinking his constituents are gullible.

Norquist told CQ Politics that Hurt "basically made the case that this was not a vote he was comfortable with and that it wouldn't happen again."

That's a far cry from Norquist's sentiment in 2004, when he plastered Hurt's face on the poster below as one of the state's "least wanted" for being a tax-increasing Republican.

He vowed then to back a primary challenge against Hurt, then a state delegate, but Hurt was later elected to state senate with little trouble.

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VA-05

Laura Ingraham Picks Sides In VA-05 - Against Primary Candidate She Says Is Too Moderate

Christina Bellantoni | December 22, 2009, 1:36PM

Laura Ingraham

Talk radio personality and darling of the right Laura Ingraham has a message to deliver in the intra-party feud in Virginia's fifth district: Republicans can't defeat Rep. Tom Perriello with a "middle of the road" candidate.

"Republicans on Capitol Hill still haven't gotten it through their heads," Ingraham said on a recent show before introducing her guest, Republican candidate Laurence Verga.

In the Dec. 7 interview the radio host called Verga "the man who is the conservative in this important primary."

TPMDC told you this month there are seven contenders vying for the nomination to challenge the embattled freshman Democrat.

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VA-05

Seven-Field Republican Primary In VA-05 Could Yield Another NY-23-Style GOP War

Christina Bellantoni | December 14, 2009, 2:55PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

The cry of "RINO" in Virginia's fifth Congressional district is starting to sound a bit familiar as Republicans have opted for a primary election to choose their nominee to challenge freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA).

Tea party activists in the district don't think the favored candidate Robert Hurt, a state senator from rural Chatham, is conservative enough.

The June primary is an interesting development in the VA-05 district, which is the top target for Congressional Republicans who held it until last year.

There are seven candidates and Democrats see a potential for a NY-23 repeat, with an independent candidate gaining steam if Hurt picks up the nomination.

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Tea Party

Tea Party Group Cancels Plan To Burn Perriello And Pelosi In Effigy

Eric Kleefeld | November 16, 2009, 3:52PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

The plan by the Danville TEA Party Patriots to burn Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi in effigy -- a sort of Tea-Party Burning Man -- has been called off, Greg Sargent reports:

"We will not be going forward with the plan," a crestfallen Coleman told me by phone moments ago. "We had to cancel it. The property owner won't allow us to do it. The media attention was something that he didn't want."

Coleman said he was upset that people had gotten the wrong idea about his plan. "I'm disappointed that the story got out of hand and people misinterpreted something we thought would be a little historical lesson. They made people believe that we were committing an act of violence," he said, adding that the "they" in question were the "liberal blogs."

Tea Party

Tea Party Group Getting Cold Feet About Burning Perriello And Pelosi In Effigy?

Eric Kleefeld | November 16, 2009, 10:45AM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

The Danville TEA Party Patriots, a group that has courted controversy by planning to burn Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA) and Speaker Nancy Pelosi at a rally this Saturday, may be having second thoughts.

"We've been getting a lot of flack about this," Danville TEA Party chairman Nigel Coleman told the Lynchburg News & Advance, "about burning those two in effigy and a lot of people in the public are unhappy about it. The story has gotten so large, it's kinda strange."

As the News & Advance notes, Coleman himself had announced this event by sending out a press release that promoted the event as "a move sure to spark controversy."

"I still would like to do it, but it's still up in the air at this point," Coleman added. "We've already started stacking firewood and building the effigy...we will have a bonfire. Burning someone in effigy was just gonna be part of it."

Tea Party

Tea Party Group To Get 'Fired Up For Freedom,' Burn Rep. Perriello In Effigy

Eric Kleefeld | November 13, 2009, 3:01PM

Rep. Tom Perriello (D-VA)

The local Tea Party organization in Danville, Virginia, is taking their opposition to freshman Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello to a whole new level -- announcing that they will burn him in effigy, along with a similar image of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, at a rally called "Fired Up For Freedom."

"At this point we feel we have no representation in Congress," Danville Tea Party chairman Nigel Coleman told the Chatham Star Tribune, with the chief complaint being Perriello's vote for the House health care bill this past weekend.

Perriello's office declined to comment to TPM about this.

Late Update: DCCC chairman Chris Van Hollen has responded in a statement. "These shocking and despicable acts are becoming all too common at extreme right-wing Republican rallies. Hanging Members in effigy or displaying images of Nazi concentration camps on the steps of the Capitol have no place in any debate and Republican Members of Congress must condemn these actions," said Van Hollen. "While there should be a robust debate about reforming America's broken health insurance system, violent expressions are beyond the boundaries of a respectful debate. The American people are counting on Republicans to join Democrats in a constructive debate to help President Obama bring about urgently-needed health insurance reform."