Tom Perriello is making another run at Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, pitching what he calls “bold politics” to voters confronting health care losses, rising farm costs, data center expansion, and deep frustration with Washington.

The Democratic nominee represented the district from 2009 to 2011 and later served as U.S. special envoy for Sudan. The district’s boundaries have since changed, and President Donald Trump carried it by 12 percentage points in 2024.

Perriello told Daily Kos that his campaign has already pulled even in the Republican leaning district. He said that political progress reflects genuine hardship among residents, particularly those affected by decisions from Trump and incumbent Republican Rep. John McGuire.

“I think most voters I talk to, regardless of their political home, just think politics are broken, and they are looking for politicians that are willing to actually be bold enough to take on the corporate capture of both parties, that are willing to take on really tough questions, and I think that that’s what I’ve tried to do in the past, and will continue to do,” he told us.

Health care has become central to Perriello’s campaign. He said rural health clinics and maternity wards are closing, while 11 of the district’s 24 counties no longer have a practicing ob-gyn.

Perriello also pointed to farmers struggling with diesel and fertilizer prices, as well as fear and dehumanization felt by communities of color. He argued that these pressures are bringing together voters with sharply different political viewpoints around opposition to corruption and repression.

His current bid also revisits one of the defining votes of his previous congressional tenure. Perriello voted for the Affordable Care Act and the first version containing a public option, a decision he said voters now view differently than they did when he lost in 2010.

Perriello said he previously promised not to accept money from lobbyists or corporate PACs and kept that promise. He also emphasized his history of holding town halls in both Democratic and Republican areas while meeting with small business owners, nurses, doctors, and other stakeholders.

More than 200 doctors and nurses across the district signed a letter endorsing Perriello and criticizing McGuire, according to the candidate. Perriello contrasted that support with McGuire’s record, claiming the Republican has held no public town halls and is avoiding debates.

Data centers are another major fault line in the district. Perriello said the facilities themselves represent only about 10% of their footprint when water demands, transmission lines, and baseload power are included.

He argued that many communities were initially presented with data center proposals through nondisclosure agreements and promises of easy revenue. Perriello said opposition has since grown and that he stands with communities seeking to block projects while demanding protections for consumers and the environment where construction proceeds.

Perriello connected the energy debate to his work with dairy farmers after voting for the American Recovery Act. He said efforts helped farmers capture methane from cow manure, turn it into clean energy, and sell that electricity back to the grid.

The larger obstacle, he argued, has been monopoly power companies that resist distributed energy production. Perriello said allowing farmers to produce energy could create revenue, strengthen agricultural communities, and contribute to clean energy and climate goals.

Artificial intelligence has also entered the campaign conversation. Perriello accused OpenAI of helping fund an $8 million effort to defeat Alex Bores in New York’s 12th District primary while publicly raising concerns about AI safety.

He offered a more favorable assessment of Anthropic’s calls for regulations and potential liability, while acknowledging the company is not perfect. He also cited its dispute with War Secretary Pete Hegseth over using its AI for autonomous lethal drones or domestic surveillance.

Asked about a model for leadership, Perriello named Haja Zainab Hawa Bangura, who led the Market Women’s Association in Sierra Leone when he worked to support the peace process there. He recalled moving to West Africa to help women seeking democratic elections, accountability for warlords, and the disarmament of child soldiers.

Perriello said women secured a place at the negotiating table and helped obtain a peace agreement in less than a month. He credited Bangura with challenging assumptions about what was possible and shaping his belief that political courage requires more than following comfortable convention.

That philosophy now anchors his pitch in Virginia. Perriello described the district as one of the races that could determine the House majority, noting that he is the only Democrat this century to flip a seat west of Richmond and declaring that his campaign intends to do it again.