Tom Perriello
Democratic
U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th district from 2009 to 2011; U.S. special envoy for Sudan from 2024 to 2025
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U.S. House · Nov 3, 2026
U.S. House race in Virginia’s 5th district
Incumbent: John McGuire, running for re-election.
Republican Rep. John McGuire faces Democrat Tom Perriello, who held the seat from 2009 to 2011, and independent Cooke Harvey; candidates are listed in the order of the Department of Elections candidate list.
The 3 candidates
John McGuire
RepublicanIncumbentU.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th district since 2025; former Navy SEAL and former member of the Virginia General Assembly
Cooke Harvey
IndependentWilderness guide, carpenter and civil engineering drafter from Amherst County
Where they stand
What each candidate says they support or would do, on the issues they campaign on. Summaries use the same neutral words for everyone and link to the candidate’s own words.
AI verified
Researched with AI and confirmed by a second, independent AI check. Our editors haven’t reviewed it yet. How we verify
Ethics
DemocraticTom Perriello
Supports banning stock trading by members of Congress and their spouses, extending the ban on officials becoming lobbyists, passing the DISCLOSE Act, funding inspectors general and auditors, and barring utilities from billing customers for their lobbying.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Has committed to serve one term and accept no monetary donations; says the two-party system prevents timely legislation and that he would aim to hold more town halls than any representative.
Housing
DemocraticTom Perriello
Supports clearing zoning and permitting barriers to starter homes, federal investment in affordable housing and down payment aid, cracking down on private equity firms and corporate landlords buying single-family homes in bulk, and housing-first homelessness programs.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Introduced the Home Savings Act to allow penalty-free 401(k) withdrawals for a down payment or closing costs on a primary residence, including money given to a relative buying a home.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Social Security & Medicare
DemocraticTom Perriello
Opposes every cut to and privatization of Social Security and Medicare; supports ending the trade wars and foreign wars he says are driving up prices, and investing in home and community-based care so seniors can age in place.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Lists a Social Security solvency project, with a tax reduction and a raise in the salary cap, among his top priorities.
Foreign policy
DemocraticTom Perriello
Supports ending the war with Iran, restoring Congress's war powers, standing with NATO and Ukraine, and ending military aid to governments committing atrocities, including the Israeli government, citing what he calls acts of genocide in Gaza.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Supports ending the war in Iran, which he calls the most immediate relief for affordability; supports a coalition of countries focused on sanctions, protections and trade normalization with Iran.
Abortion
DemocraticTom Perriello
Supports codifying access to contraception, abortion and fertility care in federal law; says he will vote yes on Virginia's reproductive freedom amendment (Question 1).
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Cosponsored and voted for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which requires health care providers to care for infants born alive after an abortion or attempted abortion.
“Life is a miracle, and it must be protected”
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Agriculture
DemocraticTom Perriello
Supports the PRIME Act for local meat processors, Right to Repair for farm equipment, enforcing antitrust laws against meatpackers, a voluntary beef checkoff, and fighting the Valley Link transmission line and what he calls eminent domain abuse.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Introduced a bill to raise the federal weight limit on interstates to 90,000 pounds for trucks hauling farm and forest products and wants similar hauling flexibility in future farm bills; supports increasing U.S. fertilizer production.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Health care
DemocraticTom Perriello
Would work to reverse federal health funding cuts he says threaten rural hospitals and clinics; supports restoring ACA premium tax credits, support for family caregivers, and the best possible path to universal care, whether Medicare for All or alternatives.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Jobs & labor
DemocraticTom Perriello
Supports matching the national minimum wage to Virginia's, free community college and trade school, the PRO Act, prosecuting wage theft and restoring overtime pay.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Immigration
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Lists securing the border and stopping illegal crossings among his three main priorities; supports streamlining the H-2A farmworker visa process while putting American workers first and strengthening verification and enforcement against illegal labor.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Defense
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Lists defending national security among his three main priorities; says he will work to keep the military strong, support service members and veterans, and ensure the U.S. can protect its people and interests.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Energy
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Supported the Ratepayer Protection Act, which asks utility regulators to consider making large data centers pay for the grid upgrades they need; says each community should decide where data centers go and they should not pass energy costs to ratepayers.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Taxes
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Voted for the 2025 tax and spending law he calls the One Big Beautiful Bill, which he says makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent, includes no tax on tips or overtime and a tax deduction for seniors, and sets work requirements for some Medicaid recipients.
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Guns
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
Describes himself on his campaign site as pro-gun.
“Pro-Gun.”
IndependentCooke Harvey
No published position found.
Budget
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Lists a deficit-reduction budget among his top priorities, including military and Medicare cuts and aligning the taxation of capital gains and wages.
Elections & democracy
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Lists a National Voting Day, created by moving Presidents Day, among his top priorities.
Technology
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Lists a worldwide AI security initiative with AI auditors among his top priorities.
Civil rights
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Says Flock jeopardizes Fourth Amendment rights and that its cameras should be removed from public spaces until the company addresses those concerns.
Environment
DemocraticTom Perriello
No published position found.
RepublicanJohn McGuire
No published position found.
IndependentCooke Harvey
Supports mandatory environmental reporting by data center operators so communities have impact information, and raising the bar for eminent domain claims.
Who’s on the ballot: sources
- ListVirginia Department of Elections: 2026 November Federal Offices Candidate List (November 3, 2026 General Election)(opens in a new tab)
- ListVPM News: 5th District Q&A: Cooke Harvey, John McGuire, Tom Perriello(opens in a new tab)
- ListWikipedia: 2026 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia(opens in a new tab)