U.S. House race · November 3, 2026
U.S. Representative, Virginia District 5
Represents the district in the U.S. House of Representatives, which writes federal laws, approves the federal budget and taxes, and oversees the executive branch.
2-year term. The district covers much of rural Southside and central Virginia, including the cities of Charlottesville, Lynchburg and Danville. Virginia is using its 2021 court-drawn congressional map in 2026 after the Supreme Court of Virginia voided the April 2026 redistricting referendum. Three candidates are on the ballot: Republican John McGuire, Democrat Tom Perriello and independent Cooke C. Harvey. Ballotpedia lists Chris Register as a write-in candidate.
The candidates
Listed alphabetically by last name.
Cooke C. Harvey is an independent candidate on the 5th District general-election ballot, listed by the state with an Amherst address. No campaign website, platform or candidate questionnaire from him was found.
John McGuire
U.S. Representative, Virginia District 5 (since 2025)John McGuire is a Republican and former Navy SEAL who has represented the 5th District since 2025 after serving in the Virginia House of Delegates and state Senate. He describes himself as a Christian conservative, and his recent bills address home buying, utility rates, data center costs and remittance taxes.
Tom Perriello
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan; former U.S. Representative, Virginia District 5 (2009–2011)Tom Perriello is a Democrat who represented the 5th District from 2009 to 2011 and later held State Department envoy posts, most recently as special envoy for Sudan in 2024–2025. His campaign focuses on lowering costs, including ending tariffs and the war with Iran, and on anti-corruption measures.
Compare on the issues
Summaries of each candidate's stated positions. See each profile for sources and details.
| Issue | Cooke Harvey Independent | John McGuire Republican | Tom Perriello Democratic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy & Environment | No public position found yet | Introduced the FAIR Act to bar state regulators from approving utility rate increases for utilities with ESG or DEI programs not tied to safety, compliance or service; voted for a bill barring a presidential moratorium on hydraulic fracturing without Congress's consent. | Says he worked with Blue Ridge communities to defeat the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and to attract clean energy jobs, and that he was the first statewide Democrat to refuse corporate donations. |
| Economy & Jobs | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Supports ending the tariffs he says raised grocery bills; says he has worked to double the minimum wage, outlaw predatory lenders and expand paid medical leave. |
| Elections & Democracy | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Supports banning dark money and insider trading in politics and restoring checks and balances; says he rejects donations from lobbyists and corporate PACs. |
| Foreign Policy | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Supports ending the war with Iran, which he links to higher gas and fertilizer prices. |
| Health Care | No public position found yet | No public position found yet | Voted for the Affordable Care Act and says he pushed for a public option or Medicare buy-in; says he later worked to expand Medicaid in Virginia and lower prescription drug prices. |
| Housing | No public position found yet | Introduced the Home Savings Act to allow penalty-free 401(k) withdrawals for down payments and closing costs on a primary residence, including funds given to a relative. | No public position found yet |
| Immigration | No public position found yet | Introduced the REMIT Act to raise the federal tax on remittance transfers sent abroad from 1 percent to 15 percent. | No public position found yet |
| Infrastructure | No public position found yet | Supported the Ratepayer Protection Act, which requires state utility regulators to consider standards making large data center customers responsible for the grid upgrade costs they require; says communities should decide where data centers are located. | No public position found yet |