Tom Perriello has declared victory in a ridiculously tight race in Virginia's 5th Congressional District.  Long thought a hard seat to win from incumbent Virgil Goode, Perriello succeeded with a razor thin margin.  You may remember Goode as the Congressman who railed against Muslims in general and Rep. Keith Ellison (MN-05) in particular in 2006 and 2007.  His vitriol alienated voters across the country who sought a new way in the 2008 elections.  Looking solely at Global Solutions issues, Goode received two F's and two D-'s over the last four years.  Not the kind of Representative we'd like to see in this seat that run from Charlottesville south to the North Carolina border.

Tom Perriello could be our poster child for an ideal challenger. He fully supports our issues, including funding the UN, addressing climate change, working with the ICC, supporting UNEPS and opposing new nuclear weapons. His background is ideal, having worked in Sierra Leone with child soldiers, pro-democracy groups, and aided in the post-civil war peace and reconciliation process. He also served as special advisor and spokesman for the prosecutor at the Special Court for Sierra Leone.

Perriello pulled together an amazing campaign with volunteers throughout the district and strong fundraising.  Global Solutions had backed candidates in this district in the past two election cycles, but our candidates hadn't come close to beating Goode.  This time around, a great globally-minded candidate who we backed from the beginning, took on an anti-internationalist Goliath and appears to have won.

The race is still very close and once it is certified in the coming weeks, a recount could be asked for by the loser.  We'll keep you updated on this very important race for Citizens for Global Solutions.