Last night, state Sen. Robert Hurt, R-Danville, defeated incumbent Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Charlottesville, in the Fifth District congressional race with about 50.8 percent of the vote.
Less than two hours after polls closed at 7 p.m., the race was called in favor of the Republican candidate, who ran on the campaign slogan of “a proven Conservative with Virginia Values.”
At 8:45 p.m., a crowd trickled down South Main Street in the town of Chatham, the county seat of Hurt’s native Pittsylvania County, to gather around the courthouse and receive the new congressman.
The crowd was made up of about 300 supporters, family members, media representatives and residents of the small town of about 1,300 inhabitants. Many were holding bunches of red, white and blue balloons or wearing stickers that read “Hurt for Congress.”
Two minutes after 9 p.m., the crowd began to chant, “We want Hurt.” Shortly thereafter, the new congressman, 41, emerged from the office he held as state senator, walked across the street and proceeded through the crowd, delivering handshakes and embraces.
Read the full story at the Cavalier Daily.
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