Perriello certified as 5th District winner; Goode to seek recount

5:31 p.m.

By Jay Warren
WSLS Anchor/Senior Political Reporter
jwarren@wsls.com

“I'm going to ask that papers be filed for a recount in this election,” Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Rocky Mount) told reporters Monday afternoon.

It’s Goode’s last chance at victory; although, he admits it’s not much of a chance.

WARREN:” “How confident are you that you might overturn the current vote totals?”

GOODE: “It's an uphill battle. Any time you're behind, it's an uphill battle.”

His fate rests on the vote sheets that clutter his office. The show the vote totals from each precinct and the changes in votes we have seen over the past two weeks. Goode puts that number at “3200 vote changes.”

Goode started with a small lead over Perriello. But, the changes ended up benefitting Perriello, who now leads with 745 votes. That total was certified Monday by the State Board of Elections.

Goode has some questions about the vote total. In particular, he said he is concerned about military ballots that went uncounted because they came in too late. And, he worries about possible voting irregularities in some localities, particularly Charlottesville where Perriello won with more than 80% of the vote.

Goode stopped short of saying there was any fraud, but did say, “We certainly saw a lot of changes that particularly went his way on the re-canvassing.”

Sunday, Perriello said Goode’s decision on a recount was up to him.

A day later, the message was much the same. His staff said “it’s his right” to call for a recount. But, they went on to say that it’s “highly unlikely to change the outcome.”

So much so, Perriello, who has already done a victory lap around the district, will hold a victory dinner tonight in Danville.

WARREN: “Tom is having a victory dinner tonight in Danville. Is that premature?”

GOODE: “Well, that's his call. He can do as he sees fit.”

WARREN: “But premature?”

GOODE: “That's you'll have to ask him.”

Perriello is taking the role of winner, while Virgil Goode fights against a role he is unaccustomed to: loser.

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3:05 p.m.

Republican Congressman Virgil Good says he will seek a recount in the 5th district tace.

In a news release, Goode says:

"Over 316,000 votes were cast in this Election for U.S. Representative. The morning after the Election Night, with all precincts reporting, we were ahead by 446 votes. Since that time, over 3,200 votes have changed -- the largest changes coming from cities and counties that voted for my opponent. Now, we are trailing by 745 votes in the certified count.

Virginia law provides for a recount in any election where the vote difference between the candidates is one percent or less. Here, the difference between the candidates is 0.23 percent. In an election this close -- with less than one-quarter of one percent separating the two candidates, and with literally thousands of vote changes taking place during the post-election canvass process -- a recount is an important protection for voters. It ensures that each ballot that was lawfully cast in the Election is counted, and that the votes are accurately tallied. It also gives us a chance to ensure that each candidate's tally is comprised only of votes that were properly and lawfully cast.

Over the last few weeks, voters from across the Fifth District have encouraged me to seek a recount of the Election. Tomorrow, I will file the appropriate legal papers to request a recount of this Election."

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1:30 p.m.

By Media General News Service

Democrat Tom Perriello said today he is "honored and humbled" by the Virginia State Board of Elections' certification of his win in the Fifth Congressional District election.

Perriello said he has not yet heard from Rep. Virgil Goode, his opponent and the seat's incumbent.

Perriello's 745-vote margin of victory entitles Goode to ask for a recount. Goode has scheduled a news conference for 3 p.m. to announce his plans.

Perriello told a small gathering in Lynchburg this afternoon that Southside Virginia's economy and jobs will be his focus when Congress convenes in January.

Perriello said that newly elected Congressmen in Washington last week all seemed to agree that corporations cannot expect a blank check on any bailout measures.

"This is the new era of accountability," he said.

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11:44 a.m.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The State Board of Elections has certified challenger Tom Perriello as the winner over Republican Congressman Virgil Goode.

The board on Monday certified Perriello as the winner by 745 votes in the 5th District congressional race. Goode is entitled to a recount if he chooses.

Perriello's apparent victory gives Democrats a 6-5 majority in Virginia's congressional delegation.

The board also certified the rest of the election results, including victories by Democrats Barack Obama for president and Mark Warner for U.S. Senate.

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1:00 a.m.

We'll soon know the official winner of the Fifth District Congressional race.

Tom Perriello still leads incumbent Virgil Goode by 745 votes.

Goode says he won't admit defeat until the vote is certified in Richmond by the State Board of Elections Monday morning.

Perriello's lead puts him ahead of Goode by less than one percent, opening the door for a possible recount, which Goode has ten days to request.