Virgil Goode
Virgil H. Goode Jr. (born October 17, 1946) is an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district from 1997 to 2013.[1] Elected initially as a Democrat, Goode switched to independent status in 2000 and joined the Republican Party in 2002, aligning with increasingly conservative stances on fiscal policy and immigration enforcement.[1] Prior to his congressional tenure, he practiced law, served as commonwealth's attorney for Franklin County from 1974 to 1976, and represented the 15th district in the Virginia State Senate from 1980 to 1996.[1] During his time in Congress, Goode advocated for balanced budgets, opposed federal earmarks, and criticized expansive immigration policies, including proposals for amnesty, which contributed to his electoral defeat in 2012 after redistricting altered his constituency.[1] In that year, he ran as the Constitution Party's presidential nominee, emphasizing constitutional conservatism and limited government.[2]
Personal background
Early life and family
Virgil Hamlin Goode Jr. was born on October 17, 1946, in Richmond, Virginia.[1][3] He was the son of Virgil Hamlin Goode Sr. (1902–1975), a lawyer and member of the Virginia House of Delegates who represented Franklin County, and Alice Clara Goode (née Besecker).[4][5] Goode Sr. had been born in Franklin County and maintained strong ties there, serving in the state legislature during the mid-20th century.[4] The family resided primarily in Rocky Mount, the county seat of Franklin County, where Goode spent most of his formative years.[1][5] Goode attended Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, graduating before pursuing higher education.[1] His father's political involvement in the rural, conservative-leaning Franklin County likely influenced Goode's early exposure to public service and local governance.[4] No public records detail siblings or extended family dynamics beyond his parents' Baptist faith and regional roots in southern Virginia.[4]Education and early professional career
Goode graduated from Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, Virginia, in 1964. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Richmond in 1969 and a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1973.[3][1] Admitted to the Virginia bar in 1973, Goode established a law practice in Rocky Mount, where he handled general legal matters from an office on Main Street. Concurrently, he served in the Virginia Army National Guard from 1969 to 1975. In 1975, he was appointed commonwealth's attorney for Franklin County, prosecuting criminal cases until his successful campaign for the state senate later that year.[1][3]State legislative career
Virginia Senate elections and tenure
Goode won a special election to the Virginia State Senate on November 6, 1973, for the 20th district, defeating five opponents with 55% of the vote.[6] The vacancy arose following the death of incumbent William Stone, and the district encompassed rural Southside Virginia counties including Franklin, Henry, Patrick, and Pittsylvania, along with the independent city of Martinsville. At age 27, Goode became the youngest person ever elected to the Virginia Senate. In the 1975 general election, Goode secured reelection with 86% of the vote against a single challenger.[6] He faced no opposition in subsequent general elections in 1979, 1983, 1987, 1991, and 1995, reflecting strong local support in his conservative, rural district.[6] Goode served from December 1973 until his resignation in January 1997 to assume his U.S. House seat, accumulating over two decades of continuous tenure as a Democrat.[3] He held assignments on the Senate Finance, Courts of Justice, Local Government, and Privileges and Elections committees, where he focused on fiscal restraint, rural economic concerns, and bipartisan power-sharing arrangements, such as a 1990s proposal to equalize committee leadership between Democrats and Republicans in the evenly divided chamber.[7] His legislative efforts emphasized local priorities like agriculture, infrastructure, and court record management, as evidenced by his participation in joint subcommittees on juvenile records and state grievance procedures.[8]Legislative record in Virginia
Goode served in the Virginia House of Delegates from January 1974 to January 1980 before being elected to the Virginia Senate, where he represented the 20th district from January 1980 until resigning in January 1997 upon election to the U.S. House of Representatives.[9] During his state legislative tenure, he focused primarily on rural and Southside Virginia issues, including infrastructure improvements, economic development, and agriculture-related policies.[10] A key achievement was his leadership in advocating for the Route 58 Corridor Development Program, which facilitated the widening of U.S. Route 58 to four lanes across Southside and southwestern Virginia to enhance transportation and spur economic growth in underserved areas. Goode positioned himself as a proponent of local infrastructure projects, emphasizing their role in job creation and regional connectivity.[10] In 1982, Goode sponsored and successfully passed legislation designating milk as the official state beverage of Virginia, reflecting his support for the dairy industry and agricultural interests in his district.[11] [12] He also contributed to education and economic initiatives tailored to Southside Virginia, though specific bills in these areas were often collaborative efforts amid the Democratic-controlled General Assembly.[10] Goode's record included conservative positions on social issues, such as supporting expansions to the death penalty (including a bill to authorize firing squads as an execution method) and parental notification requirements for minors seeking abortions, while opposing public funding for abortions.[13] He backed limited restrictions on assault weapons but resisted broader gun control measures deemed excessive.[10] In 1980, he voted against ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, helping to block its passage in Virginia.[14]U.S. Senate campaigns
1982 election
In 1982, U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Jr., an Independent who caucused with Democrats and represented Virginia's conservative traditions, retired after three terms, leaving the seat open for the November 2 general election.[15] The Democratic nominee was selected via party convention rather than primary, scheduled for June 4–5 in Roanoke.[16] State Senator Hunter B. Andrews, considered the early front-runner due to his influence in the General Assembly, declined to pursue the nomination in May 1982, scrambling the field and drawing entries from regional Democrats positioning as favorite sons.[17] Goode, a sitting state senator known for fiscal conservatism and Southside Virginia roots, entered the contest late, leveraging his legislative record to appeal to party delegates.[18] At the convention, delegates balloted among candidates, with Goode placing third in support behind Richard J. Davis, a former state party chairman and unsuccessful 1981 gubernatorial contender who ultimately won the nomination on the first ballot.[16][18] Davis advanced to the general election against Republican U.S. Representative Paul S. Trible, who captured victory with 724,571 votes (51.2%) to Davis's 690,839 (48.8%), a margin of approximately 33,732 votes amid high turnout reflecting the competitive race.[19] Goode returned to his state senate duties following the convention defeat.[18]1994 election
In the Democratic primary for the United States Senate in Virginia on June 14, 1994, incumbent Senator Charles S. Robb sought renomination against state Senator Virgil H. Goode Jr., a longtime legislator from the Fifth District representing rural Southside counties.[20] Goode, entering the race late as a conservative Democrat, gathered over 15,000 voter signatures in early April to ensure a contested primary, framing his challenge around Robb's weakened leadership amid personal scandals, including a publicized extramarital affair with former Miss Virginia Tai Collins that had eroded public trust.[21] [18] Goode's campaign emphasized populist themes, portraying himself as an outsider focused on fiscal restraint and rural interests, while escalating attacks on Robb's character in the final weeks, including television ads questioning Robb's judgment and a letter to party activists refusing to excuse the senator's conduct.[18] Despite raising approximately $150,000 compared to Robb's $2.1 million and erecting 13,000 campaign signs through grassroots efforts, Goode polled at around 22% support in late May, trailing Robb's 43%.[18] Robb secured the nomination with 154,561 votes (57.9%), while Goode received 90,547 votes (33.9%), followed by independent challenger Nancy Spade Brinker with 17,329 votes (6.5%) and Joe G. Anderson with 4,507 votes (1.7%), on a total turnout of 266,944 votes.[22] [20] Goode conceded approximately 90 minutes after polls closed and pledged to support Robb in the general election against Republican nominee Oliver North.[23] The primary outcome highlighted divisions within the Virginia Democratic Party, with Goode drawing strength from conservative and rural voters dissatisfied with Robb's vulnerabilities.[24]U.S. House of Representatives service
Elections to the House
Goode first won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia's 5th congressional district in the November 5, 1996, general election, succeeding retiring incumbent Democrat L. F. Payne Jr..[25] Running as a Democrat, he secured 60.8% of the vote (87,547 votes) against Republican George C. Landrith III's 35.8% (51,488 votes), with independent write-ins and others accounting for the remainder.[26] In the 1998 election, Goode ran unopposed after the Republican Party did not field a candidate, receiving 98.9% of the vote (82,270 votes) with the balance as write-ins.[27] He won re-election as a Democrat in 2000 with 67.4% (118,242 votes) over Republican Jeff W. Boyd Jr.'s 30.7% (53,854 votes) and independent Roger D. McClure's 1.9%.[28] Goode switched his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican on January 3, 2002.[25] In the 2002 general election, running as a Republican, he defeated Democrat Max M. Richards Jr. with 63.5% (82,126 votes) to 36.5% (47,154 votes).[29] He maintained strong margins in 2004, defeating Democrat Albert C. Weed II 63.7% (154,748 votes) to 36.3% (88,282 votes).[30] The 2006 race was closer amid a national Democratic wave, but Goode retained his seat with 53.7% (126,584 votes) against Weed's 44.4% (107,591 votes), independent green Joe Oddo's 1.0% (2,243 votes), and others.[31] Goode lost his bid for re-election in 2008 to Democrat Tom Perriello in a narrow contest, receiving 49.9% (158,810 votes) to Perriello's 50.1% (159,179 votes).[32]| Election Year | Goode's Party | Primary Vote % (if contested) | General Opponent(s) | Goode's General Vote % | Total Votes Cast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Democrat | Uncontested Dem nomination | George C. Landrith III (R) | 60.8% | 143,997 |
| 1998 | Democrat | N/A (unopposed) | None | 98.9% | 83,189 |
| 2000 | Democrat | Uncontested Dem nomination | Jeff W. Boyd Jr. (R) | 67.4% | 175,477 |
| 2002 | Republican | Uncontested GOP nomination | Max M. Richards Jr. (D) | 63.5% | 129,357 |
| 2004 | Republican | Uncontested GOP nomination | Albert C. Weed II (D) | 63.7% | 242,895 |
| 2006 | Republican | Uncontested GOP nomination | Al Weed (D), Joe Oddo (IG) | 53.7% | 236,393 |
| 2008 | Republican | Won GOP primary | Tom Perriello (D) | 49.9% | 318,822 |