2 more Republicans say they will challenge Perriello

Two more Republicans have announced their intention to challenge U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello, D-5th, in next year's mid-term congressional election.

Fluvanna County resident Feda Kidd Morton, a high school biology teacher and longtime GOP activist, said she decided to run after she was encouraged by former Rep. Virgil H. Goode Jr., a Republican who was unseated by Perriello after serving six terms in Congress.

"When Virgil decided not to run, we had a conversation and he told me that he thought a conservative woman could do well in the district," said Morton, who has served on Fluvanna's School Board and as chairwoman of the Fluvanna Republican Committee. "With Virgil's encouragement, I decided to step into the ring."

Laurence Verga, an Ivy resident and private real estate investor, said his dissatisfaction with the policies of President Barack Obama and the Democratic-led Congress persuaded him to seek the GOP nomination.

"Politics are a passion of mine," Verga said. "I live a blessed life. Running for office wasn't anything I felt I needed to pursue. But I've been very upset with the Obama administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress. I decided I don't want to outsource this anymore."

Morton and Verga are the latest Republicans to announce their campaigns after Goode decided in late July that he would not seek a re-match against the freshman Democrat. Bradley S. Rees, a factory worker and FairTax advocate from Bedford County, previously announced his candidacy in the GOP primary race.

Many other Republicans are expected to jump into the race in the coming weeks.

Last weekend, 5th District Republican Chairman Tucker Watkins and Albemarle County Republican Chairman Chris Schoenewald held an information session for potential candidates at the Albemarle GOP headquarters at the Albemarle Square shopping center.

At the GOP headquarters meeting, Albemarle Supervisor Ken Boyd told senior party officials that he was leaning toward running, with the paperwork sitting on his desk waiting to be signed.

"He told us he was running," Schoenewald said.

Boyd added that he has ties to the southern part of the 5th District, which stretches from the Charlottesville are to the North Carolina line. Boyd formerly lived in Martinsville, and his wife is originally from that area.

Brian McNeill is a staff writer for The Daily Progress of Charlottesville.