Hurt, Perriello address future plans

CHATHAM — In the lobby of his downtown law office Thursday, congressman-elect Robert Hurt held his first news conference since being elected and briefly outlined his plans for his transition into office.

Hurt said his campaign manager, Sean Harrison, would lead his transition team. He did not have any further staff assignments, and Harrison said they had not yet made any decisions for congressional staff.

During the transition, Hurt said he would focus on constituent services and listening to the people of the 5^th District.

“That’s something that has been a hallmark, I hope, of my time in the General Assembly,” Hurt said, “… and we intend to do that.”

Hurt still does not have plans for the district’s congressional offices and encouraged constituents who are working on issues with Rep. Tom Perriello to continue working on those issues. Hurt ousted the freshman Democrat Tuesday with more than 50 percent of the vote.

As for his Chatham law practice, Hurt said he would “wind that up in a couple of months.”

“Cathy and I recognize that this is an important endeavor and there are things we’ll have to give up,” he said. “… I’ll miss that very much.”

Later Thursday in Danville, Perriello visited his downtown campaign office to thank his volunteers and staff. Before he arrived, the room was filled with disappointment. But the group of about 40 people erupted into cheers, hugs and a few tears to greet the outgoing congressman.

“What we’ve done in the last couple of years and last couple of months is just amazing,” he said of their work in Congress to make people’s lives “just a little bit easier.”

Perriello congratulated his team for their work on the campaign and for breaking records in getting voters to the polls for the midterm elections.

More than 54 percent of voters turned out in Danville, where Perriello won with 57 percent of the vote. He praised Southside for its resiliency and said the area had a “story of hope and a story of opportunity.”

Echoing Hurt, Perriello said he was committed to making sure Hurt had “everything he needs for a smooth transition” into office.

When asked about his future plans, Perriello joked that watching the Virginia Tech football game Thursday night was in his immediate future, along with some much-needed sleep. But he added that he would “make sure that I see this thing through.”

However, Perriello remained reserved about what he would do next — politically or otherwise. He said he would look into how he could best serve the people, possibly returning to his nonprofit work.

Perriello did not rule out running for office again in the future, but said “I’m not sold on politics at this point.”