Tom Perriello

Tom Perriello


United States Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
In office July 6, 2015 – December 23, 2016
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Russ Feingold
Succeeded by	Vacant
Special Representative for the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review
In office February 24, 2014 – July 5, 2015
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	David McKean
Succeeded by	Vacant
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 5th district
In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Virgil Goode
Succeeded by	Robert Hurt
Personal details
Born	Thomas Stuart Price Perriello (1974-10-09) October 9, 1974 (age 42) Ivy, Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Education	Yale University (BA, JD)

Committee assignments Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity Subcommittee on Health

Thomas Stuart Price "Tom" Perriello (born October 9, 1974) is an American attorney, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician. He served one term as a U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district, was the United States Special Representative for the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review from 2014 to 2015, and the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa and the Democratic Republic of the Congo from July 2015 to December 2016.

In January 2017, he announced his candidacy for Governor of Virginia. He has been endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders and a number of Democrats close to President Barack Obama.

Born and raised in Ivy, Virginia, Perriello graduated with a J.D. from Yale University in 2001 and worked as a Special Advisor to the international prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. He then worked for the International Center for Transitional Justice, The Century Foundation, and for the National Council of Churches of Christ. He also launched several international and faith-based organizations.

Having previously worked as a legislative page in the Virginia House of Delegates, Perriello ran for Virginia's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives in the 2008 elections. He narrowly defeated six-term Republican incumbent Virgil Goode by 727 votes out of over 317,000 cast. At the time he served, the district included much of Southside Virginia and stretched north to Charlottesville. A populist Democrat, Perriello was a key ally in Congress of President Barack Obama, but was defeated in the 2010 election by Republican State Senator Robert Hurt.