The new congressman from the 5th District is Republican Robert Hurt, a former state senator who reclaimed the seat for the GOP by ejecting Democrat Tom Perriello, who had the seat in 2009 and 2010. Read More

The new congressman from the 5th District is Republican Robert Hurt, a former state senator who reclaimed the seat for the GOP by ejecting Democrat Tom Perriello, who had the seat in 2009 and 2010.

Hurt was born in New York City, the son of Henry Hurt, a journalist, nonfiction author, and editor for Reader’s Digest. In 1986, Henry Hurt wrote a book questioning the findings of the Warren Commission called Reasonable Doubt: An Investigation into the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. He did much of his writing in rural Chatham, Va., where he and his wife raised their three children. Robert Hurt went to Hargrave Military Academy and then on to Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Va. He earned an undergraduate degree in English and then a law degree at Mississippi College before returning to Chatham to practice law. Robert’s brother, Charlie Hurt, became a journalist like their father and became the Washington bureau chief for the New York Post. Robert Hurt was the chief assistant attorney for Pittsylvania County, and in 2001, began his political career with his election to the Chatham Town Council. A year later, he successfully ran for the Virginia House of Delegates, where he served until 2007. Hurt ran successfully for the state Senate the following year.

When the 2010 congressional elections approached, Perriello was among the most vulnerable freshman lawmakers. In 2008, he had snatched the Republican-leaning district away by only 727 votes from then-Rep. Virgil Goode, a six-term conservative Republican who left the Democratic Party in 2000. Goode had been re-elected by comfortable margins every two years until the Obama presidential campaign brought a flood of new voters to the polls that year, including many African-American voters in the Southside counties. Hurt was eager to take on Perriello, but so were six other Republicans, especially after Goode indicated he would not be back for a rematch.

During the primary campaign, Hurt won the confidence of establishment Republicans, but also angered conservatives when he refused to debate a tea party candidate, businessman Jeff Clark, who called Hurt “a situational conservative.” Hurt said Clark was “not serious about his campaign or his ability to win.” Hurt won a convincing primary victory, getting 48% of the vote. Clark stayed in the race as an independent, setting up a three-way contest in November.

In his general election campaign, Hurt slammed Perriello for his votes in favor of Obama’s $787 billion economic stimulus bill, the Democrats’ health care overhaul, and their legislation to cap carbon emissions. He said he would try to reduce the size of the federal budget with free market solutions rather than stimulus programs. Hurt also vowed not to vote for any bill that contained earmarks. Perriello attacked Hurt for supporting then-Democratic Gov. Mark Warner’s 2004 budget, which increased state taxes by $1.4 billion. Hurt responded that as a state legislator he had voted against more than two dozen tax increases.

Both candidates had robust fundraising operations, although with $3.8 million, Perriello raised considerably more than Hurt, who took in $2.6 million. Hurt also lost out on the endorsement of the National Rifle Association, which backed Perriello in accordance with its policy of supporting gun rights-friendly incumbents. Still, Hurt won, 51% to 47%. The closeness of the race prompted Democrats to put Hurt on their target list for 2012.

In Washington, one of Hurt’s first amendments passed the House in March 2011. On a bill to terminate a mortgage aid program championed by the Obama administration, Hurt proposed that any savings go to deficit reduction. The measure was approved by the Republican controlled chamber. The bill was not expected to pass the Democratically controlled Senate.