Virgil Goode

Virgil Goode
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 5th district
In office January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2009
Preceded by	Lewis Payne
Succeeded by	Tom Perriello
Member of the Virginia Senate from the 20th district
In office December 1973 – January 3, 1997
Preceded by	William F. Stone
Succeeded by	Roscoe Reynolds
Personal details
Born	Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr. (1946-10-17) October 17, 1946 Richmond, Virginia
Political party	Constitution Party (Since 2010)
Other political affiliations	Democratic Party (Before 2000) Independent (2000–2002) Republican Party (2002–2010)
Spouse(s)	Lucy Dodson
Children	Catherine
Alma mater	University of Richmond University of Virginia
Religion	Baptist[1]
Military service
Service/branch	Army National Guard
Years of service	1969–1975
Unit	Virginia Army National Guard

Virgil Hamlin Goode, Jr. (,^[2] born October 17, 1946) is an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1997 to 2009, first as a Democrat; in 2000 became an independent; in 2002 he switched to the Republican Party.

He represented the 5th congressional district of Virginia.^[3] He lost his seat in the 2008 election to Democrat Tom Perriello.^[4] Goode subsequently joined the Constitution Party and was the party's 2012 presidential nominee.

Early life and education

Goode was born in Richmond, Virginia, the son of Alice Clara (née Besecker) and Virgil Hamlin Goode.^[5] Goode graduated with a B.A. from the University of Richmond (Phi Beta Kappa) and with a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. He also is a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity and served in the Army National Guard from 1969 to 1975.^[6]

Virginia Senate

Goode grew up as a Democrat.^[7] He entered politics soon after graduating from law school. At the age of 27, he won a special election to the state Senate from a Southside district as an independent after the death of the Democratic incumbent. One of his major campaign focuses at the time was advocacy for the Equal Rights Amendment.^[8] Soon after being elected, he joined the Democrats.

Goode wore his party ties very loosely. He became famous for his support of the tobacco industry, expressing his fear that "his elderly mother would be denied 'the one last pleasure' of smoking a cigarette on her hospital deathbed."^[8] He was an ardent defender of gun rights while being an enthusiastic supporter of L. Douglas Wilder, who later became the first elected black governor in the history of the United States. At the Democratic Party's state political convention in 1985, Goode nominated Wilder for lieutenant governor. However, while governor, Wilder cracked down on the sale of guns in the state.^[8]

After the 1995 elections resulted in a 20–20 split between Democrats and Republicans in the State Senate, Goode seriously considered voting with the Republicans on organizing the chamber. Had he done so, the State Senate would have been under Republican control for the first time since Reconstruction (the Republicans ultimately won control outright in 1999). Goode's actions at the time "forced his party to share power with Republican lawmakers in the state legislature," which further upset the Democratic Party.^[8]

U.S. Senate elections

1982

Independent incumbent U.S. Senator Harry Flood Byrd, Jr., decided to retire. Goode ran for the seat, but lost the nomination, getting just 8% of the vote. Lieutenant Governor Richard Joseph Davis won the convention with 64% of the vote.^[9] Davis lost the general election by a two-point margin.^[10]

1994

He decided to run for the U.S. Senate again in 1994, to challenge incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Chuck Robb in the Democratic primary. He angered much of the leadership of the Virginia Democratic Party during his second run.^[8] On June 14, Robb defeated Goode 58%–34%.^[11]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1996

When incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Audio from Goode's August 9, 2006 debate with Al Weed

• Virgil Goode for President 2012 official campaign website

External links

References

Electoral history

On October 23, 2012, Virgil Goode, along with Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, and Rocky Anderson participated in a debate moderated by Larry King. Goode lost in a poll conducted after the debate to decide who would face off in a runoff debate.

Goode was selected as the party's 2012 presidential nominee on April 21, 2012, at the 2012 Constitution Party National Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.^[49][50]

Goode filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) as a presidential candidate on February 10.^[47] He told the Daily Caller on February 16 that he was running for the Constitution Party nomination.^[48]

In November 2010, Goode joined the executive committee of the Constitution Party, having previously been a member of the party's larger national committee.^[45] He told the Roanoke Times in June 2011 that he would "consider [running for the party's presidential nomination] as the year progresses."^[46]

2012 presidential campaign

• House Appropriations Committee

Committee assignments

In June 2009, it was revealed that political scientist Larry Sabato, of the Center for Politics, had been the recipient of over $7 million in earmark money from Goode, whom Sabato predicted would win re-election in 2008, despite declining poll numbers; Goode ultimately lost the race by a small margin.^[43] Some observers have suggested that Sabato should have revealed his financial connection to Goode or recused himself from making predictions about the race.^[44]

Sabato earmark controversy

In 2003, Duncan told the Register & Bee he didn’t see any conflict with the earmarked dollars. "I don’t even know how a question of a conflict even arises," he said.^[42]

The Danville Register & Bee reported that Duncan and Goode’s wife Lucy were both on the founding board of the North Theatre. Virgil Goode checked with the House ethics committee, before Duncan or his wife Lucy went onto the North Theatre board. In the light of the controversy, Lucy Goode stepped down from the board.

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development grant that Goode assisted in bringing to the North Theatre project was received by the North Theatre organization in 2005.

In the end credits of the gay-themed film Eden's Curve, the producers list Goode in the acknowledgements. Linwood Duncan, Goode's press secretary, has a minor role as the dean of the college. A number of other Danville residents are listed in the cast and credits.

Eden's Curve controversy

The Sunlight Foundation pointed out that among the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Goode has the 13th-highest amount of investment in oil stocks, meaning that Goode stands to gain financially through high gas prices and pro-oil industry legislation.^[41]

Goode never rode in the Hummer, and is not known to have had anything to do with it, but he was widely portrayed as having both owned and operated the vehicle.^[38] He was lampooned on The Daily Show for the story.^[40]

At the 2008 Independence Day parade in Scottsville, Virginia, independent supporters of Goode drove a Hummer H3 decorated with signs promoting Goode and Robert B. Bell.^[38] With gas prices at $4 a gallon, a supporter of Goode's opponent, Tom Perriello, put video of the parade on YouTube, accusing Goode of being out of touch with ordinary citizens grappling with the high cost of fuel.^[39]

Hummer accusation

In interviews around that time, Goode stated that he was in favor of decreasing legal immigration to the United States and that he wanted to do away with Diversity Immigrant Visas. Goode argued that such visas would allow people "not from European countries" or from "some terrorist states" to enter America.^[36] Goode also repeated his views on a January 1, 2007 post to the USA Today blog.^[37]

Ellison criticized Goode for this letter, stating that he is not an immigrant and that Goode does not understand Islam. Ellison also offered to meet with Goode to discuss the matter.^[34] On his first day in office, Ellison sought out Goode and initiated a cordial exchange on the House floor.^[35]

When I raise my hand to take the oath on Swearing In Day, I will have the Bible in my other hand. I do not subscribe to using the Koran in any way. The Muslim Representative from Minnesota was elected by the voters of that district and if American citizens don't wake up and adopt the Virgil Goode position on immigration there will likely be many more Muslims elected to office and demanding the use of the Koran.^[33][34]

In 2006, Minnesota's 5th congressional district elected Keith Ellison as the first Muslim to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Some criticized Ellison's intended use of the Qur'an once owned by Thomas Jefferson at a private swearing-in ceremony;^[32] among them, Goode was vocal in his opposition to Ellison's plan. One of Goode's constituents posted a letter online from the congressman regarding Ellison. The letter reads in part:

2006 Qur'an controversy

On July 21, 2006 Richard Berglund, a former supervisor of the Martinsville, Virginia office of MZM Inc., pleaded guilty to making illegal donations to Goode's campaign. Court papers indicated that Berglund and MZM owner Mitchell Wade (who previously pleaded guilty) engaged in a scheme to reimburse MZM employees for campaign donations.^[31] There was no allegation of wrongdoing on the part of Goode's campaign.

In 2005, Goode faced questions when a major corporate campaign donor, defense contractor MZM, Inc., was implicated in a bribery scandal that resulted in the criminal conviction and resignation of California congressman Randy "Duke" Cunningham.^[30] Although Goode insisted that his relations with MZM were motivated solely by his interest in bringing high-paying skilled jobs to his district, in December of that year he donated the $88,000 received in MZM contributions to regional charities.

MZM

Goode served on the Liberty Caucus (sometimes called the Liberty Committee), a group of libertarian-leaning congressional representatives.^[27] Other members at that time included Ron Paul of Texas, Jimmy Duncan of Tennessee, Walter B. Jones of North Carolina, Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Zach Wamp of Tennessee, and Jeff Flake of Arizona.^[28] In the 2008 Republican primary elections for President, the Federal Election Commission reported that Goode donated $500 to Republican candidate Ron Paul.^[29]

Liberty caucus

Goode voted in 2007 against a resolution opposing the increase in troop numbers in Iraq,^[25] saying that he didn't want to "aid and assist the Islamic jihadists who want the green flag of the crescent and star to wave over the Capitol of the United States and over the White House of this country" and that "radical Muslims" wanted to control the world and put "In Muhammad We Trust" on American currency.^[26]

Goode is an advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.^[24]

Goode's primary policy initiatives were opposition to amnesty for illegal aliens, veterans' healthcare, and the enactment in 2004 of a $9.6 billion buyout for tobacco farmers. Goode has sponsored legislation to permit deployment of the U.S. Armed Forces to the U.S.-Mexico border. He voted in 2002 to authorize the Iraq War and in support of an $87 billion Iraq War supplemental spending bill.

Goode came under considerable fire shortly after being unopposed for a second term in 1998, when he voted for three of the four articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton. In January 2000, he declared himself an independent and began caucusing with the Republicans, who gave him a seat on the Appropriations Committee. Republicans had been lobbying him to switch parties since 1998. Reflecting on Goode's record at the time, David Brown, the mayor of Charlottesville and a former chairman of the city's Democratic Party said "It was obvious he didn't really fit in the Democratic Party anymore."^[8]

During his first two terms, he compiled one of the most conservative records of any Democrat in the Congress.^[23] Like many Southern Democrats, Goode strongly opposed abortion and gun control and vigorously supported the tobacco industry. His contrarian streak resulted in him being isolated within the Democratic caucus, which later led to him switching parties.^[7]

Tenure

Goode had filed paperwork with the Federal Election Committee to allow him to raise money for a possible rematch in the 2010 elections, due to receiving "unsolicited" campaign contributions, though he said he had not decided whether or not he would run in 2010.^[21] However, Goode announced in late July 2009 that he would not seek the Republican nomination for the seat in 2010.^[22] Nonetheless, many expected this race to be heavily targeted by the Republican Party in 2010; and it was won by Republican Robert Hurt that year.

2010

In 2008 Goode lost his seat, being defeated by Democrat Tom Perriello by 727 votes (0.24% of over 316,000 votes cast). While Goode won 13 of the district's 20 counties and independent cities, Perriello's margin of victory was decided in the district's more urbanized areas. Goode won only one independent city in the district, Bedford, but by only 16 votes. Ultimately, Goode could not overcome a combined 19,000-vote deficit in the Charlottesville area (Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County), where Perriello is from.^[20]

2008

He won re-election to a sixth term with 59% of the vote against Weed again.^[19]

2006

He won re-election to a fifth term with 64% of the vote, defeated Vietnam War veteran and businessman Al Weed.^[17][18]

2004

He won the Republican nomination and won re-election to a fourth term with 63% of the vote.^[15][16] He was the first Republican to represent this district since 1889.

For the 2001 congressional redistricting, Goode allied with Republican Bob Goodlatte and Democrat Rick Boucher to ensure that none of them would be put in the same district. Goode's home in Franklin County is only about 20 miles (32 km) south of Goodlatte's home in Roanoke, the heart of the 6th district. The counties to the west of Franklin County are in Boucher's 9th District, which had to expand due to lack of population growth.

2002

Prior to the election, Goode switched from a Democrat to an independent. He portrayed himself "as independent as the people he serves." Despite running as an independent, he won re-election to a third term with 67% of the vote.^[14]

2000

Goode won re-election to a second term unopposed.^[13]

1998

[12]