CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW)- Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine and Del. Katrina Callsen campaigned for Tom Perriello on Wednesday, joining the 5th District congressional hopeful at Pi Napo Pizzeria in Charlottesville at an event aimed at courting college-age voters.
“Young voters are furious about [the Iran war], and they’re furious about having to pay more for everything because of the war, and because of President Trump’s tariffs,” Kaine told Cville Right Now. “So, I think you’re going to see an unusually high participation of young voters for a midterm election.”
The University of Virginia students at the event expressed support for Perriello’s positions on a variety of issues, including AI regulation and the war.
Charlottesville Mayor Juandiego Wade introduced the three speakers: Kaine, Callsen and Perriello.
Callsen spent an earlier part of the day hearing from local, high school Democrats. She shared her gratitude to the students for sharing with her what was important to them.
“There was actually a lot of concern about protecting democracy, and the feeling that what’s happening in Washington right now is not working for us,” Callsen told Cville Right Now. “[They cared for] protecting elections, making sure they’re fair, and making sure that we get good people in the office.”
Kaine praised Perriello for listening to and be accessible to voters in the 5th District. He told the crowd Perriello would stand up to President Trump, in particular, when it comes to the war.
“If young people decide to show up, they will decide the outcome of this election,” Perriello told Cville Right Now. “We tried, with this campaign, to give people a reason to show up, particularly younger voters who have an understandable cynicism about both parties.”
This is the second time in a week that Perriello has held an event aimed at UVA voters. On Oct. 22 he was joined by former University President Jim Ryan for a run to the polls, an event aimed at encouraging students to vote early.
Turnout from college-age voters could play an outsized role in the outcome of Perriello’s 5th District race against Republican incumbent Rep. John McGuire. UVA voters helped tip the 2008 election in Perriello’s favor in 2008. He is the last Democrat to represent the district.
Tuesday, Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the political forecasting arm of UVA’s Center for Politics, moved the 5th District race into the toss-up category.
At one point in Wednesday’s event, Kaine took up a harmonica, and alongside a guitarist, played three songs for the crowd, including a song from FDR’s 1932 presidential campaign, and Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land.”
Perriello said he was impressed with Kaine’s talent and courage.
”First of all, just the guts to get up and do it without a microphone when his voice was already a little raspy, he stuck with it through three songs and the crowd loved it,” Perriello said.
Early voting ends Saturday. Election Day is Tuesday.
