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The 1996 VA-05 Congressional Election, upon the retirement of L.F. Payne, Democrats were weary that they would lose this conservative seat in Southside Virginia, to hold it, they tapped conservative Democrat Virgil Goode in an attempt to try and hold it.
1996 VA-05 Congressional Election
1996 VA-05 Congressional Election
And hold it they did, with Goode winning the seat in 1996 and 1998 as a conservative democrat, in these campaigns he enphasized his conservatism and criticizism of President Clinton, even going so far as being one of the few democrats who voted to impeach him
Despite this, senior democrats shielded him from criticism over this increasing conservatism, beleiving that he would be the only one who could hold that seat.
But upon local Democrats abandoning Goode and the VA GOP winning a trifecta in Virginia—and control over redistricting—Goode announced he would be a GOP caucising Independent.
Goode Denied this was the case, but the treat of Redistricting moving his base of Franklin County over into CD-09 was a mortal threat.
As such the party switch, wherin he would win reelection against African American Farmer John Boyd Jr as an independent in 2000 by 25%, and as a Republican until 2008, was likely the politically smartest choice for him at the time.
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