Upset Brief · VA-05 · Tom Perriello (D) vs. John McGuire (R), incumbent
Perriello can win. The math closes using 40 percent of what history allows.
26%
odds today
52%
odds with the plan
10,147
net votes to find
37
days left, ballots already coming in
Where
- 01+636Charlottesville High School (Charlottesville city)Starting line Perriello +76. 2.8% split their ticket. About 2,406 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 02+388University (Albemarle)Starting line Perriello +66. 7.0% split their ticket. About 1,349 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 03+366Buford (Charlottesville city)Starting line Perriello +86. 3.4% split their ticket. About 1,220 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 04+358Key Recreation (Charlottesville city)Starting line Perriello +83. 3.8% split their ticket. About 1,224 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 05+309Walker (Charlottesville city)Starting line Perriello +76. 4.1% split their ticket. About 811 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
- 06+306Jackson-Via (Charlottesville city)Starting line Perriello +80. 2.9% split their ticket. About 1,087 more ballots in 2024 than in 2022 (estimate).
The top 12 precincts carry 34% of the plan.
How
- P+7,943PersuadeTicket splitters and the 9 percent still undecided in the latest poll: 19,792 leaning McGuire today.
- M+2,594MobilizeAt least 41,330 people who voted in 2024 but not in 2022, in precincts where Perriello's side wins at least 55 percent.
- C+118ConsolidateVoters who went third party in recent races, in the precincts that lean Perriello's way.
What has to be true
- Perriello wins 20 percent of the ticket splitters and undecided voters now leaning McGuire.
- In Charlottesville High School (Charlottesville city) and Buford (Charlottesville city), 14 percent of the people who voted in 2024 but skipped 2022 come back and vote.
- No national wave is required. The plan closes at 40 percent of what recent Virginia results show is possible.
- The starting line comes from published 2026 polls, including campaign or party sponsored polls where those are the only ones; if the true gap is different, so is the plan.
The numbers behind it
- 01Crossover regression328 precincts, R² 0.996, 39 crossover precincts identified
- 02Monte Carlo20,000 seeded simulated elections with a 5-point baseline error. 90% range of the final margin with the plan: -25,850 to 26,496 votes.
- 03Money, FEC candidate totals through July 15Perriello $1,511,291 cash on hand; McGuire $524,346.
- 04Call program for this list17,921 households, 53,763 dials, about 2,817 live conversations: an estimated $6,661 at published rates.
Independent analysis by The Political Group from official Virginia Department of Elections precinct returns (2022, 2024 and 2025), FEC filings and published polls, as of September 26, 2026. Not affiliated with any candidate or party.