5th District Congressional race adds another candidate

Published 12:17 am Sunday, July 27, 2025

We now know there will be at least one candidate challenging John McGuire for Virginia’s 5th District Congressional seat. On Tuesday, July 22, Democrat Mike Pruitt declared his candidacy.

Pruitt is a U.S. Navy veteran, having deployed twice to the Middle East. He currently serves as a civil rights attorney and as a member of the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors, where he’s voted to expand broadband and cell phone access to the region. In a statement about why he decided to run, Pruitt said he feels the country is at a turning point. 

“The gap between working people and the billionaire class is the widest it’s been in a century. Our district is hurting, and people know it, whether they feel it in their heart or in their aching back. From Danville to Charlottesville and everywhere in between, working people aren’t helpless–they’re mad,” Pruitt said. “They’re mad their paycheck looks the same it did a decade ago. They’re mad that the RiteAid where they get their prescriptions filled is closing. They’re mad their son can’t afford to build a home next door like he’d always planned. That’s a fire that I understand, because it burns in me too. I know what it feels like to chase something better, and, as someone who has devoted my career to public service, I know what it takes to fight for it. Our campaign is building a future where Virginia’s working families don’t just get by—they thrive.”

More about the candidate 

Pruitt is a Duke University graduate, where he attended on a military scholarship. He later commissioned into the Navy, serving three tours as a Surface Warfare Officer. He led teams aboard two warships, deploying twice to combat zones in the Middle East to defend American citizens and support operations against ISIS. He later joined the Office of Naval Intelligence, where he served as a senior analyst and advisor. 

A graduate of UVA Law School, Mike also works as a civil rights lawyer for a Virginia-based nonprofit, working on housing, discrimination, and helping those who have been mistreated by corporations and landlords. As mentioned before, in 2023 he ran for and was elected to the Albemarle County Board of Supervisors. Pruitt lives in the Scottsville District with his husband, an Episcopal minister, and his rescue dog, Jo. He worships at Trinity Episcopal Church in Charlottesville.

More about the 5th District

Currently, the 5th District seat is held by Republican John McGuire. The former State Senator defeated Democrat Gloria Witt with 57% of the ballots or 237,288 votes. Witt won in Democratic strongholds like the cities of Danville and Charlottesville, as well as Albemarle County, but McGuire won in the rest of the district. That covers more than 20 other counties and the city of Lynchburg. One of the closest counties turned out to be Prince Edward, where just 450 votes separated the two candidates. McGuire picked up 4,613 votes in Prince Edward and the town of Farmville, while Witt finished with 4,163.