CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Why did Rob Tracinski decide to run for Congress? A sign he spotted at a No King’s demonstration summed it up.

“Somebody had a sign that said, ‘It’s so bad, even the introverts are here,” Tracinski told Cville Right Now.

The author and journalist turned 5th District Congressional hopeful faces an uphill battle in next Tuesday’s Democratic primary. Former Congressperson Tom Perriello has the backing of much the party’s establishment and major financial advantages over Tracinski and fellow challenger Suzanne Krzyzanowski, a Lynchburg family doctor.

“I think I’ve got a strong message,” Tracinski said. “People are responding to the message. It’s just a matter of getting that message out and overcoming the fact that I have a main opponent who has got more name recognition. He’s sort of the safe and comfortable choice. I’m trying to convince people that what we need is not the safe and comfortable choice, but someone who’s really engaged and determined and prepared to do the big battle we have to fight in Washington, D.C., to assert the power of Congress and rein in the president.”

How far does Tracinski like to see Congress push back against Trump? Tracinski said there’s a laundry list of reasons Democrats should impeach Trump if they regain control of the House of Representatives.

“Literally there’s about a 100 different things we could choose, a 100 different ways in which he’s abused his power,” said Tracinski, who published a book detailing Trump’s constitutional conflicts in 2025 entitled, “Dictator from Day One.”

Atop his list, he said, are Trump’s starting of the war in Iran without Congressional consent, his authorizing of lethal force against suspected drug trafficking boats, his policies regarding ICE and his granting of pardons to people with financial connections to his family.

Tracinski said its two key differences between Perriello and himself that he hopes will lead voters to pick him to attempt to flip a seat that has been held by Republicans since Perriello lost his bid for re-election in 2011.

The first is that, while Perriello’s campaign has focused on myriad issues including affordability, healthcare, environmental concerns and problems coming from the White House, Tracinski said he’s laser focused on what he views as President Donald Trump’s “abuse of power.” To Tracinski, that’s the starting point for many of the other issues facing the nation.

“I’m the only one putting front and center in my campaign the constitutional issues, the balance of power issues,” Tracinski said. “That has to be the top priority. And if if I had seen Tom Perriello being focused on that to the same extent, I probably would not have stayed in the race.”

Tracinski also hopes voters will appreciate that he’s a Washington outsider, not a career politician.

“I’m not somebody who wanted to be in politics or wants to be in politics,” Tracinski said. “I’m doing this purely because I didn’t want to see our democracy go without a fight. And so I’m here to accomplish some key things to put the American system back together and make it function again. And then I’m going to be very happy to return home to a peaceful life.”

If there’s any area Tracinski believes he might have an advantage over Perriello, its with moderate Republicans and independent voters. Tracinski was once a Tea Party member

“I got into the Tea Party because this idea that the government shouldn’t be overbearing and oppressive towards people,” he said. “And the big disappointment is seeing how many Republicans and conservatives and some former Tea Party people have been okay with the government being overbearing and oppressive so long as it’s overbearing and oppressive to people they hate.”