CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – As he continues to adjust his campaign for the possibility of a move to the 6th District, Democratic Congressional candidate Tom Perriello has tapped a key southwest Virginia political figure to be his campaign manager.

Perriello announced 41st District House of Delegates Rep. Lily Franklin will take on that role on Monday.

“There’s nobody I would trust more to run this campaign, because Lily is dedicated to giving hardworking families across the Blue Ridge a fair shot, and she knows how to win,” said Perriello in a statement. “She knows that families around here deserve more from Congress than jacked up prices and rural healthcare cuts. I know that no one will work harder for our region to get a real voice in Congress.”

Perriello is running for the Democratic nomination in both the current 5th District and the proposed 6th District. While he is a considerable favorite in the 5th, a tougher race could loom if Democratic redistricting efforts succeed in redrawing temporary voting maps and Perriello runs in the 6th.

The new maps, which voters have begun to vote on in early voting, would draw Charlottesville and Albemarle County into the 6th District, joining Roanoke and Harrisonburg.

Roanoke-based author and political activist Beth Macy is also seeking the Democratic nomination in the 6th.

When Macy declared her candidacy in November, Franklin – also from Roanoke – appeared at her launch rally.

Through a campaign spokesperson, Macy declined to comment.

Franklin, after a narrowly-unsuccessful bid for the seat in 2023, flipped the 41st District for Democrats in November, defeating Republican incumbent Chris Obenshain by 2.4 points.

“I love my home. I love the people and getting to fight for these communities where Tom and I grew up,” Franklin in a statement. “We believe that everyone deserves a chance to build a good life here, to have hard work rewarded, to be part of a strong community, and to feel like they’re leaving the next generation something better than what came before. That’s why I fight so hard for this community, and why I want to get Tom elected – because we already know that Tom will deliver for our region and put people over politics.”

Both the 5th and 6th Districts have incumbent Republicans, with Rep. John McGuire in the 5th and Rep. Ben Cline in the 6th.