Elizabeth Warren Endorses Tom Perriello In Virginia Governors Race [View all]

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Elizabeth Warren Endorses Tom Perriello In Virginia Governor’s Race

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/elizabeth-warren-tom-perriello_us_58fe651ae4b00fa7de16d3b6

WASHINGTON ― Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsed Tom Perriello in the Democratic primary for Virginia governor on Monday in an interview with HuffPost, giving the insurgent progressive candidate an important boost in a race that has become increasingly competitive.

When Perriello, a former congressman from Charlottesville, jumped into the Democratic race in January against Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, he was seen as a late entrant with little chance at the nomination. But with the mood of the Democratic electorate rising against President Donald Trump, Perriello, a populist who has made standing up to Trump central to his campaign, has surged in the polls.

Warren said she had tried to coax Perriello to join her at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after he lost his re-election to Congress in 2010. “I actually tried to hire him a long time ago,” she said. “So, when I was setting up the consumer agency ... I took advantage, or tried to take advantage, of some really strong people who had been in elective office and lost.”

Richard Cordray, now director of the CFPB, was another such ex-office holder. “I thought Tom Perriello would be terrific, too,” Warren said. “He’s strong, he’s aggressive on consumer issues, and I really wanted him to come and be one of the major people running the CFPB. Now, he decided he wanted to take a different direction and he said with regret ― at least I hope it was with regret ― that he couldn’t come and join us at the agency and he headed off and did some work in Africa, and I really respect what he has done. He’s an exciting guy.