From here:
When Congressman L.F. Payne retired in 1996, Goode won the Democratic nomination to succeed him. He won election easily, as his state senate district was virtually coextensive with the southern portion of the congressional district. During his first two terms, he compiled one of the most conservative records of any Democrat in the Congress.[6] Like many Southern Democrats, Goode strongly opposed abortion and gun control and vigorously supported the tobacco industry. His contrarian streak resulted in him being isolated within the Democratic caucus, which later led to him switching parties.[4]
Goode came under considerable fire shortly after being unopposed for a second term in 1998, when he voted for three of the four articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton. In January 2000, he declared himself an independent and began caucusing with the Republicans, who gave him a seat on the Appropriations Committee. He was handily re-elected that November, touting himself as a congressman who was "as independent as the people he serves." He officially became a Republican in August 2002 before the primary election, making him the first Republican to represent this district since 1889. Republicans had been lobbying him to switch parties since 1998. Reflecting on Goode's record at the time, David Brown, the mayor of Charlottesville and a former chairman of the city's Democratic Party said "It was obvious he didn't really fit in the Democratic Party anymore."[5]
For the 2001 congressional redistricting, Goode allied with Republican Bob Goodlatte and Democrat Rick Boucher to ensure that none of them would be put in the same district. Goode's home in Franklin County is only about 20 miles (32 km) south of Goodlatte's home in Roanoke, the heart of the [[Virginia's 6 congressional district|6th district]]. The counties to the west of Franklin County are in Boucher's [[Virginia's 9 congressional district|9th District]], which had to expand due to lack of population growth. He won his first full term as a Republican in November, 2002, with 63.47% of the vote,[7] and was elected to a fifth term, and his second full term as a Republican, with 63.68% in 2004.[8] In 2006 Goode won 59% of the vote, with challenger Al Weed garnering 40% of the vote.
In 2008 Goode lost his seat, being defeated by Democrat Tom Perriello by 727 votes (0.24% of over 316,000 votes cast). While Goode won 13 of the district's 20 counties and independent cities, Perriello's margin of victory was decided in the district's more urbanized areas. Goode won only one independent city in the district, Bedford, but by only 16 votes. Ultimately, Goode could not overcome a combined 19,000-vote deficit in the Charlottesville area (Charlottesville and surrounding Albemarle County), where Perriello is from.[9]
Goode had filed paperwork with the Federal Election Committee to allow him to raise money for a possible rematch in the 2010 elections, due to receiving "unsolicited" campaign contributions, though he said he had not decided whether or not he would run in 2010.[10] However, Goode announced in late July 2009 that would not seek the Republican nomination for the seat in 2010.[11] Nonetheless, many expect this race to be heavily targeted by the Republican Party in 2010.
This guys just another political hack trying to work his way into the "elites". Whatta a klutz.