Hurt primary opponent drops $500k, cites possible indy run

Virginia state Sen. Robert Hurt's (R) path to a general election matchup with freshman Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.) continues to appear in doubt.

Real estate developer Jim McKelvey is providing Hurt with a second straight moneyed primary opponent, having contributed $500,000 to his campaign. McKelvey is also leaving open the possibility of running as an independent, which is something that could really hamstring GOP efforts to reclaim the district.

“My take on Robert Hurt is that he’s just the same old, same old. We can’t send him to Congress,” McKelvey told the Charlottesville Daily Progress. “I will do whatever it takes from here until November to make sure that does not happen.”

Also in the primary is self-funder Laurence Verga, who seeded his candidacy with about $225,000 in the fourth quarter. Former Rep. Virgil Goode (R-Va.), who lost to Perriello in 2008, has also suggested he might run as an independent.