Robert Hurt drew applause from more than 250 supporters who gathered at Danville’s Community Market on Monday to hear his plans for taking the 5th District Congressional seat from Rep. Tom Perriello in the November election.

Hurt, one of seven Republican candidates on the June 8 ballot, said he is feeling confident about winning the primary election.

“The poll numbers we released last week showed we moved up from 20 (percent support) to 35 in just two months,” Hurt said. “I’m pleased with where we are. We’ve been working hard since March getting out our message of limited government, free markets and individual liberty, and I feel it’s really resonating with people.”

Former State Sen. Charles Hawkins spoke on Hurt’s behalf, saying from 1776 through 1983, the government built up $1.3 trillion in debt. Now, he said, the national debt has reached “$13 trillion and counting.”

“We are at a crossroads in this nation, and it’s up to us to make a difference,” Hawkins told the crowd. “We’re fighting a war on credit cards and borrowing from China to buy goods made in China; it’s time to say ‘no more.’”

Hawkins drew applause when he encouraged everyone to support Hurt’s campaign.

“We need to make sure we’re not servants of the government, that they are the servants of us,” Hawkins said. “Get out and elect Robert Hurt.”

Hurt told the crowd volunteers were responsible for driving his campaign, noting that they had made 20,000 phone calls in the last 30 days to voters.

“I want to thank each and every one of you for your commitment to your country,” Hurt said. “We’re going to win the primary in two weeks, and we’re gong to beat Tom Perriello in November.”

Hurt said the Founding Fathers of the country would be dismayed to see what was happening in the United States.

“Our Founders understood limited government,” Hurt said, noting that unlimited government was what they ran from when they came to this country. “Where are we today? What would they think now?”

Not only is the government’s spending unsustainable, Hurt said, it also has too much control over citizens’ everyday lives.

Hurt also said Perriello and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi are only looking at the next election, not the next generation.

“It’s time to take back our country,” Hurt said. “I am an optimist, and I believe our country can be restored and turned back to its founding principles.”