House Freedom Caucus chair says he’ll 'still prevail' in tight primary with Trump-backed challenger

19 June 2024

Rep. Bob Good (R-Virginia) — one of the most influential members of the House of Representatives' Republican majority — is in the fight of his life, with his primary election still too close to call.

According to longtime Capitol Hill journalist Jamie Dupree, Good feels confident about his chances to maintain his seat, despite being down in a razor-thin vote count in the Republican primary for Virginia's 5th Congressional district.

"We believe we can still prevail," Good told Dupree, adding that the Virginia Republican was roughly 300 votes behind his opponent, Republican state senator John McGuire, who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Even though Good's Republican credentials are not in dispute, given that he chairs the far-right House Freedom Caucus, he's nonetheless found himself in an intense primary contest that could force him out of Congress after two terms. The primary challenge came after Good endorsed Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP primary — even before DeSantis officially launched his campaign.

""Governor Ron DeSantis has shown through action as Florida's chief executive that confronting hard challengers delivers effective results for every man, woman and child," Good said in 2023. "That strength in the face of adversity is needed more today than ever before, and it is why I am unequivocally endorsing and encouraging Governor DeSantis to run for president."

While Good has since endorsed Trump after DeSantis' early exit, Trump still threw his weight behind McGuire's candidacy. Notably, the former president launched an attack on Good after the Freedom Caucus chairman traveled to Manhattan to defend Trump outside of the New York courthouse during his first criminal trial.

"Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He turned his back on our incredible movement, and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and ‘loving’ Endorsement – But really, it was too late. The damage had been done!”

With more than 95% of ballots counted, the New York Times has McGuire slightly ahead of Good by 321 total votes as of 1:20 PM Eastern Time. Whomever ends up winning the primary will face off against Democrat Gloria Witt in November. Republicans outnumber Democrats in the district, however, with the GOP primary drawing more than 62,000 voters in 2024 and Democrats bringing out just over 24,000.

Virginia's 5th Congressional District — which encompasses roughly two dozen counties in a swath of central Virginia between Roanoke and Richmond — is mostly rural. The last time a Democrat held the district was Tom Perriello, who held it for just one term between 2009 and 2011.

Should the thin margin remain until all ballots are counted, it would likely trigger an automatic recount, meaning the winner of the primary may not be known for several more weeks.

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