House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good (R) narrowly lost his Virginia primary to Trump-backed challenger John McGuire, giving the former president a victory in one of the most tumultuous nominating contests of the cycle, according to with Decision Desk HQ.
McGuire, a state senator, defeated Good, a two-term House Republican, in the GOP primary for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District after the race dragged on for days due to the thin margin separating the two candidates.
Good is almost certain to request a recount, previously saying last month that “we will do a full recount” even before the results are certified.
Under Virginia law, recounts can be triggered when the losing candidate was defeated by a margin of up to 1%. The state covers the expenses of the recount if the margin is up to half a percentage point, otherwise the competing candidate will foot the bill for the recount.
The difference between the two candidates was 0.6 percent, meaning Good will have to pay for the recount in the jurisdictions where he specifically requests it.
Good made a name for himself as a firebrand within the House Republican caucus, going against his own party at crucial moments. Among the moves that angered some in his party were his vote to remove former Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as chairman; vote against the debt ceiling agreement reached between President Biden and McCarthy last year; and voting against a foreign aid package that included aid to Ukraine and Israel.
But the biggest turning point came during the Republican Party’s presidential primaries, when Good endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over Trump in the race, drawing the former president’s ire. Good ended up supporting Trump after DeSantis dropped out.
Trump endorsed McGuire in late May, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform at the time, “Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA AND BAD FOR THE USA. 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.”
Good has also seen outside groups like the Main Street Republican Partnership and the Republican Jewish Coalition rally around McGuire. Even one of his fellow Freedom Caucus members — Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio) — has endorsed Good’s challenger.
Still, Good sought to align himself with the former president, so much so that the Trump campaign sent Good a cease and desist letter after finding yard signs that made it appear the congressman had received Trump’s endorsement.
Amid the turmoil, Good took steps to endorse the primary challengers of a handful of Republicans, such as Reps. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), who survived the primaries. Bacon, in turn, threw his support behind Good’s challenger.
In an interview with The Hill in May, Good argued that the primary contests between incumbents and incumbents only began when some in his party attended a fundraiser for McGuire.
And Good’s relatively strong performance despite the defeat underscores the tensions simmering in the House Republican Conference.
Some Republican groups hailed McGuire’s victory over Good.
“Let there be no doubt that the Republican Jewish Coalition is serious when we say: if you stand against the Jewish community, if you stand against America’s strategic ally, Israel, the RJC will work to defeat you,” said the national chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Senator Norm. Coleman and CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement after McGuire’s win.
“We are proud and pleased to have played a significant role in helping to defeat extremist Bob Good and look forward to working with John McGuire in the next Congress,” they added.
This story originally appeared on thehill.com read the full story
