The race was close—really tight; Virginia State Senator John McGuire defeated Representative Bob Good in the June 18 Republican primary by just 374 votes out of nearly 63,000 cast. It was so close that Good demanded a recount, but the end result remained the same: McGuire defeated Good, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, by a very narrow margin (370 votes, four less than the original count). The judge overseeing the case confirmed this:
“Mr. McGuire received more votes than Mr. Good and is the winner of this election,” said Chief Judge Claude Worrell II from his bench as he concluded the recount.
McGuire, a former Navy SEAL who won the endorsement of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, confirmed his victory on social media:
This recount confirmed what we already knew since the June 18 primary.
It’s truly amazing what we can accomplish when we work together as a team.
It is an honor to be the Republican candidate for VA 05.
— John McGuire (@JohnMcGuire4VA) 2 August 2024
McGuire then turned his attention to the November elections, where he hopes to join Trump in securing a majority in the House of Representatives and a Republican in the White House.
The people of the 5th District can be confident that if they elect me in November, they will have a tough fighter in Congress who will get the job done.
— John McGuire (@JohnMcGuire4VA) 2 August 2024
As of this writing, I see no response from Bob Good on Twitter/X. Trump turned against Good and endorsed McGuire after Good endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s presidential candidacy over Trump.
Good, who has been in Congress since 2021, was one of eight Republicans who voted in October to remove their Republican colleague Kevin McCarthy as speaker.
After Good endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in the Republican presidential race, former President Trump called him a schemer and turned to McGuire, a former Navy SEAL.
A three-judge panel oversaw the recount. Judge Worrell estimated last month that the recount would cost $96,500, but said that amount could change.
McGuire will face Democrat Gloria Witt in the November general election. The 5th District leans more conservative.
Background: Winner of VA 2005 Republican primary finally announced
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Asks Speaker Johnson to Help Him Save His Seat
As Republicans in the House of Representatives try to maintain their majority, Trump targets Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good
There will be many fascinating developments between now and November, but now it will be John McGuire vying for an critical seat in the House, not Bob Good.
