The race was tight—really tight; Virginia state senator John McGuire beat Representative Bob Good in the June 18 GOP House primary by only 374 votes out of the nearly 63,000 cast. It was so close that Good demanded a recount, but the end result remained the same: McGuire defeated Good, chair of the House Freedom Caucus, by a very narrow margin (370 votes, four less than in the original count). The judge overseeing the matter confirmed it:
“Mr. McGuire received more votes than Mr. Good and is the winner of this election,” Chief Judge Claude Worrell II said from the bench, concluding the recount.
McGuire, a former Navy SEAL who had earned the endorsement of GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, acknowledged his victory on social media:
This recount reaffirmed what we already knew from the June 18th primary.
It really is amazing what we can achieve when we work as a team.
It is an honor to be the VA 05 Republican nominee.
— John McGuire (@JohnMcGuire4VA) August 2, 2024
McGuire then turned to the November election, where he hopes to join forces with Trump and ensure a House majority and a Republican in the White House.
Folks in the 5th District can rest assured that should they elect me in November, they will have an effective fighter in Congress who will get the job done.
— John McGuire (@JohnMcGuire4VA) August 2, 2024
I do not see a reaction from Bob Good on Twitter/X as of this writing. Trump turned on Good and endorsed McGuire after the former supported Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ bid for the presidency over Trump’s.
Good, who has served in Congress since 2021, was one of eight Republicans who voted to oust fellow GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker in October.
After Good endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential contest, former President Trump called him a backstabber and threw his support to McGuire, a former Navy SEAL.
A three-judge panel oversaw the recount. Judge Worrell estimated last month that it would cost $96,500, though he said that amount could change.
McGuire will face Democrat Gloria Witt in the November general election. The 5th District tilts conservative.
Background: Winner Finally Declared in VA-05 GOP Primary
House Freedom Caucus Leader Begs Speaker Johnson to Help Him Save His Seat
While the House GOP Tries to Maintain Its Majority, Trump Takes Aim at Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good
There are going to be a lot of interesting developments between now and November, but it’s now going to be John McGuire competing for an important House seat and not Bob Good.
