Recount to settle narrow Virginia GOP primary between US Rep. Bob Good and a Trump-backed challenger
GOOCHLAND, Va. — A recount of the Republican primary will be held on Thursday to determine whether John McGuire, a senator backed by former President Donald Trump, narrowly defeated incumbent U.S. Rep. Bob Good, a conservative who chairs the far-right House Freedom Caucus.
The recount of the election for the seat representing Virginia’s 5th Congressional District comes after election officials certified that McGuire won by 374 of the nearly 63,000 votes cast, or six-tenths of a percentage point.
Election officials have said they are confident in the results, but Good has filed a petition for a recount in Goochland County Court, saying Apparent Irregularities in Lynchburg Voting.
“I think conservatives across the country and across the state want to make sure that this result is accurate and reflects the true intentions of all voters in this election,” Well said after a hearing in mid-July where the recount was planned.
Good could request a recount because McGuire’s margin of victory was less than 1 percent. But his campaign will have to pay for it because the margin is greater than half a percentage point.
A three-judge panel will oversee the recount, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. and continue until all ballots are counted. Chief Judge Claude Worrell II estimated last month that it would cost $96,500, though that figure is subject to change.
Good, who has served in Congress since 2021, was one of eight Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted in October to remove fellow Republican Rep. Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House.
After Good endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the Republican Party presidential nomination, Trump called him a traitor and threw his support behind McGuire, a former Navy SEAL.
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Olivia Diaz is a staff member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.