Conservative hardliner and powerful Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good shockingly lost his seat in Congress following a recount of his contentious primary against Trump-backed John McGuire.
The Virginia lawmaker’s burn-it-all-down tactics in the House has made enemies out of colleagues including former President Donald Trump and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy – who he ousted last year.
The initial race on June 18 had been so close that it took weeks for the results to come out and Good funded the recount himself.
But ultimately it did not make up for the nearly 400-vote gap of 62,000 votes cast and the Associated Press called the race for McGuire on Thursday night.
With 99 percent of votes tallied, McGuire took the win by just 393 votes and now the Freedom Caucus will be forced to elect a new chair.
In a concession message, Good boasted that he’d been the ‘strongest and most consistent voice in the House for protection of life from contraception.’
Conservative hardliner and powerful Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good shockingly lost his seat in Congress following a recount of his contentious primary against Trump-backed John McGuire
The right-wing Freedom Caucus chair lost the support of the president when he initially endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over him. He also turned off a number of House colleagues when he voted to oust Kevin McCarthy from the speakership.
He earned the ire of Trump after endorsing Ron DeSantis in the contentious GOP presidential primary.
Trump never forgot that and worked to actively rally voters against Good calling him ‘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,’ Trump wrote onTruth Social before election day.
Despite the heat from the former president, Good was one of a handful of right wing lawmakers who traveled to Manhattan on May 16 to support Trump in his criminal trial. McGuire went to New York to court Trump’s support that same day.
Trump conducted a tele-townhall for McGuire on the eve of the primary to further stick the knife into Good.
In June, a fellow Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, even endorsed Good’s opponent. The caucus typically likes to put on a united front.
Davidson was later ousted from the caucus after wading into the race.
Trump tore into Rep. Bob Good and endorsed his primary challenger John McGuire on Tuesday morning, days after the Freedom Caucus leader went to New York to support him at trial
Incumbents who Good endorsed against like Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., showed up to door-knock for McGuire in the days before the primary.
‘Bob Good has done more to undermine and divide Republicans than any Democrat. I congratulate John McGuire on a huge win for the GOP. Goodbye Bob Good,’ Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., posted on X after the initial primary.
The race attracted more spending by outside groups – $10.7 million – than any other Virginia races. By comparison, the candidates themselves only spent $1.7 million.
Such groups spent some $5.9 million either opposing Good or supporting McGuire.
McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, state senator and election denier who attended the ‘Stop the Steal’ rally on January 6, 2021, had the backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who traveled to his district to tell voters Good is a ‘traitor’ to Trump.
On the other side, Steve Bannon backed Good, and told voters in his district ‘this isn’t about Trump’ and the primary challenge was spurred by Good’s McCarthy opposition.
Good leads the roughly 50-member hard right Freedom Caucus, which is comprised of some of Speaker Mike Johnson’s biggest Republican antagonists.
Reps. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and Chip Roy, R-Texas, had come out in support of Good, Greene has supported his challenger.
Rep. Derrick Van Orden traveled to the district to support McGuire – as did Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers. Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows supports Good.
‘Bob Good didn’t come here to govern. He came here to be famous,’ Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, told CNN. ‘Bob Good’s wearing our jersey, and he’s not on the team.’
Good was one of a handful of right wing lawmakers who traveled to Manhattan on May 16 to support Trump in his criminal trial. McGuire went to New York to court Trump’s support that same day
Good, meanwhile, had local backing in the district’s GOP committee.
Rick Buchanan, the chairman of the district’s GOP committee, told Cardinal News in May that a Trump endorsement ‘wouldn’t move the needle that much.’
‘If you listen to McGuire’s campaign, then yes, [Trump] is the issue, because McGuire has nothing else,’ Buchanan said. ‘I’m not seeing where he takes a stance on any real issue, except Bob Good’s no good, and Bob Good is not a Trump supporter, which is a lie. That’s why he’s got the name McLiar.’
Buchanan said Good is trying to run to the right of Good, but ‘there is no position to the right of Bob.’
‘McGuire has no place to run, he has no issues that he can stand on that Bob hasn’t already taken a stand on.’
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