House Republican Bob Good officially ousted from Congress

Conservative hardliner Bob Good lost a recount of his contentious primary against Trump-backed John McGuire. Good, whose burn-it-all-down tactics in the House had made enemies out of colleagues, had funded the recount, 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 was ahead by 393 votes. The initial race on June 18 had been so close that it took weeks for the results to come out. McGuire officially beat Good in the initial primary after the final tally found him ahead by just 374 votes.

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’ and would ‘continue to serve my constituents to the best of my ability over the next five months of my term.’ 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. The Good campaign quickly demanded a recount.

‘The people of our district are reaching out to our campaign demanding’ a recount, spokesperson Diana Shores said. ‘We will pursue the recount to settle any questions about the fairness or transparency of the election process.’ 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. 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. Trump conducted a tele-townhall for McGuire on the eve of the primary. The ex-president also tore into Good days after the Freedom Caucus leader went to New York to support him at trial. ‘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,’ Trump repeated again on Truth Social before election day.

Good originally endorsed Ron DeSantis for president before backing Trump when the Florida governor dropped out of the running. But weeks ago Trump endorsed another DeSantis supporter in Congress : Georgia Rep. Rich McCormick. Trump went on: ‘I just want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and the person that can most help me do that is Navy Seal and highly respected State Legislator, John McGuire, a true American Hero.’ ‘John, who fought the Cartels on the Front Line, and then came home and fought the drug dealers in Virginia, will ALWAYS PUT AMERICA FIRST.’

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 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, have 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, 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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