The Republican primary for Virginia’s 5th District was too tight Tuesday night and too close to call just before midnight. Former President Donald Trump-backed candidate John McGuire is running against incumbent Robert Good.
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Goode, chairman of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, previously endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as the 2024 Republican presidential nominee. Good threw his support behind Trump after DeSantis left.
Trump, while acknowledging Good’s “hot” endorsement, posted on his social media site Truth Social on Monday, “Bob Good is bad for Virginia, and bad for America! He’s back on our incredible movement. He was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he was hot and ” Beloved” approved – but really, it was too late.
The former president instead gave his “full and complete endorsement” to McGuire, a Virginia state senator and former Navy SEAL who supported the pro-Trump “Stop the Steel” movement following President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory.
Scott Olson
What we know
As of 11:27 p.m. ET, McGuire Good led by less than 400 votes, with 93 percent of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press. The lead changed hands more than once earlier in the night.
Goode issued a statement on the race just before 11 p.m., thanking his supporters that “you will not back down for what’s right,” no matter the “result.”
“Right now, we’re still waiting on today’s primary election results,” Goode said in the statement. He shared For X, formerly Twitter. “The entire DC swamp was aligned against us with over $10 million in attack ads, but with your help we were able to make this race too close to call.”
Currently, we are still awaiting the final election results from today’s primary. While we wait, I want to thank you for your support so far. You have confirmed your vote. Many of you gave up your precious time making phone calls and knocking on doors. Many of you have had a hard time…
— Bob Good for Congress (@GoodForCongress) June 19, 2024
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Florida Rep. Matt Gates and Colorado Rep. Lauren Bobert, both “Make America Great Again”-branded Republicans, have thrown their support behind Goode, however, highlighting a significant divide within MAGA.
“It’s been an honor to campaign with my friend and conservative activist,” Gates posted to X on Monday.Good for @Congress VA5 Please get out and vote for Bob Good today!”
Boebert also shared several of Good on X’s campaign posts ahead of the election. However, the MAGA divide became apparent as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia threw her weight behind McGuire.
“VA-05 poll closes at 7pm, vote for John McGuire, the real Trump endorsed candidate!!” Greene posted to X on Tuesday. “Trump bin stopper Bob Goode is not! And you want to know the truth about Bob Goode and Kevin McCarthy? SOUND UP! LISTEN TO THE END!”
What’s next
The election results were too close to call by the time they were announced. A recount is possible if the candidates are separated by hundreds of votes or less in the final tally.
Regardless of the final margin, the close result may indicate that Trump has less sway over Republicans than some imagine. A poll of 300 voters commissioned by the Virginia Faith and Freedom Coalition and a poll conducted earlier this month indicated McGuire had a solid 10-point lead over Good.
Extraordinary knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
