Republican voters in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District will go to the polls Tuesday to decide whether they will hand another term to House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good or replace him with Sen. John McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, in a race that has split within the Trump faction of the Republican Party.
The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan election tracker, rates the race as “Solid Republican,” so the winner of the Republican primary will almost certainly win the general election in Southside Virginia.
Good, who was running for his fifth term, lost the support of both Republicans joining Kevin McCarthy after voting for oust McCarthy as speaker and former President Donald Trump, after endorsing the former president’s main opponent, the governor of Florida. Ron DeSantis.
Well endorsed later Trump after DeSantis dropped out, but not soon enough for Trump, who posted on Truth Social: “It was too late” – and then endorsed his main challenger.
“Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR USA,” Trump wrote, adding, “I want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and the person who can most help me do that is Navy Seal and the highly respected state legislature, John. McGuire, a true American hero.”
During a conference call for McGuire on Monday evening, Trump said: “If he is re-elected, Bob Good will stab Virginia in the back just like he did me.”
McGuire has also taken a beating in ads for his disloyalty to Trump. In a recent ad, McGuire holds a gun as a narrator says, “Trump doesn’t need another backstabber in Congress. He needs John McGuire — a straight shooter who always has his six.”
McGuire not only has the support of the former president, but is also endorsed by other Republicans aligned with Trump, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Freedom Caucus member Warren Davidson. Some of Good’s GOP colleagues in Washington have come to the district to support McGuire, including Rep. Jen Kiggans of Virginia, who even helped raise money for Good’s challenger.
But Good still has a slew of endorsements from Republicans in Congress, like Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donald of Florida and Virginia Rep. Ben Cline.
Outside groups, including Club for Growth and the House Freedom Fund, also donated millions to promote Good’s re-election bid, while others — some with ties to McCarthy — spent millions trying to oust him. McGuire also narrowly outraised Good, $1.2 million to $1.1 million, according to May federal election filings.
This will be McCarthy’s second attempt to oust one of the lawmakers who voted for his impeachment. He failed to dislodge Representative Nancy Mace, who won her primary last week.
Polls are open on Tuesdays from 6am to 7pm ET.
