Virginia House race shows deep fissures within GOP primary races: Julia Manchester
The Hill national political reporter Julia Manchester discusses infighting in House GOP primary races on 'Sunday Night in America.'
The Republican primary race in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District between House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Good and state Sen. John McGuire was too close to call on Tuesday night.
As of 11 p.m., 92% of the vote was called – with McGuire being up by just 300 votes.
The race will now move to a recount for the GOP primary in the state's reliably red 5th Congressional District, in the southern part of the commonwealth.
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U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, speaks alongside fellow members during a press conference on the government funding bill, at the U.S. Capitol on March 22, 2024, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
In a statement on X, Good thanked supporters for their volunteer efforts and slammed the "D.C. Swamp."
"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," Good wrote, in part.
"No matter the outcome, you’ve shown the DC Swamp that you won’t back down from standing for what’s right. Keep the faith and don’t stop fighting now," he said.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and and former President Donald Trump meet ahead of 2024 election. (Trump campaign)
The intra-party primary battle came after former President Donald Trump unleashed his wrath against Good for previously endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.
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Even though the two-term congressional representative avoided criticizing Trump and quickly endorsed the former president after DeSantis ended his White House bid in January, Trump wrote on this Truth Social platform that "the damage has been done!"
The former president last month endorsed McGuire, who also had the backing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a conservative firebrand and major Trump ally who is a vocal critic of Good who last year broke with the House Freedom Caucus. The group is considered the most far-right organization of lawmakers in the chamber.
Then-Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, as he was ousted as House Speaker. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also targeted Good, who was one of eight Republicans last autumn who joined with Democrats voting to oust McCarthy from his leadership position.
However, Good had the support of Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds of Florida, two conservatives who are also strong backers of Trump.
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Additionally, fellow House Freedom Caucus members, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Andy Biggs of Arizona, joined Good in Virginia for a rally on Friday.
Even though he was targeted by Trump, Good spotlighted his support for the former president as he ran for re-election.
"Happy Birthday to the best and next President of the United States, President Trump!" Good wrote on social media last Friday, on the former president's 78th birthday.
Good also showed up earlier this spring at Trump's criminal trial in New York City to show his support for the former president.
Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
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