Recount Confirms Primary Loss for Virginia Rep. Bob Good
By 270toWin Staff
August 2, 2024, 7:10 AM ET
A recount Thursday confirmed that state Sen. John McGuire defeated Rep. Bob Good (VA-05) in Virginia's June 18 primary. The final margin - 370 votes - was a reduction of only four from the state-certified result announced last month.
Good, in his 2nd term, headed the House Freedom Caucus. He didn't make too many friends during that short tenure. Per Politico, "His determination to block part of the GOP’s legislative agenda by any means necessary made him unpopular with his colleagues. He endorsed Ron DeSantis’ presidential bid even before the Florida governor had entered the race against Trump. Months later, he joined with seven other members last fall to defenestrate former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. And then he needlessly inserted himself into the primaries of his Republican colleagues, spurring personal grievances that compelled them to return the favor."
McGuire will face Democrat Gloria Witt in the general election and is favored to be the next representative from this district in the south central part of the state.
Good becomes the third incumbent to lose this cycle. In Alabama, Jerry Carl (R, AL-01) lost a member vs. member primary forced by redistricting. In New York, Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D, NY-16) lost in a June primary.
The list could grow after the Missouri primary next Tuesday. At the opposite end of the political spectrum from Good, 'Squad' member Cori Bush is being challenged by St. Louis County Prosecutor Wesley Bell. The same pro-Israel forces that contributed to Bowman's defeat are working against Bush.