RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – The margin between Republican incumbent Bob Good and his Trump-backed challenger John McGuire in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District primary is in recount territory and votes still need to be counted.
State Sen. McGuire (R-Goochland) leads Rep. Good (R-Va.), who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, by 309 votes (31,377 to 31,068), per the state’s unofficial count as of noon Wednesday, with provisional ballots and mail-in ballots sent by Tuesday still to be included.
This 0.5% difference is within the 1% margin needed for a potential recount in Virginia, which, if it holds after the results are certified by the State Board of Elections, would ultimately be paid for by the state instead of Good.
Still, McGuire declared victory Tuesday night.
Virginia state Sen. John McGuire joins supporters Tuesday night, June 18, 2024, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP Photo/Skip Rowland)
“There are still a few votes left to count, but it’s clear that all paths end with a victory,” McGuire said in a statement minutes before midnight.
Nearly an hour before McGuire’s declaration, Good told supporters on social media that his campaign was “still waiting on the final election results.”
On Wednesday, Good said he believes he can still win and is asking for “full transparency from the officials involved and patience from the people of the 5th District over the coming weeks as the certification of results is completed.”
“This race remains too close to call,” Good wrote on X on Wednesday. “We are in a period where the law provides a process for evaluating the accuracy of all the vote totals from election day to ensure everyone can have full confidence in the certified results.”
Local electoral boards still need to go over the unofficial primary returns and any potential errors, including reviewing provisional ballots that could or could not be accepted and ballots mailed in by Tuesday to local election offices.
Rep. Bob Good, front right, sits with his wife Tracey and family during a watch party in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/P. Kevin Morley)
In his bid to deny Good a third term, McGuire picked up an endorsement from former President Donald Trump that political experts said was key in his push to unseat an incumbent in a red-leaning district.
The 5th District stretches from the Charlottesville area to the North Carolina border, including the cities of Lynchburg and Danville and Louisa, Powhatan, and Goochland counties. It also includes part of Hanover County.
The Good-McGuire head-to-head was one of the most closely watched primaries by political experts. It pitted two far-right conservatives against each other who appear aligned on major policy points in a potential litmus test on Trump’s influence in Virginia.
It was also one of the most expensive primaries, with the Virginia Public Access Project reporting that nearly $10.9 million was spent in the race.
Trump endorsed McGuire over Good after the congressman backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary over Trump. Good ultimately endorsed Trump after DeSantis dropped out, but the former president said the switch was “too late” and the “damage had been done.”
Virginia’s 5th Congressional District (courtesy of the Supreme Court of Virginia)
And the day before Tuesday’s primary, Trump took part in a tele-town hall for McGuire in which he said the state senator had his “complete and total endorsement” and called Good “not good.”
Despite Trump campaigning against him, Good joined McGuire in making Trump a focal point in the primary. They aligned themselves with the former president and invoked his name during their campaigns.
McGuire made Trump’s endorsement a central focus of his campaign, touting the former president’s support in ads, signs and even his transportation. Good also focused on Trump, including using campaign signs with Trump’s name that he was asked to take down.
The winner of the GOP primary will go up against Democrat Gloria Witt in November. The Associated Press called the 5th District’s Democratic primary for Witt, the founder and CEO of a business executive coaching company, on Tuesday.
8News relies on The Associated Press for race calls. All election results are unofficial until certified by the State Board of Elections, which is set to meet on June 25.
There are no automatic recounts in Virginia. The losing candidate can petition for one and if the margin is within 0.5%, the state pays the cost. If it is between that and 1%, the losing candidate covers the cost.
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – The margin between Republican incumbent Bob Good and his Trump-backed challenger John McGuire in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District primary is in recount territory and votes still need to be counted.
State Sen. McGuire (R-Goochland) leads Rep. Good (R-Va.), who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, by 309 votes (31,377 to 31,068), per the state’s unofficial count as of noon Wednesday, with provisional ballots and mail-in ballots sent by Tuesday still to be included.
This 0.5% difference is within the 1% margin needed for a potential recount in Virginia, which, if it holds after the results are certified by the State Board of Elections, would ultimately be paid for by the state instead of Good.
Still, McGuire declared victory Tuesday night.
Virginia state Sen. John McGuire joins supporters Tuesday night, June 18, 2024, in Lynchburg, Va. (AP Photo/Skip Rowland)
“There are still a few votes left to count, but it’s clear that all paths end with a victory,” McGuire said in a statement minutes before midnight.
Nearly an hour before McGuire’s declaration, Good told supporters on social media that his campaign was “still waiting on the final election results.”
On Wednesday, Good said he believes he can still win and is asking for “full transparency from the officials involved and patience from the people of the 5th District over the coming weeks as the certification of results is completed.”
“This race remains too close to call,” Good wrote on X on Wednesday. “We are in a period where the law provides a process for evaluating the accuracy of all the vote totals from election day to ensure everyone can have full confidence in the certified results.”
Local electoral boards still need to go over the unofficial primary returns and any potential errors, including reviewing provisional ballots that could or could not be accepted and ballots mailed in by Tuesday to local election offices.
Rep. Bob Good, front right, sits with his wife Tracey and family during a watch party in Lynchburg, Va., Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (AP Photo/P. Kevin Morley)
In his bid to deny Good a third term, McGuire picked up an endorsement from former President Donald Trump that political experts said was key in his push to unseat an incumbent in a red-leaning district.
The 5th District stretches from the Charlottesville area to the North Carolina border, including the cities of Lynchburg and Danville and Louisa, Powhatan, and Goochland counties. It also includes part of Hanover County.
The Good-McGuire head-to-head was one of the most closely watched primaries by political experts. It pitted two far-right conservatives against each other who appear aligned on major policy points in a potential litmus test on Trump’s influence in Virginia.
It was also one of the most expensive primaries, with the Virginia Public Access Project reporting that nearly $10.9 million was spent in the race.
Trump endorsed McGuire over Good after the congressman backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary over Trump. Good ultimately endorsed Trump after DeSantis dropped out, but the former president said the switch was “too late” and the “damage had been done.”
Virginia’s 5th Congressional District (courtesy of the Supreme Court of Virginia)
And the day before Tuesday’s primary, Trump took part in a tele-town hall for McGuire in which he said the state senator had his “complete and total endorsement” and called Good “not good.”
Despite Trump campaigning against him, Good joined McGuire in making Trump a focal point in the primary. They aligned themselves with the former president and invoked his name during their campaigns.
McGuire made Trump’s endorsement a central focus of his campaign, touting the former president’s support in ads, signs and even his transportation. Good also focused on Trump, including using campaign signs with Trump’s name that he was asked to take down.
The winner of the GOP primary will go up against Democrat Gloria Witt in November. The Associated Press called the 5th District’s Democratic primary for Witt, the founder and CEO of a business executive coaching company, on Tuesday.
8News relies on The Associated Press for race calls. All election results are unofficial until certified by the State Board of Elections, which is set to meet on June 25.
There are no automatic recounts in Virginia. The losing candidate can petition for one and if the margin is within 0.5%, the state pays the cost. If it is between that and 1%, the losing candidate covers the cost.