Current:Home > NewsRep. Bob Good files for recount in Virginia GOP congressional primary -Trailblazer Capital Learning
Rep. Bob Good files for recount in Virginia GOP congressional primary
View
Date:2025-04-25 22:04:46
U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., one of Congress’ most conservative members, filed a petition Thursday for a recount after state election officials say he narrowly lost a primary last month to a challenger backed by former President Donald Trump.
The Good campaign said it filed the recount petition in Goochland County outside of Richmond. The campaign had the option of filing in any courthouse within the sprawling 5th Congressional District, which he has represented since 2021.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for the campaign to move ahead with the recount process. In the meantime, Congressman Good will continue serving his constituents and fighting for reduced spending, secure borders, and our constitutional freedoms,” the campaign said in an emailed statement.
Earlier this month, the state board of elections declared state Sen. John McGuire the winner over Good in the 5th District primary. McGuire’s margin of victory was 374 votes out of nearly 63,000 ballots cast, or six-tenths of a percentage point.
Because the margin of victory was less than a percentage point, though, Good was entitled to seek a recount under state law.
Good’s campaign will be required to pay for the recount, though, because the margin is greater than half a percentage point. The campaign will get a refund if the recount results in Good’s victory.
The Associated Press said the race is too close to call and failed to declare a winner, citing Good’s plans to seek a recount.
Good had signaled for weeks that he would seek a recount. He has c laimed that there were voting irregularities in Lynchburg and elsewhere, but elections officials have said the count is accurate and they are confident in the results.
If Good loses, he would be the first House incumbent nationally to lose a primary challenge this year, with the exception of one race in which two incumbents faced off due to redistricting.
Good, who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus and has a staunchly conservative voting record, might have been immune to a primary challenge under normal political dynamics.
But Good drew the ire of Trump voters after he endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential contest. Trump endorsed McGuire, a state senator and former Navy SEAL, and called Good a backstabber.
Good also alienated the Republican establishment for his efforts to oust House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. A Republican political action committee, Defending Main Street, which almost always spends money to support GOP incumbents, launched a $450,000 ad campaign against Good.
In an emailed statement, McGuire campaign consultant Sean Brown said “(r)ecounting the ballots and delaying the inevitable may make Bob feel better, but it won’t make him congressman again. More people voted for John McGuire than voted for Bob Good, no matter how many times he counts it.”
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Gloria Witt in November in a district that tilts conservative.
Under state law, a Goochland County judge is expected to schedule a preliminary hearing in the next seven days to establish procedures for a recount.
veryGood! (5)
Related
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Netherlands into Euro 2024 semifinal against England after beating Turkey
- Authorities say 2 rescued, 1 dead, 1 missing after boat capsizes on Lake Erie
- Trump ally Nigel Farage heckles his hecklers as his far-right Reform UK Party makes gains in U.K. election
- Trump's 'stop
- Bronny James expected to make NBA summer league debut Saturday: How to watch
- Russia sentences U.S. man Robert Woodland to prison on drug charges
- Two inmates charged with murder recaptured after escape from Mississippi jail
- Megan Fox's ex Brian Austin Green tells Machine Gun Kelly to 'grow up'
- NHRA legend John Force walking with assistance after Traumatic Brain Injury from crash
Ranking
- What to know about Tuesday’s US House primaries to replace Matt Gaetz and Mike Waltz
- Megan Fox, Machine Gun Kelly, Tom Brady, more at Michael Rubin's July 4th party
- Wisconsin Supreme Court allows expanded use of ballot drop boxes in 2024 election
- Hatch Baby recalls over 919,000 power adapters sold with sound machine due to shock hazard
- Meta releases AI model to enhance Metaverse experience
- Padres place pitcher Yu Darvish on restricted list; out indefinitely
- Floodwaters erode area around Wisconsin dam, force evacuations
- Who is Britain's new Prime Minister Keir Starmer, ushered to power by his Labour Party's election landslide?
Recommendation
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Margot Robbie Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Tom Ackerley
Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Slow Burn (Freestyle)
Russia sentences U.S. man Robert Woodland to prison on drug charges
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Forest fire has burned 4,000 acres in New Jersey but is now 60 percent contained, officials say
Horoscopes Today, July 6, 2024
Tank and the Bangas to pay tribute to their New Orleans roots at Essence Festival