The primary race between Representative Bob Good of Virginia, the chairman of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus, and his Trump-backed challenger remains undecided a week after the voting. The two candidates, both election deniers, are gearing up for a prolonged and contentious battle to claim victory.
John J. McGuire, a state senator and former Navy SEAL who participated in the “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021, holds a slim lead of nearly 375 votes out of the nearly 63,000 votes cast, as reported by The Associated Press. McGuire declared himself the winner before all votes were counted, and former President Donald J. Trump, who endorsed him, also declared him the victor on Monday.
However, The A.P. maintains that the race is too close to call, citing the possibility of a recount potentially changing the outcome. Mr. Good has expressed his intention to seek a recount, as allowed under Virginia law when the margin of victory is less than one percentage point.
The A.P. stated, “While not unprecedented, it is rare for a race of this nature to shift by a few hundred votes during a recount.” Virginia has a history of small vote corrections post-election day, with some past statewide races seeing shifts of hundreds of votes during a recount.
Mr. Good would have to fund the recount himself due to trailing Mr. McGuire by 0.6 of a percentage point, just above the state’s threshold for financing. He appeared on the “War Room” podcast to seek financial support for the recount, including contesting the results reported by Lynchburg, the district’s largest city.
The race in the Blue Ridge Mountains has primarily centered around loyalty to Mr. Trump, with both candidates vying to portray themselves as the true champions of his hard-right agenda. This has caused division within the MAGA movement and the GOP, showcasing the party’s internal conflicts and shifting alliances.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy also played a role in the race, aiming to defeat Mr. Good after he voted to remove McCarthy from his position last year.
Annie Karni contributed reporting.
