John Maguire has defeated incumbent Rep. Bob Good in the Republican primary, according to a certification by the Virginia State Board of Elections.
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Good has said he will call for a recount.
McGuire leads Good by 374 votes (50.3% to 49.7%) in the 5th District. McGuire, who has boasted of his victory since the close race on June 18, reaffirmed his victory by celebrating it again on Tuesday.
“First I want to thank God I couldn’t have done this without my wife Tracy, my amazing team and of course President Trump! The honor of a lifetime,” Maguire posted on social media, captioning a photo of himself and former President Donald Trump with the words “Election confirmed!”
“This is the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to continuing to fight for Virginia families every day in Congress. I humbly ask for your support in my campaign and for President Donald J. Trump in November. Without President Trump and a Republican Congress, we will lose our great country,” he added.
Goode is concerned about the “rigged” election and has already called for a recount. Because the difference in votes was less than 1%, a recount is permitted. But because the difference was more than 0.5%, the congressman would have to pay for the recount. Goode is raising funds for the recount on his campaign website.
Appearing on a podcast with Steve Bannon last month, Goode suggested that fire alarms had sounded at three police stations in Albemarle and Hanover counties, as well as the city of Lynchburg, causing problems with evacuations.
Despite Good’s refusal to concede defeat, several Republican political leaders have congratulated Maguire on his victory, including Republican Party Chairman Rich Anderson, who said last month that the race was “decided.”
But Anderson said he would respect Good’s “right” to request a recount after certification.
“Given the margin of error, Rep. Good has the right to request a recount of the election after the State Board of Elections certifies the results on July 2, and as an American citizen, we should respect that right,” the committee chairman said.
Goode had not yet commented on the certification as of press time.
