Good to Seek Recount After Officials Certify Results Showing McGuire Won

Having likely lost to challenger state Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, 5th Congressional District Rep. Bob Good is seeking a recount. The Virginia State Board  of Elections certified primary election results Tuesday — which opened a window of opportunity for candidates appearing to have lost by less than 1% of the vote to pursue a recount if they wish.

U.S Rep. Bob Good, R-Campbell, speaks at a campaign rally in Powhatan County. (Charlotte Rene Woods/Virginia Mercury)

With the loss at less than 400 votes, Good is entitled to a recount, but his campaign will have to cover the costs of it.

Good’s campaign manager, Diana Shores, said that people in the district have been reaching out to the campaign to ask for a recount.

“Our donors, our volunteers, and our supporters expect it. This isn’t about Bob Good. This is about the people of the district,” she said in a text message.

Shores said that the recount can “settle any questions about the fairness and transparency of the election process” so that “voters can confidently move forward to the general election.”

After the state elections board certified the results of the June primaries on Tuesday, chairman John O’Bannon said Virginia’s elections were “free and fair.”

Virginia officials defend ‘free and fair’ elections as primary results are certified

In a statement Tuesday, McGuire called the election results “the honor of a lifetime.”

“I look forward to continuing our fight for Virginia families every day in Congress.” He asked voters to support him and former president Donald Trump, adding that without “Trump and a Republican Congress, we will lose our great country.”

Good, first elected in 2020 — the same year former president Donald Trump lost to president Joe Biden — has challenged the results of the Biden-Trump matchup, as has McGuire.

The two-term congressman has previously won the GOP nomination through a convention process before topping Democratic challengers in the conservative-leaning district spanning parts of central and Southside Virginia.

This year, Good faced state senator McGuire in a district-wide primary, which meant more people were able to vote. Though similar candidates in many ways when it comes to conservative Republican policy platforms, fealty to Trump became a highlight of their contest, as Trump and Biden face off again this year.

Last summer Good briefly endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president. This was shortly after some of Trump’s indictments had been announced (and Trump has since been convicted on 34 counts in one of the pending cases, involving payments to an adult film star). When DeSantis dropped out of the race, Good immediately re-endorsed Trump.

Trump went on to endorse McGuire and sent a cease and desist letter to Good’s campaign for signs that included Trump’s name — implying an endorsement he didn’t have.

At a recent rally in Chesapeake, Trump spoke about several Republican congressional candidates in Virginia, including a shoutout for McGuire that commended his military service.

“I know a lot of tough guys and they wanted to be Navy SEALs. It was their dream to be a Navy SEAL. … They couldn’t get there,” Trump said. “It’s a very tough thing to do. It’s really tough, guys,” adding that McGuire is “a tough cookie” who is “doing a good job” as a state lawmaker.

Whoever wins Virginia’s 5th District congressional race will face Democrat nominee Gloria Tinsley Witt in November’s general election. A Republican-leaning district, voters have historically favored GOP candidates, though Democrat Tom Periello represented the district from 2009 to 2011.

by Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury

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