Freedom Caucus leader Bob Good’s fate to be decided as recount begins for Virginia seat

Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, is expected to learn whether or not he will remain in Congress on Wednesday as Virginia’s 5th Congressional District prepares for a recount in the June primary that declared John McGuire the winner.

McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, won the primary by just 374 votes. If McGuire wins the recount, Good will become the first House Republican incumbent to lose a primary challenge this election cycle. The Virginia Republican has held office since 2021.

Good filed for a recount on July 11. Because the margin of victory is above half a point, Good is responsible for paying for the recount himself. Circuit Judge Claude Worrell II said he estimated the cost of the recount at $96,500, though it could be subject to change depending on the length of the recount process. If the updated results show Good as the winner, the congressman will be refunded. 

If the recount reaffirms McGuire’s victory, then there is no challenge that either campaign can make. Good’s loss would also make him the first House Freedom Caucus chairman to lose reelection.

Good, who has led the hard-line conservative caucus since January, has said he would resign early from his position as chairman if he loses the recount so a new leader can be elected before his term ends.

Not every Republican will be sad to see the Virginia hard-liner depart from Congress if the recount comes back in McGuire’s favor. He was one of eight House Republicans who voted to oust former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, sending the conference into a tailspin as the chamber operated for three weeks without someone holding the speaker’s gavel. Good has also encouraged GOP lawmakers to vote against legislation, even bills sponsored by his own party.

“They have eyes to see and ears to hear. And what some of these people are going to hear is the door hitting Bob Good in the ass. It’s time for him to go,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI), who campaigned alongside McGuire during the primary cycle, said in mid-July. “The reason being is this: If you have someone on your team who is cutting the laces on your combat boots before you went on a mission, you get rid of them.”

Former President Donald Trump also endorsed McGuire after Good threw his support behind Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) in the GOP presidential contest, calling Good a backstabber.

The recount will take place beginning at 7:30 a.m. and continue until all the ballots are counted. The winner of the recount will go on to face Democratic candidate Gloria Witt. The seat is rated “solid Republican” with a 7-point advantage for the GOP with Good as the incumbent. It is likely to still favor Republicans with McGuire as the GOP candidate.