Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., plans to pursue a recount after Virginia’s elections board certified the results of his primary, which show the House Freedom Caucus chair narrowly trailing his Republican challenger.
The results from last month’s GOP primary in Virginia’s 5th District show state Sen. John McGuire ahead of Good, who faced opposition from former President Donald Trump and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, by just 374 votes, or less than 1 percentage point.
That puts the race within the margin that allows a candidate to request a recount. But the margin is wide enough that Good would have to cover the cost of a recount himself, rather than the state.
“The people of our district are reaching out to our campaign demanding that we pursue a recount. Our donors, our volunteers, and our supporters expect it,” Good’s campaign manager and senior advisor Diana Shores said in a statement to NBC News. “This isn’t about Bob Good. This is about the people of the district.”
“Already thousands of dollars in donations have come in for our recount efforts,” Shores added. “We will pursue the recount to settle any questions about the fairness or transparency of the election process. This way, voters can confidently move forward to the general election.”
Shores’ statement came ahead of the Virginia State Board of Elections meeting Tuesday afternoon, during which the board certified the primary results showing McGuire leading the GOP primary the deeply Republican 5th District. Good, the chair of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, has 10 days to formally request a recount.
“I think we can safely say we’ve had free and fair elections,” board Chairman John O’Bannon said, according to a livestream of the meeting.
McGuire had Trump’s endorsement in the race and millions of dollars of support on the airwaves from outside groups, including some tied to McCarthy. Good was one of eight Republicans who voted to oust McCarthy late last year.
Good had raised concerns, without providing evidence, about the validity of the vote count in certain areas of the district.
Good is at risk of becoming the first incumbent GOP member of Congress to lose to a primary challenger this election cycle.
