House Freedom Caucus Chairman Bob Goode and state Sen. John McGuire held a close race in the Republican primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District on Tuesday night.
As of 11 p.m., 92% of the vote had been cast, with McGuire leading by just 300 votes.
The Republican primary will now be recounted in the state’s reliably red 5th Congressional District, in the federal South.
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U.S. Rep. Bob Goode (R-VA), chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, speaks with other members during a news conference on the government funding bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, March 22, 2024. (Kevin Dickey/Getty Images)
In a statement from X, Goode thanked supporters for their volunteer efforts and slammed the “DC swamp.”
“The entire DC Swamp aligned with us and ran over $10 million in attack ads, but with your help we made this a close game,” Goode wrote in part.
“No matter the outcome, you have shown the Washington swamp that you will not back down from standing up for what is right. Keep the faith and don’t stop fighting,” he said.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin meets former President Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election. (Trump campaign)
Before the party primary battle broke out, former President Trump expressed anger over Goode’s previous endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.
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While the two-term congressman avoided criticizing Trump and quickly backed the former president after DeSantis ended his bid for the White House in January, Trump wrote on the truth-based social platform, “The damage has been done!
The former president last month endorsed McGuire, who also has the backing of Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene. A key ally of Trump, he is an outspoken critic of Goode, who broke with the House Freedom Caucus last year. The group is considered the most right-wing group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives.
And then – Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, is removed from office as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy also targeted Goode, one of eight Republicans who joined Democrats in voting to oust McCarthy from leadership last fall.
However, Goode has the backing of Florida Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds, two conservatives who are also staunch supporters of Trump.
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Additionally, Rep. Chip Roy of Texas and Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona, both members of the House Freedom Caucus, joined Goode at a rally in Virginia on Friday.
Even as Goode became a target of Trump, he emphasized his support for the former president during his re-election campaign.
“Happy birthday to the best next president of the United States, President Trump!” Goode wrote on social media on Friday, the former president’s 78th birthday.
Goode also attended Trump’s criminal trial in New York City earlier this spring to show his support for the former president.
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Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.
