Trump-backed challenger ousts Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good in revenge for DeSantis support

Donald Trump has taken his revenge against the chair of the House Freedom Caucus in a primary that proves his endorsement is still a kingmaker within the Republican Party.

The race in Virginia’s 5th district was called around on Tuesday afternoon, with all 24 localities reporting. Virginia’s Department of Elections declared that John McGuire, a retired Navy SEAL and state senator, won the primary with 31,209 votes compared to Representative Bob Good’s 31,583, creating a margin of just 374 votes.

The results took days to come in as the race remained on a knife edge, and Good has already said that he will ask for a recount.

McGuire declared victory and thanked Trump for the endorsement in a statement on X/Twitter.

“Number one, I want to thank God,” he said. We could not have done this without my wife Tracy, our incredible team, and of course President Trump! This is the honor of a lifetime.”

On Friday, before results had been called, Good told The Independent he planned to contest them.

“We will challenge and contest the race,” he said. “I think we owe it to the 31,000 people who voted for us to make sure it's accurate, and that it truly reflects the intent of the legal legitimate voters.”

Good, who has chaired the House’s most conservative caucus since January, became a target of the former president’s ire when he endorsed Trump’s primary challenger Ron DeSantis in May of 2023.

When Good endorsed him, DeSantis looked to be possibly the strongest Republican in the primary, as Trump’s legal woes were beginning to mount. The Florida governor was riding high after winning a resounding victory in his battle for re-election in 2022.

DeSantis would eventually bow out of the Republican primary days after the Iowa caucuses in January, having failed to come close to overtaking Trump in a state where his campaign had almost exclusively focused its time and efforts.

Trump-endorsed candidate John McGuire meets voters in June 2024 at a campaign stop (Facebook: John McGuire)

In the end, he was nearly overtaken by a surging Nikki Haley, who would go on to be the only Republican other than Trump to win a state in the GOP primary this year.

In response, Trump swiftly endorsed McGuire.

“John is running against Bob Good, who is not good,” he posted on Truth Social ahead of the primary. “ Despite his name, he’s very bad for Virginia.”

Good said that Trump’s endorsement of his opponent had an effect on the race and said it was based on inaccurate information.

“Obviously I haven't fought against President Trump,” he told The Independent. “I haven't been bad for Virginia. Obviously, after three and a half years, I wasn't going to suddenly turn on the people in my district and all of that was suggested in the endorsement from the President and so certainly was disappointing.”

Good also earned the ire of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy, whom Good opposed as speaker and whom Good voted to oust. McCarthy’s political action committee poured $10,000 into the race against Good.

Good’s opponent successfully squeezed the congressman out as Good sought to reaffirm his loyalty to Trump in 2024.

Bob Good, left, listens as his colleague Matt Gaetz speaks at a Republican press conference outside of Donald Trump’s courtroom in Manhattan (Getty Images)

Good attended court to show support for Trump the same day, even wearing the signature blue suit/red tie combo favored by Trump’s acolytes. But it was McGuire who came away with the former president’s endorsement from the showdown possibly unsurprising, given that he was the only non-incumbent granted a spot in the former president’s limousine.

If there was any doubt as to why McGuire won the endorsement in the end, it was settled by Trump himself as the former president spoke virtually at a tele-rally for Good’s challenger on Monday evening.

“After I won the primary he became a big fan — that’s not good enough,” Trump told McGuire’s fans.

Virginia’s 5th district is solidly Republican, meaning McGuire is all but guaranteed to come to Washington in January.

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