House Freedom Caucus chair Bob Good (R-Va.) is taking a page from Donald Trump’s playbook by suggesting that his apparent loss in the GOP primary was due to fraud. But, unlike the twice-impeached and criminally convicted former president, House Republicans aren’t supporting his wild claims.
The race between Good and Trump-backed Republican state Sen. John McGuire in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District’s GOP primary is still too close to call but McGuire is slightly ahead by more than 300 votes.
Good told former Trump adviser Steve Bannon that he will be pursuing a legal challenge to block the certification of the count in one county and has pushed conspiracy theories, including one about fires at three voting precincts the day of the primary. Local election officials have said there were no fires and each incident was simply fire alarms going off.
Now Good’s colleagues, including some who backed Trump’s debunked claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, are calling him a ‘sore loser’ for pushing theories similar to the former president’s.
“[Of] course Bob is claiming election fraud. He is grasping at straws to help save his political career,” Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.) told Axios. “If Bob had spent more time working for America and less time trying to dictate to other members of Congress how we could vote for our constituents, we would not be having this conversation. He is a bully and it is time for him to go.”
“Bob Good lost. It is very simple,” Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.) said.
Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.) told the outlet: “Bob Good lost.” New York Republican Rep. Mike Lawler simply said, “what a loser”.
An anonymous House GOP Rep told Axios: “F**k Bob Good. Bob Good is a sore loser. His defeat strengthens our majority.”
“I assume Bob Good is full of s**t,” said another.
While Good is crying fraud, McGuire, also an election denier, is taking a victory lap even though the race hasn’t been called.
“Thank you to my family, thank you to everyone who helped out on this campaign, thank you to the people who endorsed and supported me, and thank you to Donald J. Trump for believing in me. There are still a few votes left to count, but it’s clear that all paths end with a victory,” he wrote in a post on X shortly after polls close.
Good was elected to Congress in 2020 and was a staunch Trump ally. However, he endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the GOP primary and even though he eventually endorsed Trump, it was too late.
Virginia’s 5th congressional district is reliably red and the eventual winner of the GOP primary will likely win the general election in November.
