On Tuesday, Virginia election authorities announced that state Sen. John McGuire had defeated Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) in their closely contested primary. Good, who chairs the staunchly conservative House Freedom Caucus, becomes the first casualty of internal Republican discord this election cycle.
The official decision came two weeks after the primary vote. McGuire’s victory margin of 374 votes was narrow enough to allow Good to seek a recount. However, it fell just short of the threshold that would require the state to cover the recount costs.
Number one, I want to thank God. 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. #Trump2024 #virginia #VA05 pic.twitter.com/OpHmIseqEF
— John McGuire (@JohnMcGuire4VA) July 2, 2024
Before the Virginia State Board of Elections certified McGuire’s win, Good told HuffPost, “We intend to call for recounts. The race is close enough to warrant this step, and we want to ensure that every legitimate vote is tallied accurately, reflecting the true intentions of eligible voters who participated.”
The Republican Jewish Coalition’s National Chairman, former Senator Norm Coleman, and its CEO Matt Brooks, on Tuesday night announced they were celebrating the belated defeat of a congressman who opposed Israel Aid, the Chair of the House Freedom Caucus, Bob Good (R-Va).
“For the pro-Israel community, this is not the first time that concerns have been raised about Rep. Bob Good’s undermining of US support for Israel: Good also voted against passage of an Israel aid bill in February, and he opposed a defense authorization bill that included important funding for joint US-Israel defense programs, including Iron Dome,” the RJC said in April.
In 2023, Good was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of a resolution directing President Joe Biden to remove US troops from Syria within 180 days.
“Let there be no doubt that the Republican Jewish Coalition means it when we say: If you stand against the Jewish community, if you stand against America’s strategic ally Israel, the RJC will work to defeat you,” Coleman and Brooks stated Tuesday night, adding, “Across VA-05, Republican primary voters rejected extremist Rep. Bob Good and supported reliably pro-Israel RJC-endorsed conservative John McGuire to represent them in Congress.”
Both men acknowledged that “This is a major victory for the RJC, the Jewish community, and for all pro-Israel Americans. This win comes after RJC decisively defeated Bob Good-endorsed candidates in WV-01, NE-02, and TX-23 earlier this year. The RJC will continue to engage in key GOP primaries when necessary – even against incumbent members. We remain hopeful that Democratic Jewish organizations will follow our lead to hold their own side accountable.”
Jews be muscular!
