Freedom Caucus chairman locked in tight primary versus Trump-backed challenger

GOP Rep. Bob Good, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, is looking to fend off a primary challenger backed by powerful Republicans including former President Donald Trump and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Tuesday.

Good’s primary in Virginia’s deep-red 5th District is among the most competitive races to be decided on Tuesday, and he could become the first sitting lawmaker to lose to a primary challenger this year. Along with Virginia, Oklahoma will also hold its primaries Tuesday, and Georgia will hold primary runoffs.

Good’s opponent, state Sen. John McGuire, is backed by some of Good’s own House colleagues as well as Trump and McCarthy. The two Republicans were separated by just a handful of percentage points with more than 90% of the vote counted in the district.

Good drew Trump’s ire by endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, and he’s on McCarthy’s radar as one of the eight Republicans who voted to oust the former speaker late last year.

Millions of dollars in ads have blanketed the 5th District airwaves, with McCarthy allies targeting Good. The two-term incumbent, meanwhile, has gotten boosts from outside groups tied to the Freedom Caucus, Club for Growth Action and Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul.

Oklahoma GOP Rep. Tom Cole was also on defense Tuesday but saw off his chief primary opponent, businessman Paul Bondar, who spent millions of dollars of his own money on the race. Cole, who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, got a boost from Trump in the race and recently told NBC News that Trump’s endorsement was “enormously helpful” as he faced the most competitive and expensive primary since he was first elected in 2002.

Bondar loaned his campaign $5.1 million of his own money,