Trump’s revenge campaign against a Virginia lawmaker ends with a cliffhanger

A Virginia primary congressional race between a right-wing firebrand incumbent and a challenger endorsed by Donald Trump remained too close to call on Wednesday morning — but that didn’t stop the former president’s candidate of choice from prematurely declaring victory.

John McGuire, a Virginia state senator, was endorsed by Trump after Representative Bob Good, a two-term incumbent who serves as chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, came out in support ofFlorida Governor Ron DeSantis for the Republican nomination for president. As of Wednesday morning, only 315 votes stood between Good and McGuire in Virginia’s 5th congressional district.

Nonetheless, McGuire declared victory Tuesday evening.

“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,” McGuire posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “There are still a few votes left to count, but it’s clear that all paths end with a victory.”

Meanwhile, Good applauded his campaign for the close race despite a lack of support from Trump and the Republican establishment.

“The entire DC Swamp was aligned against us with over $10 million in attack ads, but with your help we were able to make this race too close to call,” he said. “No matter the outcome, you’ve shown the DC Swamp that you won’t back down from standing for what’s right. Keep the faith and don’t stop fighting now.”

Good has become an outspoken right-wing figure since he joined the House of Representatives in 2021. He vocally opposed Kevin McCarthy’s bid to become speaker of the House in January of last year. When Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida filed his motion to remove