Virginia certifies John McGuire as primary winner over Rep. Bob Good, who says he’ll seek a recount

RICHMOND. Va. (AP) — The Virginia State Board of Elections on Tuesday certified the apparent narrow defeat of Republican Rep. Bob Good, one of America’s most conservative congressmen, to a challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump in the state’s June 18 primaries.

The board’s unanimous vote to certify the results does not end the matter, though. Good, who chairs the hard-right House Freedom Caucus in Congress, has said he will seek a recount now that the state has declared his opponent, state Sen. John McGuire, the winner of the primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.

The margin of victory certified by the electoral board was roughly 375 votes out of nearly 63,000 ballots cast, or 0.6 percentage points. That falls within the 1% margin allowing a recount to be requested. But because the margin is larger than 0.5 percentage points, Good will be required to pay for the cost of a recount himself.

Last week the AP declared the race too close to call, citing the likelihood of a recount.

Good has said he will pursue both a recount and legal challenges to block a McGuire victory. On social media he called for a “do-over” in the city of Lynchburg, the largest city in the district and a Good stronghold, citing alleged irregularities there.

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