Virginia’s 5th Congressional District is a safe Republican district, yet incumbent Congressman Bob Good’s re-election is far from secure.
A new rating from the Cook Political Report may prove to be a boost for State Senator John McGuire who is challenging Good in the primary election.
Cook reports:
Good’s reelection prospects don’t look great right now. Though the congressman’s record makes him one of the conference’s most conservative members, the two-term Freedom Caucus congressman and former Liberty University athletics official has gone out of his way to provoke the ire of both former President Trump and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy. His cardinal sin? Endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.
Now, Good’s willingness to cross Trump has weakened his standing among Republican primary voters in the 5th, which includes a wide swath of Central and Southside Virginia.
Good’s troubles started last October, when he and seven other Republican members engineered McCarthy’s demise. At the same time, Good was backing DeSantis’ campaign (along with just five other House Republicans). After DeSantis dropped out, Good quickly endorsed Trump, but that wasn’t enough to smooth things over with the former president. In January, Trump’s campaign manager Chris LaCivita — who happens to be a seasoned Virginia GOP operative — told Cardinal News that “Bob Good won’t be electable when we get done with him.”
Good’s tenure as chair of the House Freedom Caucus has also been rocky. After he was elected to the post in December, GOP Rep. Warren Davidson (OH-08) resigned from the caucus’ board in protest. And last week it was reported that Good had removed GOP Rep. Randy Weber (TX-14) from the caucus after Weber pushed back on the caucus’ aggressive tactics.
McGuire has sought to capitalize upon Good’s shortcomings, and seems more poised to do so now than ever before.