Republicans Trump and McCarthy seek revenge on top House conservative in close GOP primary.

It’s a thrilling showdown in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District as one of the nation’s most conservative members of Congress fights for his political survival against a primary challenger backed by former President Trump and former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Rep. Bob Good, who leads the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, finds himself trailing primary challenger state Sen. John McGuire by a slim margin of 327 votes, as of 12 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to unofficial returns in the GOP nomination race in the staunchly red southern Virginia district.

Virginia celebrates the Juneteenth holiday, and a resumption of the vote tabulation for the remaining uncounted ballots in the race may not occur until Thursday. The current margin in the election is less than one percent, and if it stays below that threshold, the race would qualify for a recount as per Virginia law.

Good, seeking a third term in Congress, is determined to avoid becoming the first House incumbent this election cycle to be ousted by a primary challenger in a contentious intra-party primary battle that pitted conservatives against conservatives and Trump against some of his closest allies in the House of Representatives.

“We need leaders who can set aside petty differences and unite people for a better future,” McGuire, a former Navy SEAL, conveyed to supporters on Tuesday night. “And that’s what I’m all about.”

This statement came as he prematurely proclaimed victory in a speech at his election party in Lynchburg, Virginia.

“There are still a few votes left to count, but it’s clear that all paths lead to victory,” McGuire asserted in a social media post just after midnight.

Good refrained from giving a speech at his primary night gathering, also held in Lynchburg, but in a social media post, he mentioned that “we’re still awaiting the final election results.”

“This race is still too close to call,” Good remarked on social media on Wednesday. “We are in a period where the law provides a process for evaluating the accuracy of all the vote totals from election day to ensure everyone can have full confidence in the certified results. Provisional ballots and mail-in ballots are also yet to be counted. We seek full transparency from the officials involved and patience from the people of the 5th District in the coming weeks as the certification of results is finalized. We believe we can still emerge victorious.”

In a high-stakes race where a staggering $14 million was spent, with a significant portion targeting the incumbent, Good emphasized that “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 drew Trump’s ire for being among a small group of House Republicans to endorse Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primaries.

Even though Good refrained from criticizing Trump and promptly endorsed the former president after DeSantis exited the White House race in January, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that “the damage has been done!”

The former president recently threw his support behind McGuire, who also enjoyed the endorsement of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, a conservative firebrand and staunch Trump ally who is a vocal opponent of Good and broke ties with the House Freedom Caucus last year. The group is known as the most far-right gathering of lawmakers in the chamber.

McCarthy also took aim at Good, who was one of eight Republicans last fall to side with Democrats in voting to remove McCarthy from his leadership role.

Good received backing from Reps. Matt Gaetz and Byron Donalds of Florida, two conservatives who are also ardent supporters of Trump.

Fellow House Freedom Caucus members, Reps. Chip Roy of Texas and Andy Biggs of Arizona, joined Good in Virginia for a rally on Friday.

Despite being targeted by Trump, Good underscored his support for the former president as he vied for re-election.

“Happy Birthday to the best and next president of the United States, President Trump!” Good expressed on social media on Friday, which coincided with the former president’s 78th birthday.

Earlier this spring, Good made an appearance at Trump’s criminal trial in New York City to demonstrate his backing for the former president.