‘No One Is Buying It!’ Republicans Scoff as Congressman in a Tight GOP Primary Cries Election Fraud

AP Photo/P. Kevin Morley, File

The primary race between Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) and Trump-backed Virginia State Sen. John McGuire was still too close to call on Tuesday, and Good — the incumbent — is already crying foul. His colleagues in the House of Representatives are calling him a “loser.”

Good lost the support of former President Donald Trump and a load of House Republicans when he endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in the presidential primary. That led to him facing a primary race that was held on June 18 against a Republican state senator who had earned an endorsement from Trump. As of Tuesday, Good was behind McGuire by 368 votes and calling for a “do-over.”

McGuire, for his part, declared victory on the night of the primary despite the razor-thin margin, but a winner has yet to be officially named. But Good wasn’t ready to call the race, and started questioning the legitimacy of the election. He has an option to call for a recount; however, he’d have to pay for it himself.

Good appeared on Steve Bannon’s War Room podcast to start appealing for that funding .

“I hate to be crass about it, Steve, but we depleted resources trying to win this primary,” he said. “We believe we did win the primary even though we were vastly outspent. I need help funding the recount challenge.” Good also said he’d seek to block the certification of the results in Lynchburg, where he claimed there were fires at three precincts on the day of the primary.

According to a report by Axios , Good’s claims of election fraud were being met with “eye rolls” by his (for-the-moment) colleagues:

“No one is buying it, but all understand this is one of the several stages of electoral grief,” said one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The GOP lawmaker added that Good’s assertion of election irregularities is “the reflexive thing people who can’t accept loss say these days.”

A couple of others used more colorful language:

“F**k Bob Good. Bob Good is a sore loser. His defeat strengthens our majority,” one House Republican told Axios.

Said another: “I assume Bob Good is full of s**t.”

Some lawmakers did speak to Axios on the record and were even less generous:

“[Of] course Bob is claiming election fraud. He is grasping at straws to help save his political career,” said Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), who endorsed McGuire.

Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), another McGuire endorser, said simply: “Bob Good lost.”

Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), noting that Good has focused his claims on Lynchburg despite winning there, said: “What a loser.”

“Bob Good lost. It is very simple,” said Rep. John Duarte (R-Calif.).

But former Rep. Denver Riggleman , who lost to Good in 2020, had the following retort: “I don’t find it surprising that an election between an election denier and an election denier would end with one of them denying the election was fair based on conspiracy theories.”