A closely watched race in Virginia between U.S. Rep. Bob Good and state Sen. John McGuire remains too close to call, with the margin likely to stay within a single percentage point, according to The Associated Press. Good, who is currently trailing by over 300 votes out of nearly 63,000 cast, has expressed his intention to seek a recount if McGuire is certified as the winner.
McGuire's lead has slightly increased since early Wednesday morning. Good has also indicated that he plans to pursue a legal challenge to prevent the certification of the count in Lynchburg, the largest city in the 5th Congressional District and a stronghold for Good.
Concerns have been raised regarding the handling of ballots in Lynchburg, with claims that the city accepted ballots from a drop box after election night. The city registrar has acknowledged a procedural error but stated that only a small number of ballots were affected.
Following the discovery of seven ballots that were not properly processed, the registrar's office has paused the counting process while consulting with the Virginia Department of Elections on the next steps. The state elections board is set to meet on July 2 to certify the results, after which Good can request a recount.
McGuire, who declared victory on election night, has expressed gratitude to Good for his service and suggested that any recount or legal challenge would be futile and divisive. Both candidates have been vocal about election integrity, particularly in the aftermath of former President Donald Trump's claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election.
In a recent telephone rally with Trump, McGuire urged his supporters to secure a victory margin that would be 'too big to rig.' If Good were to lose, he would be the first House incumbent to face defeat in a primary challenge this year, with the exception of a race involving redistricting that pitted two incumbents against each other.
