Highlights from the 2024 campaign trail:
- GOP Rep. Bob Good of Virginia, chair of the hard-line House Freedom caucus, is locked in a tight primary battle with state Sen. John McGuire, who is backed by former President Donald Trump and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
- Rep. Tom Cole of Oklahoma, chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, avoided a runoff and defeated a self-funding GOP primary challenger.
- Eugene Vindman, a whistleblower during Trump's first impeachment, won the Democratic nomination for a competitive House race in Virginia.
- Jan. 6 rioter Chuck Hand lost a GOP primary runoff for a House seat in Georgia.
- Trump held a rally in Racine, Wisconsin, while President Joe Biden attended a fundraiser in Virginia with Bill and Hillary Clinton after announcing a new immigration executive action.
McGuire confident amid tight race against Good
McGuire expressed confidence that he will prevail in his close primary race against Good.
"This is a time where we need to come together because we still have a lot of work to do. I'm your Republican nominee but I'm not going to take it lightly," Good said at his election night party, according to a livestream from ABC13.
McGuire thanked Trump, who endorsed him, saying the former president is "a huge part of our win and I will not forget that."
NBC News has not projected a winner in the GOP primary in Virginia's 5th District.
Good urges supporters to 'keep the faith' amid primary nail-biter
Good urged his supporters to “keep the faith and don’t stop fighting now” in a post on X as the margin in his primary remains on a knife's edge.
Just a few hundred votes separate Good and McGuire.
"The entire DC Swamp was aligned against us with over $10 million in attack ads, but with your help we were able to make this race too close to call," Good wrote, touting his campaign's early voter operation.
"We are doing what we can to ensure we have teams of observers and legal counsel to ensure all the votes are properly counted in the coming days," Good wrote.
McGuire details Trump's effect on Virginia primary
McGuire told NBC News at a community concert in Powhatan on Friday that Trump’s endorsement has been helpful in his race against Good.
“I’ve had many people say ‘I don’t know anything about you, never met you before, but if Trump’s endorsing you, I’ve got you,’” McGuire said. “I believe with all that Trump has been through he has earned the right to call the shots and pick his team.”
Trump endorsed McGuire late last month, making a veiled reference to Good endorsing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential primary. Good eventually backed Trump, but it wasn't enough to stop the former president from getting involved in the race.
After endorsing McGuire, Trump appeared in a TV ad for the state legislator. He also held a tele-rally for McGuire on Monday night, telling supporters, “John is running against Bob Good, who is not good. Despite his name, he’s very bad for Virginia.”
Good's primary is really close. Here's how a recount would work.
As Good’s primary race against McGuire comes down to a razor-thin margin, it could head to a recount.
If the difference between the candidates is less than 1%, the losing candidate may request a recount, according to Virginia state law. A petition for a recount must be filed within 10 days after the results are certified. The results of the recount are “not subject to appeal.”
Tim Kaine celebrates primary night on the harmonica
Without a primary challenge to worry about and after his Republican opponent for the fall was quickly determined, Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine took to the stage at a blues bar in Richmond.
A video posted on X by Virginia state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi shows Kaine playing harmonica with a live band. Kaine's affection for the harmonica has been a fixture of his time in the public life, and drew attention in particular when he was Hillary Clinton's running mate in 2016.
Good said his race is part of 'the Kevin McCarthy revenge tour'
Good, who is currently locked in a tight race with McGuire, told NBC News at a campaign event in Goochland on Friday that his primary "is more than just me versus my opponent."
"This race is about true, courageous conservative warriors in the Freedom Caucus versus the establishment, versus the status quo,” Good said before a campaign rally at a historic county courthouse.
Good also said his race is "the Kevin McCarthy revenge tour," referring to the former speaker who the Virginia congressman helped oust late last year. Outside groups tied to McCarthy allies have spent millions on the race, and the former California lawmaker has spoken with McGuire.
McCarthy "has devoted his life apparently to trying to exact some revenge on those he holds responsible for him not being Speaker, except himself. But the people of the 5th District are not going to be bought,” Good said.
Top ad-spending candidate falls short in tight Virginia Democratic House primary
Virginia state Del. Dan Helmer is projected to lose in the Democratic primary in 10th District to state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam despite holding a massive ad-spending advantage during the race.
About $7.3 million of the $9 million spent on the airwaves came from Helmer or one of the outside groups supporting him ($4.2 million from a super PAC tied to the cryptocurrency industry, $1.4 million from VoteVets and almost $1.7 million from Helmer’s campaign). Subramanyam, by comparison, spent about $710,000 on the airwaves.
It serves a reminder that while the best-funded candidate wins sometimes (see Vindman’s victory in Virginia’s 7th District), it doesn’t always turn out that way.
Suhas Subramanyam wins Democratic primary in Virginia's 10th District
State Sen. Suhas Subramanyam is projected to win the crowded and expensive Democratic primary in Virginia’s 10th District, NBC News projects.
Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton decided not to seek re-election to the seat after being diagnosed with a rare and serious condition called progressive supranuclear palsy.
Subramanyam won Wexton’s endorsement, which helped separate him from a crowded field of well-funded Democrats that included state Del. Dan Helmer, former state Assembly Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn and former Defense Department official Krystle Kaul.
He'll be favored in the Washington, D.C., suburban district this fall against Republican businessman and lawyer Mike Clancy.
Republican Derrick Anderson wins primary in Virginia's 7th District
Former Green Beret Derrick Anderson has won the Republican primary in Virginia's 7th District, NBC News projects.
Anderson defeated former Navy SEAL Cameron Hamilton in a clash between the establishment and insurgent wings of the party. Anderson was backed by a super PAC tied to McCarthy and Republican megadonors, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson. Hamilton was backed by a super PAC affiliated with Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul.
Anderson will face Democrat Eugene Vindman, a key figure in Trump's first impeachment, in a battleground race in the fall.
Good's primary saw $14.6 million in ad spending
Good faced $7.5 million in attack ads during his primary, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact. The bulk of that spending came from outside groups funded by GOP mega-donors and tied to McCarthy.
Good did get some backup, with outside groups supporting him spending $5.6 million on the race. They included groups tied to Club for Growth Action, the House Freedom Caucus and Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul.
Good himself spent virtually no money (just $3,000) on ads, with campaign finance report showing his campaign focused more of its spending on mailers. State Sen. John McGuire's campaign, meanwhile, spent $1.5 million on the airwaves to get his message out to the sprawling 5th District.