State Sen. John McGuire, R-Goochland, is still the winner of the Republican primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, following the review of a close recount.
On Wednesday in Goochland Circuit Court, a three-judge panel that conducted the recount worked with registrars from Cumberland, Amherst, Halifax and Mecklenberg counties and Danville to correct small transcribing errors, which resulted in an additional four votes in favor of the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Bob Good. The margin of victory moved from 370 to 366 votes. The additional votes do not change the outcome of the election.
The court also considered a motion filed by Good claiming that several counties in Virginia’s 5th District had inaccurately billed him certain expenses for the recount, which he requested. The court honored some of Good’s objections, reducing his bill.
The court considered costs from multiple line items raised in Good’s objections for the cost of the recount, ranging from office supplies, to fees to cover payments to deputies and other officials who did work associated with the recount.
Good was given an initial bill of $104,000 for the cost of the recount in July, which was reduced to $88,918 after the court honored some of Good’s objections.
One line item that was dropped was the cost of services by the county attorney for Lunenburg County. Goochland’s Chief Judge Claude Worrell said that the expense wasn’t applicable because the county attorney was carrying out regular duties.
“I appreciate the efforts of the judges to address some mistakes that had been identified after the recount,” Good said in a statement from his campaign.
Good said Wednesday that he would pay the cost of the cost of the recount in 21 days. McGuire led the primary with a 0.6 % margin, which put Good, the incumbent, within the 1% margin allowed for requesting a recount at his campaign’s expense. Localities will pay for a recount if the winning margin is 0.5% or lower.
McGuire will face Democrat Gloria Witt in the fall election.
The recount ends Good’s current bid for a third term.
