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As early voting continues in the Republican 5th District Congressional primary, one of the candidates received a major endorsement this week. On Tuesday, May 28, President Donald Trump declared his support for the challenger in the race, Virginia State Senator John McGuire. 

McGuire is challenging incumbent Bob Good in the primary, which runs through Tuesday, June 18. 

“Bob Good is bad for Virginia and bad for the USA,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social. “He turned his back on our incredible movement and was constantly attacking and fighting me until recently, when he gave a warm and “loving” endorsement. But really, it was too late. The damage had been done. I just want to make America great again and the person that can most help me do that is Navy SEAL and highly respected state legislator John McGuire, a true American hero.” 

Good, currently the chairman of the Freedom Caucus in Congress, had sided against Trump in the presidential primary. He endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the role, attacking Trump in the process. 

When endorsing McGuire, President Trump singled out his work fighting against drug cartels. He said if elected, he and McGuire will correct the current drug problems and issues with the border. 

McGuire thanked Trump for his endorsement, while outlining his priorities. 

“Thank you to President Donald Trump for endorsing my campaign for Congress!” McGuire wrote in a statement. “I’ve been with Trump since he came down the escalator and when I’m in Congress, I’ll back his agenda and put America First!” 

McGuire added that he’s “ready to give everything I’ve got to represent the 5th District effectively and aggressively. Let’s crack down on the border, keep woke ideologies out of schools and protect our crucial 2nd Amendment.” 

Early voting continues

Early voting continues across the 5th District. A reminder, there are both Republican and Democratic primaries for the Fifth District seat in the House of Representatives. Good is being challenged by McGuire on the Republican side. On the Democratic side, there are three competitors, including Gloria Tinsley Witt, Paul A. Riley and Gary L. Terry. There are currently no polling data available for the Democratic candidates.

Now in Virginia, the primary elections, as we mentioned before, are set for Tuesday, June 18. As a result, early voting started on Friday, May 3. Why? That’s because early voting starts 45 days prior to the primary.

To be clear, however, if you want to vote early, that doesn’t mean you head to the same precinct as you do in November.

Early voting is limited to one location, the registrar’s office in each county. In Prince Edward County, that’s located on the second floor of the courthouse at 124 N. Main St. in Farmville. For Buckingham, it’s at 13360 W. James Anderson Highway. And for Cumberland, the office is at 1487 Anderson Highway.

Citizens are able to vote at the location from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturdays on June 8 and June 15, also from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

And to vote early, you will need to do a few things. First, you’ll need to provide your name and address. Second, you have to show an ID. Acceptable IDs include a driver’s license, DMV-issued ID card, employee ID card with a photo, US Military ID or government-issued ID card. You can also use a recent utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck containing your name and address.

Donald Trump chose. How about others?

We don’t have early voting numbers, but we do have survey data in the Republican contest. 

In a survey conducted over the last month by national GOP pollster Battleground Connect, 45% of Republican voters said they would back McGuire, as opposed to Good. Connect, which conducted the poll on behalf of the McGuire campaign, found 31% of Republicans in the district said they would vote for Good, compared with 46% last year. A total of 24% remain undecided, the data shows. That’s a 21-point increase for McGuire, as opposed to the previous poll released in December.