Bob Good
Bob Good | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 11, 1965 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Politician, former athletic director |
| Years active | 2016–2025 (politics) |
| Known for | U.S. Representative for Virginia's 5th congressional district (2021–2025), Chair of the House Freedom Caucus (2024) |
Robert George Good (born September 11, 1965) is an American politician and former athletic director who represented Virginia's 5th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2021 until 2025. Affiliated with the Republican Party, he previously held a seat on the Board of Supervisors in Campbell County, Virginia between 2016 and 2019. Good has also been employed at his alma mater, Liberty University, as well as at Citi.
In the 2020 election, Good secured his congressional seat by defeating incumbent Denver Riggleman in the Republican primary. He backed the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House and assumed leadership of the House Freedom Caucus in January 2024. During the 2024 Republican Party presidential primaries, Good endorsed Ron DeSantis instead of Donald Trump, which prompted state senator John McGuire, supported by both Kevin McCarthy and Trump, to challenge him in the primary. McGuire narrowly won by a margin of 0.6%, a result officially confirmed on July 2, 2024. Although Good requested a recount, he was ultimately defeated. Subsequently, he stepped down as chair of the Freedom Caucus on September 17, 2024, with Andy Harris succeeding him.
Early life and education
Born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Good spent part of his childhood in North Jersey before relocating to Lynchburg, Virginia at age nine with his family. He attended Liberty Christian Academy, where he participated on the wrestling team. Awarded a partial wrestling scholarship, Good attended Liberty University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in finance followed by a Master of Business Administration.
Career
Good dedicated seventeen years to working at Citi Financial. Prior to launching his 2019 congressional bid, he served as associate athletic director for development at Liberty University. From 2016 to 2019, he was a member of the Campbell County Board of Supervisors, where he advocated for socially conservative initiatives such as opposing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage, designating the county as a "Second Amendment sanctuary," and urging the Virginia General Assembly to limit transgender individuals’ access to restrooms.
2020
Good challenged sitting representative Denver Riggleman for the Republican nomination in . He won the nomination with 58% support from delegates during a drive-through convention held instead of a traditional primary. Good criticized Riggleman for officiating a same-sex wedding involving two former campaign volunteers.
Running on a conservative platform, Good took firm positions against immigration reform and same-sex marriage while aligning himself with President Donald Trump. He advocated repealing the Affordable Care Act and opposed mask mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic, refusing to wear masks or endorse their use during campaign appearances and opposing related business restrictions. He even suggested that face coverings could be harmful. In the November 3 general election, Good defeated Democratic candidate Cameron Webb, a physician, by securing 52.6% (210,988 votes) compared to Webb’s 47.4% (190,315 votes).
2022
In the 2022 election, Good was re-elected by defeating Democratic candidate Josh Throneburg, securing 57.6% of the vote.
2024
During the 2024 Republican presidential primary, Good initially backed Ron DeSantis, praising him as a "true conservative" particularly on abortion and gun control issues. Consequently, Donald Trump endorsed Good’s primary opponent, John McGuire, on May 28, 2024. After DeSantis exited the race, Good shifted his endorsement to Trump but continued distributing campaign materials featuring Trump's image and name, which led to a cease-and-desist notice from Trump’s campaign. McGuire also gained support from former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, whom Good had previously voted to remove from his leadership position. Furthermore, Warren Davidson of the Freedom Caucus broke ranks by endorsing McGuire over Good, despite Good chairing that caucus.
In the June 2024 primary, Good was narrowly defeated by McGuire by a margin slightly exceeding 0.5%, prompting him to request a recount at his own cost. He challenged the validity of the election results with unverified claims about fires near polling sites and insufficient security for drop boxes in Lynchburg, aiming to prevent certification of the results. These claims were broadly dismissed by fellow Republican legislators, while McGuire urged acceptance of the outcome. The recount finalized on August 1 confirmed McGuire’s victory by 370 votes, after which Good conceded defeat.
Good’s fraud allegations were met with skepticism and mockery within his party, and his attempts to block certification in Lynchburg ultimately failed.
Tenure
Following his election, Good appeared at a rally in Washington, D.C., where supporters of Trump protested the Supreme Court’s dismissal of a lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election outcome. He propagated the belief that Democrats orchestrated an election theft conspiracy and labeled the pandemic as "phony," despite acknowledging the virus's existence. At this event, he encouraged attendees not to wear masks and described COVID-19 precautions as a "hoax."
On January 6, 2021, Good voted against certifying Joe Biden’s presidential victory. He also opposed awarding Congressional Gold Medals to Capitol Police officers for their response during the January 6 Capitol riot and maintained this stance in a similar vote in June 2021.
Good was among 49 House Republicans who voted in June 2021 to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq. That same month, he participated in Bedford County, Virginia’s militia muster and voiced support for constitutional conservatives.
In July 2021, Good opposed the bipartisan ALLIES Act designed to expand special immigrant visas for Afghan allies of U.S. forces. In September, he voted against the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022 due to its requirement that women register for selective service and again voted against its final passage in December.
During October 2021 House debates on anti-domestic violence legislation, Good attributed numerous societal issues to a departure from "God's laws for morality." He also urged Virginia high school students to resist local mask mandates and called on Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin to end federal mask mandates upon assuming office.
In January 2022, Good called for Republicans to boycott the Capitol Hill Club after it imposed COVID-19 vaccine requirements on guests. He chose not to attend President Biden’s 2022 State of the Union address, criticizing vaccine testing protocols and Biden's policies.
In September 2022, Good was one of 39 Republicans who supported the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, legislation aimed at curbing corporate anti-competitive practices.
In March 2024, Good co-signed a letter opposing inclusion of the Ending Agriculture Trade Suppression (EATS) Act in agricultural legislation; this act seeks to restrict state regulation over agricultural products originating from other states.
Good has been an active proponent of impeaching President Joe Biden, co-sponsoring several related resolutions during the 117th Congress. He also co-sponsored efforts to impeach Vice President Kamala Harris and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, continuing these initiatives into the 118th Congress.
Analysis by FiveThirtyEight during the 117th Congress found that Good aligned with President Biden’s position only 2.7% of the time. He supported removing Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House due to McCarthy’s failure to curtail government spending.
Following Hamas’ attack on Israel in 2023, Good voted in favor of a House resolution expressing support for Israel.
Syria
In 2023, Good was among 47 Republican members who supported H.Con.Res. 21, a resolution instructing President Joe Biden to remove U.S. military forces from Syria within a 180-day timeframe.
Immigration
Good co-sponsored H.R. 6202, known as the American Tech Workforce Act of 2021, which was introduced by Representative Jim Banks. This legislation aims to set a minimum wage threshold for the high-skilled H-1B visa category to decrease employer reliance on foreign labor and proposes the elimination of the Optional Practical Training program available to international graduates.
Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023
Among the House members, Good was one of 71 Republicans who opposed the final approval of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023.
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
Personal life
Good lives in Evington, Virginia, located southwest of Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife Tracey and their three children. He describes himself as a born-again Christian and embraces the label of a "biblical conservative."
External links
- Representative Bob Good official U.S. House website
- Campaign website
|-
|-
- 1965 births
- 21st-century evangelicals
- 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
- 21st-century Virginia politicians
- American evangelicals
- American gun rights activists
- American nationalists
- Christians from Virginia
- Citigroup employees
- County supervisors in Virginia
- Liberty University alumni
- Liberty University faculty
- Living people
- People from Campbell County, Virginia
- Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia
- Right-wing populists in the United States