Republican U.S. Rep. Bob Good, R-Va., is urging patience from the constituents of Virginia’s 5th District as the final ballot count from Tuesday’s primary election unfolds. He hopes that the remaining ballots, including mail-in and provisional votes, will allow him to maintain his position against a challenger endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Good, who chairs the House Freedom Caucus, currently trails state Sen. John McGuire by a margin of just over 300 votes. McGuire declared victory late on Tuesday, but as of now, neither candidate has been declared the winner by The Associated Press.

McGuire’s lead has shown some stability, slightly decreasing from 327 votes on Wednesday midnight to 313 votes by Thursday afternoon.

Good’s campaign manager, Diana Shores, emphasized in an email that the counting process is ongoing, with mail-in ballots accepted by local election offices until noon on Friday yet to be tallied. Additionally, provisional ballots are still undergoing verification and counting.

The outcome of the primary remains undecided as officials continue to finalize the count, and both candidates await the final results to determine the outcome of this closely watched race.

“There is no way anyone can know for certain how many mail-in ballots are pending for count,” Diana Shores emphasized.

The Associated Press anticipates greater clarity in the race by Friday afternoon, as several jurisdictions within the district intend to update their election results.

If Bob Good does not secure victory, he would be the first incumbent House member to lose a primary challenge this year, with the exception of a race involving two incumbents facing off due to redistricting.

Previously considered one of the most conservative congressmen in the country, Bob Good would typically be seen as impervious to a primary challenge. However, his endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president initially incurred the wrath of former President Donald Trump. Good later switched his endorsement back to Trump after DeSantis withdrew from the race. Despite this, Trump endorsed John McGuire and labeled Good a backstabber.

McGuire currently holds a narrow lead of approximately half a percentage point, based on the tally of more than 62,000 ballots cast. Under Virginia law, once the results are officially certified, a recount is permissible if the margin of victory is less than one percentage point. If the margin falls within half a percentage point, the recount can be conducted at the state’s expense.

The outcome remains in flux pending the final certification and potential recount, underscoring the tight and contentious nature of the race in Virginia’s 5th District.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Bob Good emphasized that the race in Virginia’s 5th District remained too close to definitively call a winner.

“We are asking for full transparency from the officials involved,” Good stated.

Both Good and his challenger, John McGuire, have expressed concerns about election integrity, echoing sentiments prevalent among Republicans following Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Good was part of a group of over 100 GOP House members who, in January 2021, contested the Electoral College results from states contested by Trump.

During a pre-election telephone rally with Trump on Monday, McGuire urged supporters to secure him a victory margin “too big to rig,” highlighting the intensity and stakes of the primary contest in Virginia’s 5th District.