Rand Paul rallies for Bob Good in Lynchburg | CPT PPP Coverage

McGuire has received the coveted endorsement of former President Donald Trump, and his own polling suggests he leads Good by some 14 points in the race.

Along with Paul, Lynchburg City Councilmembers Martin Misjuns and Jeff Helgeson as well as other local elected officials were on hand at Redeeming Grace Baptist Church to support Good’s bid for a third term in Congress.

In his remarks, Paul attacked establishment “big government” Republicans who he argued are not serious about reducing the national debt and addressing other fiscal issues.

“We need champions like Bob Good” who will “ruffle the feathers” of other Republicans in Washington, Paul said.

The senator said liberty, which made the U.S. “the great country we are,” requires “eternal vigilance.”

“In that cause, I will not falter, I will not stop, I will not allow for compromise that loses our liberty. And I don’t think Bob Good will either,” Paul said at the end of his remarks.

With 15 days left until the GOP primary on June 18, Good told the audience that his campaign has a superior ground game to McGuire’s.

“We’re running tough. We’re running hard. We’re running strong. And we’re going to win,” Good said. “The grass roots are behind us. The local elected officials are behind us. The county GOP leaders are behind us.”

Good said the McGuire campaign is in a panic because it knows his campaign is ahead. “So, it’s going to get worse over these next fifteen days. It’s going to get uglier. It’s going to get nastier. It’s all coming from one side. One side is the liar’s side,” he said.

Trump endorsed McGuire last week.

“Bob Good is BAD FOR VIRGINIA, AND BAD FOR THE USA. 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,” Trump said in a May 28 Truth Social post. “John McGuire has my Complete and Total Endorsement!”

Good previously endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president in May 2023 but came out in support of Trump the day DeSantis dropped out of the presidential primary.

The Trump campaign sent a cease-and-desist letter to Good’s campaign on Friday asking the Good team to stop producing yard signs and other merchandise that imply the former president backs of the congressman. 

At Monday’s rally, Good said the Democratic Party is “playing for keeps,” while establishment Republicans continue to compromise on spending bills.

Good, who leads the ultra-conservative House Freedom Caucus, noted that he refused to join other lawmakers in Virginia in their effort to convince the federal government to move the FBI headquarters to Virginia from Washington, D.C. Last November, the government chose Prince George’s County, Maryland, as the new site for the FBI headquarters.

“I had the two senators from Virginia asking me to join them in calling for the new headquarters to be built in Virginia instead of Maryland,” Good said.

“I said, ‘I don’t want them to get the headquarters. I want to defund the FBI and start over,’” he said to loud applause from the crowd.

Good also complained about other Republicans in Congress who have “joined hands with the Democrats to keep the government open.”

“Is that what you voted for us to do?” Good asked the crowd, which responded with a loud, “No.”

“When you get elected as a Republican, maybe you ought to do Republican stuff,” he said.

Early voting in local and congressional primaries began on May 3. The Republican and Democratic primary elections will take place at local precincts across the 5th District on June 18.