Bob Good
Chair of the House Freedom Caucus
Assumed office
January 1, 2024
Preceded byScott Perry
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Virginia's 5th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2021
Preceded byDenver Riggleman
Member of the Campbell County Board of Supervisors
from the Sunburst district
In office
January 1, 2016 – December 31, 2019
Preceded bySteven M. Shockley
Succeeded bySteven W. Shockley
Personal details
Born
Robert George Good

(1965-09-11) September 11, 1965
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Tracey Good
​
(m. 1988)​
Children3
EducationLiberty University (BS, MBA)
WebsiteHouse website

Robert George Good (born September 11, 1965)[1] is an American politician from the Commonwealth of Virginia. A member of the Republican Party, he is currently the U.S. representative from Virginia's 5th congressional district.

He was first elected to Congress in 2020 winning a Republican primary against incumbent Denver Riggleman campaigning on a right-wing platform. Since his election, Good has been a leading conservative figure in Congress as a member of the Freedom Caucus and supporting the removal of Kevin McCarthy arguing he failed to deliver on promises to reduce spending.

Prior to his election to Congress, Good served as a member of the Board of Supervisors in Campbell County, Virginia for three years. He also worked in development at his alma mater, Liberty University, and for Citi.

Early life and education

Good was born in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and lived in North Jersey before moving to Lynchburg, Virginia, with his family at age nine.[2][3] He attended Liberty Christian Academy, where he was a member of the wrestling team.[4] Good was awarded a partial wrestling scholarship to Liberty University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in finance and a Master of Business Administration.[5]

Career

For 17 years, Good worked for Citi Financial.[6] When he announced his campaign for Congress in 2019, he was serving as an associate athletic director for development at Liberty University.[7]

Good was a member of the Campbell County Board of Supervisors from 2016 to 2019.[8] During his three years as a county supervisor, he supported socially conservative causes, voting to condemn the U.S. Supreme Court decision recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage; to declare the county a "Second Amendment sanctuary"; and to call upon the Virginia General Assembly to restrict transgender bathroom use.[6]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2020

Good ran against incumbent Denver Riggleman in the Republican nominating convention for Virginia's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.[9] He defeated Riggleman with 58% of the vote from party delegates during a drive-through nominating convention instead of a primary election.[10] During the campaign, Good criticized Riggleman for officiating at the same-sex wedding of two former campaign volunteers.[11][12]

Good campaigned on a far-right platform, espousing hard-line views on immigration policy and opposition to same-sex marriage[13] and aligning himself with President Donald Trump.[6] He called for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act[6] and rejected public health measures to combat the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.[13] He did not wear a face covering or encourage the wearing of face coverings at campaign events, and opposed restrictions on businesses to slow the spread of the virus.[13] Good suggested that the wearing of face coverings might be harmful.[13] In the November 3 general election, Good defeated Democratic nominee Cameron Webb, a physician, 52.6% (210,988) to 47.4% (190,315).[6]

Tenure

After his election, Good appeared amid the pandemic at a rally in Washington, D.C., in which Trump supporters protested the Supreme Court's rejection of a lawsuit attempting to subvert the results of the election, which Trump lost to Joe Biden.[13] During the rally, Good promoted the theory that Democrats had perpetrated a vast conspiracy to steal the election. He said that while the virus was real, the pandemic was "phony".[13] Good told a maskless crowd that "this is a phony pandemic" and, the next day, suggested that precautions to prevent the spread of the disease were a "hoax".[13]

On January 6, 2021, Good voted against certifying the election of President-elect Biden.[13] On January 17, he voted against a House bill awarding Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police and the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department for their roles in protecting the Capitol and members of Congress during the storming of the United States Capitol.[14][15] He and 20 other House Republicans voted against a similar resolution in June 2021.[16]

On June 17, 2021, Good was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the AUMF against Iraq.[17][18]

On June 26, 2021, Good appeared at Bedford County, Virginia's, second annual militia muster, saying he was happy to be at the event with "proud patriots and constitutional conservatives who are doing their part to help strengthen our nation and to fight for the things that we believe in".[19]

In July 2021, Good voted against the bipartisan ALLIES Act, which would have increased the number of special immigrant visas for Afghan allies of the U.S. military by 8,000 during its invasion of Afghanistan while also reducing some application requirements that caused long application backlogs. The bill passed the House 407–16.[20]

In September 2021, Good was among 75 House Republicans to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which contains a provision that would require women to register for selective service.[21][22]

On October 26, 2021, while the House discussed anti-domestic violence legislation, Good said: "Nearly everything that plagues our society can be attributed to a failure to follow God's laws for morality and his rules for and definition of marriage and family."[23]

In October 2021, Good encouraged a group of high school students from Rappahannock County, Virginia, to defy a local school mask mandate, saying, "If nobody in Rappahannock complies, they can't stop everyone".[24]

In November 2021, Good wrote Virginia Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin a letter asking him to halt a federal mask mandate once he took office.[25]

In December 2021, Good was among 19 House Republicans to vote against the final passage of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022.[26]

On January 11, 2022, Good urged fellow Republicans to boycott the Capitol Hill Club, a popular dining spot for Republican officials, after it mandated that all guests must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination.[27]

On March 1, 2022, Good said he would not attend President Joe Biden's State of the Union address: "President Biden subjected the country to life-altering mandates for over a year. I will not submit to an unnecessary COVID test to attend a State of the Union only to hear this president whisper through a speech that will inevitably fail to take responsibility for the tremendous damage he has and continues to cause to our country."[28]

In September 2022, Good was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[29][30]

Good has been a supporter of efforts to impeach President Joe Biden. During the 117th United States Congress, Good was co-sponsor of three resolutions to impeach President Biden.[31] Good also co-sponsored a resolution to impeach Vice President Kamala Harris[32] and another resolution to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas.[33] During the 118th Congress, Good cosponsored another resolution to impeach Mayorkas.[34]

As of the 117th Congress, Good voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 2.7% of the time according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[35] He supported the removal of Kevin McCarthy as Speaker of the House arguing he failed to deliver on promises to reduce government spending.[36]

Good voted to support Israel following the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[37][38]

Syria

In 2023, Good was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21 which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[39][40]

Immigration

Good sponsored H.R. 6202, the American Tech Workforce Act of 2021, introduced by Representative Jim Banks. The legislation would establish a wage floor for the high-skill H-1B visa program, thereby significantly reducing employer dependence on the program. The bill would also eliminate the Optional Practical Training program that allows foreign graduates to stay and work in the United States.[41]

Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023

Good was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[42]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Personal life

Good and his wife, Tracey, have three children.[46] They live in Evington, southwest of Lynchburg.

Good has described himself as a born-again Christian and a "biblical conservative".[47][48]

Electoral history

Campbell County’s Sunburst supervisorial district election, 2015[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Good 801 54.0
Independent Travis Lee Griffin 680 45.9
Write-in 2 0.1
Total votes 1,483 100.0
Republican gain from Independent
Virginia's 5th congressional district Republican convention, 2020[50][51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Good 1,517 58.1
Republican Denver Riggleman (incumbent) 1,020 41.9
Total votes 2,537 100.0
Virginia's 5th congressional district election, 2020 [52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Good 210,988 52.4
Democratic Cameron Webb 190,315 47.3
Write-in 1,014 0.3
Total votes 402,317 100.0
Republican hold
Virginia's 5th congressional district election, 2022[53]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bob Good (incumbent) 177,191 57.6
Democratic Joshua Throneburg 129,996 42.2
Write-in 603 0.2
Total votes 307,790 100.0
Republican hold

References

  1. ↑ Marcos, Cristina (November 30, 2020). "Rep.-elect Bob Good (R-Va.-05)". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 4, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  2. ↑ Berti, Daniel (October 14, 2020). "Bob Good warns against 'radical socialist agenda'". Fauquier Times. Archived from the original on October 25, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  3. ↑ McComsey, Hannah; Kealy, Caroline (June 15, 2020). "ABC13 sits down with Bob Good, Virginia's 5th District GOP nominee". WSET. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  4. ↑ "VA-05: Bob Good (R)". The Well News. October 31, 2020. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  5. ↑ "Campbell County supervisor seeks bid for 5th District seat". YourGV.com. November 22, 2019. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Flynn, Meagan (November 4, 2020). "Republican Bob Good, a former county supervisor, beats Democrat to keep Virginia House district red". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  7. ↑ Brufke, Juliegrace (September 24, 2019). "Liberty University official to launch primary challenge to GOP's Riggleman". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 25, 2019. Retrieved September 24, 2019.
  8. ↑ Friedenberger, Amy (October 24, 2020). "5th District: Will a reliably Republican district flip in a turbid political year?". Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  9. ↑ Portnoy, Jenna (June 11, 2020). "Virginia roll-in vote to pick GOP House candidate". Fairfield Citizen. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  10. ↑ Friedenberger, Amy (June 14, 2020). "UPDATE: Challenger Bob Good ousts Rep. Denver Riggleman at 5th District GOP nominating convention". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  11. ↑ Hagemann, Hannah (June 14, 2020). "Virginia Rep. Riggleman, Who Officiated Same-Sex Wedding, Loses Republican Primary". NPR. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  12. ↑ Green, Emma (June 13, 2020). "The Wedding That Started a Republican Civil War". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Flynn, Meagan; Vozzella, Laura (December 14, 2020). "Rep.-elect Bob Good calls the pandemic 'phony.' Covid-19 has killed more than 300 in his district". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 15, 2020. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  14. ↑ "12 Republicans vote against honoring Capitol police for protecting Congress". the Guardian. March 18, 2021. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ Grayer, Annie; Wilson, Kristin (March 17, 2021). "House votes to award Congressional Gold Medal to police". CNN. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 18, 2021.
  16. ↑ Grayer, Annie; Wilson, Kristin (June 16, 2021). "21 Republicans vote no on bill to award Congressional Gold Medal for January 6 police officers". CNN. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  17. ↑ "House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization". NBC News. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  18. ↑ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 172". U.S. House of Representatives. June 17, 2021. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  19. ↑ casey.fabris@roanoke.com 540-981-3234, Casey Fabris (June 26, 2021). "'Militia ... not a scary term,' says commander of Bedford County Militia at its second annual muster". Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ↑ Quarshie, Mabinty (August 17, 2021). "These 16 Republicans voted against speeding up visas for Afghans fleeing the Taliban". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  21. ↑ Zilbermints, Regina (September 23, 2021). "House passes sweeping defense policy bill". The Hill. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  22. ↑ "H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 -- House Vote #293 -- Sep 23, 2021". GovTrack.us. Archived from the original on September 24, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  23. ↑ Moran, Lee (October 27, 2021). "GOP Rep Blames Society's Problems On Failure To Follow God's Rules For Marriage". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  24. ↑ "GOP lawmaker encourages students to not wear masks in school". MSN. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Congressman Bob Good asks Gov.-elect Youngkin to stop vaccine mandate". November 5, 2021. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
  26. ↑ "S. 1605: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 -- House Vote #405 -- Dec 7, 2021". Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
  27. ↑ Wong, Scott (January 11, 2022). "Conservatives push for boycott of GOP club over DC vaccine mandate". The Hill. Archived from the original on January 15, 2022. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
  28. ↑ Beals, Monique (March 1, 2022). "Growing list of Republicans will not attend SOTU over testing mandate". The Hill. Archived from the original on March 19, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2022.
  29. ↑ Feiner, Lauren (September 29, 2022). "House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled". CNBC. Archived from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  30. ↑ "H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022". GovTrack. Archived from the original on September 30, 2022. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  31. ↑
  32. ↑ "H.Res.679 - Impeaching Kamala Devi Harris, Vice President of the United States, for the high crimes and misdemeanors of betrayal of the public trust. Cosponsors". www.congress.gov. United States Congress. Archived from the original on January 20, 2023. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  33. ↑ "H.Res.582 - Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on January 11, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2023.
  34. ↑ "H.Res.8 - Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors". www.congress.gov. Archived from the original on January 14, 2023. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  35. ↑ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
  36. ↑ Times-Dispatch, ANDREW CAIN Richmond (October 3, 2023). "Which Virginia Republican voted to remove Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and why?". NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved November 25, 2023.
  37. ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  38. ↑ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  39. ↑ "H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023". Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  40. ↑ "House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria". Associated Press. March 8, 2023. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  41. ↑ "Cosponsors - H.R.6206 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): American Tech Workforce Act of 2021 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress". U.S. Congress. December 9, 2021. Archived from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  42. ↑ Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
  43. ↑ "Committees and Caucuses | Representative Bob Good". good.house.gov. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on February 4, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  44. ↑ "Committees and Caucuses". Representative Bob Good. January 3, 2021. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  45. ↑ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  46. ↑ "Campbell County Supervisor Bob Good announces campaign launch for Congressional Representative to the Fifth District of Virginia". The Altavista Journal. November 3, 2019. Archived from the original on June 13, 2020. Retrieved June 13, 2020.
  47. ↑ Paviour, Ben (June 7, 2020). "How a Gay Wedding Fractured Virginia Republicans". VPM.org. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
  48. ↑ Fandos, Nicholas (November 4, 2020). "Bob Good, Stressing Religious Conservatism, Holds Virginia House Seat for G.O.P." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  49. ↑ "Competitiveness in Campbell County – Sunburst". Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  50. ↑ "Report on 2020 Convention – June 13, 2020". 5th Congressional District Republican Committee. June 13, 2020. Archived from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  51. ↑ "The Tellers Committee Tabulation | 5th Congressional District Republican Committee". June 13, 2020. Archived from the original on June 17, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  52. ↑ "2020 November General Official Results". Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  53. ↑ "2022 November General". Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
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