Bob Good, a self-described “biblical conservative” who tied himself intently to President Trump, maintained Republicans’ maintain on Virginia’s lar
Bob Good, a self-described “biblical conservative” who tied himself intently to President Trump, maintained Republicans’ maintain on Virginia’s largest Home district early Wednesday, beating again an aggressive problem by a College of Virginia physician targeted on the coronavirus pandemic.
The victory over Dr. Cameron Webb, a Democrat, as referred to as by The Related Press, was welcome information for Republicans, who had feared they might lose the seat after Mr. Good, a far-right conservative who struggled to lift cash, defeated Consultant Denver Riggleman in a bitter main this summer time. It demonstrated the occasion’s continued assist in rural America, even in states like Virginia the place Mr. Trump is deeply unpopular.
Mr. Good, a former athletics official at Liberty College, defeated Mr. Riggleman in a weird drive-through conference in June, capitalizing on the conservative outrage after the congressman officiated on the same-sex wedding ceremony of two of his former marketing campaign volunteers.
Within the basic election, Mr. Good ran an unabashedly conservative marketing campaign interesting to the agricultural coronary heart of the sprawling district, which stretches from the outskirts of Washington, via the liberal college city of Charlottesville, to the far southern reaches of the state. He pledged to battle for “Judeo-Christian” values in Washington and defend the district from what he stated was encroaching socialism and radicals just like the Black Lives Matter motion.
He tried to tie Dr. Webb, who’s Black, to each, falsely charging that he supported defunding the police and insinuating that he would advocate a authorities takeover of the well being care system. One advert superimposed Dr. Webb’s face over menacing pictures of fires and confrontations with police and urged voters to “look previous the graceful presentation.” Democrats denounced it as a “racist canine whistle.” Dr. Webb, whose father was a police officer, by no means supported defunding the police.
A primary-time candidate, Dr. Webb tried to capitalize on discontent with Mr. Trump and the federal government’s dealing with of the coronavirus pandemic. He continued to deal with sufferers with the illness all through the marketing campaign and introduced himself as a mainstream physician who would keep above the political fray whereas steering the nation towards a simpler response to the coronavirus pandemic and higher well being protection.
Political donations to Dr. Webb poured in. However in the long run, it was not sufficient to flip a district with a lot conservative DNA.
The principally white district had been comparatively protected for Republicans till 2018, when antipathy towards Mr. Trump and progress round Charlottesville and within the outlying suburbs of Washington put it into play. Mr. Trump carried it by 11 factors in 2016, however Democrats got here inside seven factors of profitable in 2018, and polling in current weeks had prompt a lifeless warmth.