U.S. Representative-elect John McGuire (R-VA-05) urged Republicans in Virginia’s 10th State Senate district to unite behind Luther Cifers, the outsider businessman who secured the Republican Party’s nomination to run for McGuire’s former seat.
Cifers won the nomination during the Friday mass meeting in Goochland that The Daily Progress reported drew 1,000 Republicans, ultimately securing more votes than Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Duane Adams in the third round of voting, which was concluded at about 1 a.m. on Saturday.
The nominee emerged victorious from a crowded convention that, in addition to Adams and Cifers, drew four other candidates, including former State Senator Amanda Chase, who was defeated in the second round of voting.
McGuire said in a Monday appearance on “The John Fredericks Show” that some of the other candidates lost “because they’re not Trump supporters. They pretend so they can win an election.”
The newly-elected congressman told host John Fredericks, who is the publisher of The Virginia Star, “I think the best guy won for the district. I went to church with him on Sunday, met his family, then we went to lunch, and we talked about what we need to do,” before urging for party unity.
“What I am asking everybody to do is to show some grace for all of the candidates that didn’t win,” said McGuire. “Let’s lock arms, Republicans aren’t always so good at that. We need to lock arms, put our differences aside, and we’ve got to get this young man across the finish line for January 7.”
He added, “It takes a lot of courage for him and everybody to run, but I truly believe the right guy won, and I’m fired up to help him be successful.”
McGuire also told Fredericks that he is recruiting staff members for his congressional office and that he looks forward to serving through President-elect Donald Trump’s honeymoon period.
“It’s been a heck of a year,” said McGuire. “I can’t wait to be part of the first 100 days, where Trump says he’s going to get six hours of sleep, to Make America Great Again.”
McGuire similarly called for unity after he beat Representative Bob Good (R-VA-05) in the Republican Party primary in July.
Watch McGuire’s full appearance on “The John Fredericks Show”:
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “John McGuire” by John McGuire. Background Photo “Virginia Capitol” by Martin Kraft. CC BY-SA 3.0.
