RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) – Republican Del. John McGuire is challenging U.S. Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) for the GOP nomination in Virginia’s 5th Congressional race next year.

Del. McGuire (Goochland), coming off a state Senate win last week, made his expected announcement Wednesday, blasting Good in a message to supporters and saying the congressman cost Republicans legislative majorities in Virginia.

“I appreciate anyone who wants to serve in office, but our current Congressman has failed us time and time again,” McGuire wrote in his message. “He’s more focused on getting on the news and serving himself than on serving the people.”

The bid from McGuire, a former Navy SEAL and state delegate since 2018, sets up a GOP battle between two ultra-conservatives in a red congressional district. Good, a two-term congressman, won the seat by a wider margin in 2022 after redistricting shifted the district.

Good and McGuire, outspoken proponents of former President Donald Trump’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was “stolen,” have used similar language to describe their views. Good calls himself a “biblical conservative” and McGuire said he has a “Biblical worldview” in his announcement.

McGuire put Trump front-and-center in his message, describing himself as a “Day One Trump Supporter” and Good as someone who betrayed Trump after the congressman endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president.

On Jan. 6, 2021, McGuire attended Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally in D.C. but said he did not storm the U.S. Capitol during the riot.

Blaming Good for Democratic wins in Virginia, McGuire pointed to the congressman’s involvement in the ousting of U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) as House speaker and the GOP tensions that followed as Republicans struggled to pick a new speaker.

“Our current Congressman voted for Kevin McCarthy to be Speaker, then threw a temper tantrum, reversed himself, and allowed the party to fall into chaos, costing us the 2023 elections,” McGuire said in his announcement.

McGuire will take office in Virginia Senate District 10 — a solidly Republican district west of Richmond — when the General Assembly convenes in January. He easily beat out three other Republicans running for the nomination but was unopposed in the Nov. 7 election.

In 2020, Good defeated then-Republican U.S. Rep. Denver Riggleman in a GOP convention on his way to winning the 5th Congressional District seat.

The district, anchored in Southside Virginia, shifted after the state’s redistricting process. It still includes Charlottesville but doesn’t stretch north of Fredericksburg anymore and added Goochland, Powhatan, Louisa and parts of Hanover County.