House – 11/16/23

Arkansas:  2024 Candidate Filing Closes:  The Arkansas ballot is now set with the candidate filing deadline passing, and we will see only one contested congressional primary election on Super Tuesday, March 5th.  The presidential primary will be held that day, and with no Senate seat on the Arkansas ballot this year, the four congressional seats become the state’s only other federal elections. 

In three districts, the general election candidates are now already set.  In the eastern 1st District, veteran Rep. Rick Crawford (R-Jonesboro) will run for an eighth term against Iraq War veteran Randy Govens (D).  Five-term Rep. French Hill (R-Little Rock) will face retired Army Colonel Marcus Jones (D) in the Little Rock anchored 2nd CD.  Fourth District incumbent Bruce Westerman (R-Hot Springs) will be tasked with defending his seat against Democratic attorney Risie Howard.

The only primary contest among the congressional districts comes in the state’s western 3rd District where state Senator Clint Penzo (R-Tontitown) will oppose seven-term Rep. Steve Womack (R-Rogers).  It remains to be seen if this race develops into a major challenge.  Republicans will be favored to again retain all four of the Natural State’s congressional districts.

VA-5:  Rep. Good Challenged for Renomination:  Two-term Virginia Rep. Bob Good (R-Lynchburg), one of the outspoken Freedom Caucus members who was a leader in the move to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy, will have a renomination challenge next year. 

John McGuire III, a state Delegate first elected in 2017 who then won a state Senate seat last week in unopposed fashion, yesterday filed a congressional campaign committee with the Federal Election Commission.  Mr. McGuire, a retired Navy SEAL, ran for Congress once before, losing in the former 7th District’s 2020 Republican nominating convention.  State Delegate Nick Freitas, who defeated Mr. McGuire that year, would then lose a close battle to Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Glen Ellen) in the general election.
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Rep. Good was first elected to the Campbell County Board of Supervisors in 2015.  He defeated then-US Rep. Denver Riggleman (R) in a district convention that his key supporters controlled.  Assuming Rep. Good is as strong with the local Republican Party as he was during his first election campaign, it would be very difficult for Mr. McGuire to upset him within such a favorable venue.