GOP lawmaker's conspiracy theory that fires cost him election blown up by official

After a bitter primary with votes coming down to the wire, Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good (R-VA) has not yet had his race called, but as the final ballots are tallied, it's looking grim for him, as he trails Trump-endorsed John McGuire by a few hundred votes. He has already pivoted to complaining the election was unfair — in particular accusing fires at election facilities of costing him the vote.

But that's not true, say Virginia state officials, according to Politico's Olivia Beavers.

"Rep. Bob Good has begun sowing doubt about the integrity of his extremely tight Virginia primary election, including Qs about 'fires' on election day in 3 precincts,'" reported Beavers. "State election officials told Ally [Mutnick]: There were no fires, and that the fire alarms that went off in three of the state’s 303 precincts were quickly resolved. 'In each case, local election officials handled the situation with care, ensuring that voting equipment was secured and that no voters were turned away,' said Andrea M. Gaines, a spox for the Virginia Department of Elections."

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The three incidents in question occurred at Crozet in Albemarle County, Patrick Henry High School in Hanover, and the student union of Liberty University in Lynchburg. Few voters were even present when these incidents happened — in the case of Liberty University, most students were on summer break so there were only six voters total that day — and those who were there were all able to vote.

The primary between Good and McGuire heated up as Good alienated much of the Republican caucus and enraged Trump with his endorsement of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in his unsuccessful bid to challenge Trump for the presidential nomination.

Both candidates sought to bolster their MAGA bona fides, with the two traveling to Manhattan to rage against Trump's criminal trial for falsification of business records.