The Good chair
Fifth District Rep. Bob Good was named chair of the House Freedom Caucus on December 11, and will start the job in January. For years, the Freedom Caucus has played a prominent role in congressional politics, including the ouster of former House speaker Kevin McCarthy and the lengthy process to elect a replacement speaker.
In a press release announcing his appointment, Good said, “I look forward to building on the work [Scott Perry] has done and continuing the fight to reduce government spending, secure our borders, and defend our constitutional freedoms.” The Virginia representative will replace Pennsylvania Congressman Perry as chair of the ultra-conservative caucus.
Good was elected to Congress in 2020, and has gained significant influence amid a divided Republican party. Though his new leadership position may bolster his national prominence, the local impact of Good’s chairmanship is likely to be limited, according to University of Virginia Crystal Ball Editor Kyle Kondik.
Rather than give him direct access to additional resources for Virginia’s 5th District, Good’s appointment affords him additional political sway within Congress, due to the narrow Republican majority in the House.
“The Freedom Caucus as a group does exert some power within the Republican Conference,” says Kondik. “There’s a lot of must-pass bills that have come down the pike this past year. And typically, the majority party is the one that’s on the hook for providing the votes for that. But the Republicans haven’t had party unity on a lot of these things.”
Newly elected Delegate John McGuire announced he will challenge Good for the Republican congressional nomination in 2024, partially due to Good’s lack of support for former president Donald Trump. Good, however, may get a boost from his new position in the primary election. “Given that primary electorates can be kind of ideological, [it] may be helpful to Good that he’s in with the Freedom Caucus,” says Kondik. “It’s gonna be harder to get to his right.”
Virginia’s 5th District is pretty safely Republican, meaning Good is unlikely to be defeated in the 2024 general election—but the congressman’s new position could bolster a Democratic challenger. “Certainly the case that Democrats would make against Bob Good is just that he’s too far right, even for a conservative leaning district,” says Kondik. “Maybe it’s easier to make that kind of argument when he’s in charge of the Freedom Caucus.”
In brief
Civic duty
The City of Charlottesville announced that it intends to fill a vacancy on the Police Civilian Oversight Board, and that applications are open to the public. The PCOB monitors the Charlottesville Police Department, with a stated mission of promoting transparency, fair policing, and the protection of citizens’ civil rights. Anyone interested in serving on the board, can apply through the Charlottesville Boards and Commissions Vacancies webpage by February 29, 2024.
Special invite
University of Virginia rower Sky Dahl was invited to January’s 2024 Paralympic Selection Camp. Dahl, a junior, is one of 13 athletes participating in the camp, which selects the rowers who will represent the United States in the 2024 Paralympic Games, held in Paris from August 31 to September 1. The camp will host the athletes in Sarasota, Florida.
New rep
The Albemarle County School Board has selected a new representative for the Rio Magisterial District, after the seat was vacated when Katrina Callsen resigned to run for a House of Delegates seat. Charles Pace, a former Albemarle County Public Schools teacher and central office administrator, will fill the role. Pace taught biology and chemistry at Albemarle High School, served as K-12 science instructional coordinator, and as science department chairperson for Blue Ridge School. Despite his recent appointment, he may face competition in November, as the Rio seat will be up for grabs at the next general election.