Republican Virginia Rep. Denver Riggleman lost his bid for renomination to a conservative challenger who questioned the freshman lawmaker’s bona fides on social issues.
At a party convention Saturday in the sprawling 5th District, stretching from the North Carolina state line to the Washington, D.C., exurbs in Fauquier County, Riggleman came up short against Republican primary challenger Bob Good. In the party convention, a drive-in affair held in a church parking lot due to the coronavirus, Good prevailed over Riggleman 58% to 42%.
About 2,400 people voted from their cars at the party convention, according to tallies released by local Republican officials early Sunday.
Virginia allows parties to select nominees in conventions, with far smaller turnout than primaries, which usually works against more moderate-tending members. That was the case with Riggleman, who, despite a conservative voting record in the House in-line with leadership and his colleagues, faced charges of straying too far from the conservative fold.
Good, a former Liberty University athletics official, had for months hammered Riggleman as a “purple progressive Republican” who was “out of step” with conservative constituents in the R+6 Cook Political Report–rated district.
Riggleman angered some Virginia Republicans last year after he officiated a same-sex wedding of two members of the Log Cabin Republicans, representing gay members in the GOP. That led to an attempt by the state party to censure him.
The fractious relationship between Riggleman and local state party officials continued into this year’s election cycle. Riggleman, an Air Force veteran who went on to open a craft distillery about 20 miles west of Charlottesville, won in 2018 in an open seat contest.
Riggleman suggested his campaign could challenge the results.
“Voting irregularities and ballot stuffing has been reported in multiple counties in the #VA05. ,” Riggleman tweeted Saturday just before midnight. “Voter fraud has been a hallmark of this nomination process and I will not stand for it. @VA_GOP needs to reevaluate their priorities. We are evaluating all our options at this time.”
Voting irregularities and ballot stuffing has been reported in multiple counties in the #VA05. Voter fraud has been a hallmark of this nomination process and I will not stand for it. @VA_GOP needs to reevaluate their priorities. We are evaluating all our options at this time.
— Denver Lee Riggleman III (@Denver4VA) June 14, 2020
Good, as the Republican nominee, is set to face the winner of the June 23 Democratic primary in November. But Republicans hold a distinct advantage in the district, which President Trump carried easily in 2016 over Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
Riggleman is the third House member in 2020 to lose renomination, following Reps. Dan Lipinsky, an Illinois Democrat, and Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa.
