Rep. Bob Good (R-Va.) and his allies are trying to end Kevin McCarthy’s reign as leader of the House Republicans. Good is one of five Republicans in the far-right Freedom Caucus who have vowed to block McCarthy’s path to the 218 votes needed to become House speaker. The two have a story.

In 2020, Good ran for Congress to represent Virginia’s 5th congressional district. Incidentally, he also hosts the race between James Madison and James Monroe to be the district’s first representative in Congress. Madison won. While Good was running for Congress, Kevin McCarthy tried to consolidate his power at the Republican House conference on his way to becoming Speaker. During his campaign, Good eliminated one of McCarthy’s loyalists at the Republican Party’s nominating convention. Recently, in a private meeting, Good and McCarthy had a heated exchange about the events at the time.