Republicans in Rep. Bob Good’s district on Wednesday urged former President Donald Trump to reconsider his endorsement of state legislator John McGuire as the primary election looms. 

Mr. Good and Mr. McGuire are locked into one of the most bitter GOP primaries in the country that has seen Republicans leave Washington to campaign for both candidates in Virginia’s deep-red 5th District.

Mr. Trump’s endorsement of the state legislator in May undercut the second-term congressman, and Mr. Good’s local Republican allies want the former president to take it back. 

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The 5th District Republican Congressional Committee warned that if Mr. Trump sticks with Mr. McGuire, it could hurt his support among voters in the district come November. 

“The endorsement may, in fact, hurt the strong support of conservatives for President Trump in the Fighting 5th that he will need in November,” the letter stated. “We hope President Trump reconsiders his ill-advised endorsement and stands with the  Grassroots America First supporters of Congressman Bob Good.” 

The committee members wrote that Mr. Good was more aligned with the former president’s policy goals, like bolstering border security, while accusing Mr. McGuire of “representing his own ambitions.”

Rick Buchanan, the chair of the committee, described Mr. McGuire as an opportunist looking to make a name for himself in politics. He told The Washington Times that the state legislator would rely on others or “put his finger in the wind” to decide how he would vote, and was not well-liked throughout the district. 

“His nickname here in the district is McLiar,” Mr. Buchanan said. 

The Times reached out to Mr. McGuire’s campaign for comment. 

But Mr. Trump walking back his endorsement is unlikely. The former president doubled down on his support for Mr. McGuire on Tuesday, and warned voters that if they don’t support the state legislator on June 18, Mr. Good would “stab them in the back.”

The race between Mr. Good and Mr. McGuire has proven divisive within the House GOP, and even among staunch allies of Mr. Trump. 

Mr. McGuire has attracted the support of top Trump surrogates, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, while other allies of the former president, including Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida and former Trump White House advisor Steve Bannon, are backing Mr. Good.