CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – As she ramps her campaign to unseat incumbent 5th District Rep. John McGuire in the August Republican primary, former Marine Melanie Lucero isn’t pulling any punches when she talks about her opponent.

Calling McGuire “divisive,” “a puppet,” and “a huge disappointment,” Lucero told WINA Morning News on Monday that McGuire’s failures as a legislator are what motivated her to enter the race.

“It’s because I can’t look away,” Lucero said during a 15-minute radio appearance. “Our current Congressman is a huge disappointment. Look, I’m a Republican. He’s a Republican. I’m running for the nomination. But he has been a huge disappointment. What got me into this was, I started doing my research into how our Congressman was doing with constituent services, legislation. I have to tell you – I’m super dissatisfied, and so are the majority of people all across the district. We’re not getting a Congressman who’s fighting for us or who understands legislation.”

While Lucero and McGuire agree on many of the core GOP issues – opposing federal taxes and protecting the Second Amendment, for example – she said McGuire, a first-term member of the House of Representatives, isn’t a strong representative for the 5th District. She said that, while she strongly supports President Trump, as does McGuire, she believes the district would be better served by a Representative the President will listen to.

“Thats a huge difference between me and my opponent. He is a puppet. He’s there because he’s a placeholder,” Lucero said. “Our current Congressman is just not influential enough to be a part of those conversations. He’s too irrelevant. The 5th district has an irrelevant Congressman sitting in that seat.”

Lucero, a real estate agent and developer, called McGuire’s signature legislation – “The American Dream Act” – “an absolute insult to Americans,” “just gaslighting,” and “all marketing,” and said it’s a flawed bill that is “never, never going to pass.”

“Everything he’s done for us in Congress has died right where he left it,” Lucero said. 

She said the Wintergreen Emergency Egress Act that McGuire passed was actually a bill authored by one of his predecessors, Bob Good, that he just revived and took credit for.

Even after the Supreme Court of Virginia overturned Democrats heavily-gerrymandered voting maps, the party is making a strong push to flip the 5th District. Tom Perriello, the last Democrat to represent the 5th, is considered the favorite to grab the nomination from that side of the aisle. 

For Republicans, even though they’ve held the 5th District seat since Robert Hurt ousted Perriello in 2011, the seat has been a revolving door. 

Hurt and Tom Garrett didn’t seek reelection. Denver Riggleman served one term, then was defeated in a primary by Bob Good, who held the seat for two terms. 

In 2024, after Good fell out of favor with Trump, McGuire successfully primaried Good and went on to win the seat. 

And while Lucero is making a bid to oust McGuire, she said she’s doing so in the name of unifying the party.

“John McGuire has created a rift amongst Republicans in the 5th district,” Lucero said. “I don’t bring that baggage. I’m a complete outsider which is perfect for the 5th district GOP. My goal is to unite our party. To unite the district.”