CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Despite a resounding primary victory that saw him corral nearly 85% of the vote, Rep. John McGuire had no celebration planned Tuesday night. In fact, a staffer described the evening to Cville Right Now as “low key.”

The first-term Congressional representative said there is still plenty of work ahead.

“I’m not going to celebrate until we win in November,” McGuire told Cville Right Now. “I get up at 5 a.m. every morning. I go to bed late every night. I’m going to give it all I’ve got and we’ll give it to God. I think i’ve done a great job for the 5th.”

His primary opponent, real-estate broker and former Marine Melanie Lucero, described McGuire as a divisive figure who is both ineffective as a legislator and inaccessible to the residents of the 5th District. Lucero called McGuire “a huge disappointment,” “a puppet,” “a placeholder,” and “irrelevant.” After his decisive win, McGuire responded.

“I think the results tonight prove that what my opponent was saying was childish, ridiculous and inaccurate,” said McGuire, who won the vote count, 41,258-7,648.

In the Democratic stronghold that is Albemarle County and Charlottesville, McGuire’s margin was a bit tighter, but not much. He defeated Lucero 2,750-785 in the county, garnering 77.8% of the votes. In the city, he topped Lucero 265-136, getting 66.1% of the votes.

Lucero bashed McGuire as being out of touch and impossible to reach for the people he serves. But McGuire said he visited over 20 precincts on Tuesday alone.

“I think I’m probably the most visible member of Congress they’ve ever had in the history of the 5th District,” McGuire said. “I’m on my fourth pickup truck. My third one I bought with zero miles. I sold it a year ago with 245,000 miles. I’ve been to 406 churches as of last Sunday. I’ve been to every tractor pull, every rodeo. And I go to several businesses every day in the district and what I hear all the time – ‘Never met a Congressman. Never met a Congressman.'”

Lucero, like McGuire, a supporter of President Donald Trump, criticized McGuire for being someone who would not stand up to Trump if the situation called for it, even calling McGuire “a puppet.”

McGuire, Tuesday, continued to heap praise on Trump, defending his handling of the Iran war, calling Trump “the President of peace.”

“Those people over there, they have an ideology of death,” McGuire said. “I think if anyone can get a deal there, it’s President Trump. But I’m not very confident you can deal with people who have an ideology of death.”

Now, McGuire shifts his attention to a November election against Democratic nominee Tom Perriello, the last member of that party to hold the 5th District seat. Perriello also easily won his primary Tuesday, defeating Lynchburg Dr. Suzanne Krzyzowski and journalist and author Rob Tracinski, garnering 79.9% of the votes.

In his victory speech, as he has throughout the campaign, Perriello focused on issues of affordability and healthcare costs and access.

“He should be talking about affordability, because I think he’s a big part of the problem,” McGuire said.

McGuire said Perriello’s pro-immigration views contribute to the national housing shortage, rising housing costs and the overburdening of public services. McGuire said the policies of Trump have helped combat those issues.

McGuire said the Affordable Care Act, which gave universal healthcare access to Americans and which Perriello championed while in Congress, actually drives up the cost of health insurance.

“People are struggling with affordability, but we’re bringing down prices, and we’re working really hard,” McGuire said. “We’re making progress, and what I’d like to do, I’d like to continue to fight to help you with that.”

McGuire said that by eliminating taxes on tips, on overtime and social security, Republicans have helped working Americans have a better chance to pay their bills. He said his American Dream Act, if passed, will help first-time home buyers enter the market by rewarding older citizens for selling their homes to first-time buyers.

After Tuesday’s win, McGuire thanked his wife, Tracy, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for their support to date in his campaign.

As for Lucero, he said he saw her at a polling place during the day and the two spoke briefly. It’s unclear if Lucero will now support McGuire.

“You can’t get everyone on your team,” McGuire said.

Lucero, in a social media post, released a statement following her defeat, thanking supporters and urging them to remain involved in the political process.

“Stay in this,” Lucero wrote on Facebook. “Pay attention to who is on your ballot and what they have actually done, not what they say in a mailer. Show up to your local meetings. Hold your representatives accountable between elections, not just during them. And if you have ever thought about running for office yourself, run. This country needs people who will serve it honestly, and elections have consequences that we all live with.”