BILLY SHIELDS: John McGuire will represent the 5th Congressional District, having won a carefully watched race in an area marked by farm country.

JOHN McGUIRE: Work harder than anybody up there and treat people with respect and get results for the people of the fifth.

People ask me what Congress- what caucus are you going to join?

I'm going to join the 5th Congressional District Caucus.

>> Voting?

BILLY SHIELDS: Earlier in the day in Lynchburg, the polling station at Saint Paul's Church saw a steady stream of people.

Some shared what they had top of mind as they voted.

RAYSCHNETTE TAYLOR: The economy and hoping that, whoever wins, that they look at the American people as a whole.

MARCIA McBRATNEY: Costs of groceries and other items.

And I'm able to afford things I don't know how people who really can't.

Just the economy is a big issue for me.

BILLY SHIELDS: Democrat Gloria Witt started the night out hopeful.

GLORIA WITT: Actually, I'm very calm.

I'm very at peace.

A gospel song comes to my mind, “When you've done all that you can do, all you do is stand.” BILLY SHIELDS: But by around 9 p.m., McGuire was already calling the race for himself, with less than two thirds of the votes counted in the district.

JOHN McGUIRE: Hey, really is amazing what you can do when you put your differences aside.

Treat each other with respect and work as a team, and you can turn a “no” into a “yes”, an impossible to a possible.

And it's a huge honor to be Congressman-elect John McGuire.

BILLY SHIELDS: Witt says she will return to activism.

GLORIA WITT: Well, I will continue to work with my branch NAACP.

Social activism is in my DNA.

BILLY SHIELDS: McGuire took Bob Goods place as the Republican nominee as Good lost the primary.

Earlier in the cycle, Good endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president, causing former President Donald Trump to throw his support behind McGuire.

Now, McGuire is headed to Congress.

Billy Shields, VPM News.