Virginia GOP Lt. Gov. Candidate Stays in Race Despite Governor's Plea

Republican John Reid stated on Friday that he would keep running for the position of Virginia’s lieutenant governor and refuted any involvement with a social media account featuring explicit images. This account led GOP Governor Glenn Youngkin to demand that Reid withdraw from the contest.

Reid, who became the first openly gay man to run for office statewide in Virginia and has backed Youngkin, responded to the governor via a video statement following the discovery of these images on a Tumblr page whose username matched the candidate’s Instagram handle. According to Reid, this account was fabricated as he faces mounting calls from within his own party urging him to drop out of the contest.

It's somewhat expected, however, what caught me off guard was the governor whom I've consistently backed calling to ask for my resignation without presenting any alleged proof or giving me an opportunity to defend myself," stated Reid, who hosts a conservative radio show. "I refused this request outright and find it highly offensive.

The political theater comes a week before the May 2 start of early voting in Virginia’s primaries and only days after Reid's only Republican opponent dropped out.

The Tumblr account, initially brought to light by The Richmonder, was operational on Friday morning but was removed by that evening. According to The Richmonder, the page featured images of nude males.

According to a statement from a political organization associated with Youngkin, "Late Thursday evening, the Governor became cognizant of the troubling material circulating online. On Friday morning, during a conversation with Mr. Reid, the Governor requested his resignation from the position of Lieutenant Governor nominee."

In a video statement Reid mentioned that he didn’t possess the account. Additionally, he stated that his greatest concern was that somebody might fabricate falsehoods regarding him due to his sexual orientation.

He stated that anyone online can create accounts bearing names identical or quite alike to those of others.

Reid emerged as the lone Republican contender following Pat Herrity's withdrawal from the contest due to health issues.

Herrity's sudden departure cemented a varied Republican lineup in Virginia, with Reid joining forces with Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, an immigrant from Jamaica seeking the gubernatorial seat, along with Attorney General Jason Miyares, a first-generation Cuban American campaigning for reelection.

Prior to Youngkin’s phone call, Reid mentioned that he was similarly urged by a religious activist from Virginia to withdraw after images surfaced showing him at a drag event in Richmond. Following Herrity’s exit, Reid stated that he has been inundated with demands for him to step down as well.

Reid characterized the calls as "requests for me to step down, since apparently, Christian voters wouldn’t back me, and it was unavoidable that my presence would ruin the entire ticket and harm Virginia." He stated, "To all those who reached out with such demands, I conveyed that I do not agree with this perspective and will not relinquish the nomination which I have diligently pursued over these past several months."

Youngkin originally supported Reid, posting on X late Monday: "I talked to John this evening and understand he is prepared to collaborate with (Earle-Sears) and (Miyares) to maintain Virginia as the top state for businesses, support law enforcement, and firmly advocate for parents."

On Friday, the conservative Family Foundation Action organization issued a statement asserting strong backing for Governor Youngkin’s request that John Reid resign from his position as the Lieutenant Governor candidate. They emphasized that Virginians seek representatives who align with their principles.

Politicians and elected representatives have faced increased attention regarding their online behavior. A Tumblr account allegedly linked to Reid appears just under two years after Susanna Gibson, a Democratic member from Virginia, lost her bid for a seat in the House of Delegates due to allegations that she had streamed sexual activities with her spouse on an adult site. Since then, Gibson has commented publicly about these incidents involving herself and her partner. did not consent to the live-stream being recorded, and argued the leak was criminal.

On Friday, Gibson tweeted on X: "Surprised to Find Out That Sharing Private Pictures of Individuals Can Lead to Unfavorable Results? Sending Thoughts and Prayers." &___

Olivia Diaz is part of the corps for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a non-profit organization that runs a national service program aimed at placing reporters in local media outlets to cover less-reported topics.