Virginia lieutenant governor candidate John Reid vowed that he will remain in the state’s 2025 race, despite Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R-VA) request for him to drop out.
Youngkin’s request to Reid was reported this week, with Reid saying in a video posted on Friday that it was due to a “fake” social media account impersonating him that posted sexually explicit photos of “other people.” Reid, who is gay, went on to state that he suspects the move to encourage him to drop out was an attempt “to force the first openly-gay candidate off of a Virginia statewide ticket,” calling it “shameful” and vowing not to bow out.
In a new video released Sunday, Reid claimed representatives of his campaign had been told by “the leader of Gov. Youngkin’s political organization” that the accusations against him would continue unless he drops out. He deemed the threats “colossal arrogance and abuse to a loyal fellow Republican,” comparing it to what President Donald Trump faced over the years.
These guys are openly trying to extort me to make me quit!
I won’t stand for it! pic.twitter.com/vV2ZDh7cmP— John Reid (@JohnReid4VA) April 27, 2025
“My representatives were shown the same explicit photographs of other people that I’ve got nothing to do with that I was shown last week, and they were told that if I dropped out of the race, they would purchase the opposition research and the lies and threats against me would suddenly stop,” Reid said. “This is extortion, and it is illegal in Virginia, and I am more outraged now.”
He added that he is “sickened” by the accusations against him and said he would not continue answering questions from people staging “a coup” against him.
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“I’m the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, and I’m more transparent, and I’m more conservative, and I’m tougher than any of my detractors, and I’m not going anywhere, except to get back on the campaign trail, win this election, and take these people to court,” Reid said.
Reid became the 2025 Republican candidate for Virginia’s lieutenant governor last week after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity withdrew his candidacy due to health concerns.