Virginia GOP candidate for lieutenant governor says he won't exit race despite governor's push

RICHMOND, Va. — Republican John Reid said Friday he will continue his campaign to be Virginia's lieutenant governor and denied he had anything to do with a social media account containing sexually explicit photos that had prompted GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin to call for him to quit the race.

Reid, the first openly gay man to run statewide in Virginia and a supporter of Youngkin, posted a video response to the governor's attempt to stymie his candidacy after the governor learned of the photos on a Tumblr account with a username matching the candidate's Instagram handle. Reid said the account was a fabrication that comes as he grapples with increasing pressure to exit the race by members of his party.

''It's predictable, but what I didn't expect was the governor I have always supported to call and demand my resignation without even showing me the supposed evidence or offering me a chance to respond,'' said Reid, a conservative talk-radio host. ''I did not accept that, and I deeply resent it.''

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, which was first reported by The Richmonder, was active Friday morning but was deleted by that afternoon. The webpage had reposted photos of naked men, according to The Richmonder.

''The Governor was made aware late Thursday of the disturbing online content,'' according to a statement released by a political group affiliated with Youngkin. ''Friday morning, in a call with Mr. Reid, the Governor asked him to step down as the Lt. Governor nominee.''

In a video statement, Reid said he did not own the account. He also said his worst fear had been that someone would manufacture lies about him because of his sexuality.

''Anyone on the internet can open accounts with the same or similar names as other people,'' he said.

Reid became the sole Republican candidate after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity left the race because of his health.

Herrity's abrupt exit solidified Virginia Republicans' diverse ticket, with Reid running alongside Jamaican immigrant Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is vying to be governor, and Attorney General Jason Miyares, a first-generation Cuban American running for reelection.

Before Youngkin's phone call, Reid said he was also pressed by a religious activist in Virginia to drop out after photos revealed him attending a drag show in Richmond. Since Herrity dropped out, Reid also said he received a deluge of requests insisting that he leave the race.

Reid described the calls as ''demands that I drop out, because supposedly, Christian voters would never support me, and it was inevitable that I would destroy the ticket and destroy Virginia,'' Reid said. ''I told everyone who called that I did not accept that analysis and would not decline the nomination that I've worked for so many months to secure.''

Youngkin had initially backed Reid, writing on X on Monday: ''I spoke with John tonight and know he is ready to work with (Earle-Sears) and (Miyares) to keep Virginia the best state for business, to back the blue, and to stand strong for parents.''

The conservative Family Foundation Action group wrote in a Friday statement that they ''strongly support Gov. Youngkin's call for John Reid to step aside as the Lieutenant Governor candidate. Virginians want elected officials who represent their values.''

Politicians and elected officials have received greater scrutiny for their online activity. The Tumblr account seemingly connected to Reid comes less than two years after Susanna Gibson, a Virginia Democrat, lost a House of Delegates race following reports that she had live-streamed sex acts with her husband on a pornographic website. Gibson has since said she and her husband did not consent to the live-stream being recorded, and argued the leak was criminal.

On Friday, Gibson posted on X: ''Shocked to Learn That Posting Intimate Images of Other People Sometimes Has Consequences? Thoughts and prayers.'' ___

Olivia Diaz is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.