Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee for governor in Virginia, said Tuesday that infighting over whether the lieutenant governor nominee should drop out was a distraction, offering him cover to remain in the race.
The nominee for lieutenant governor, former radio host John Reid, is facing pressure to withdraw from Gov. Glenn Youngkin over an alleged connection to sexually explicit posts. Reid, who is the first openly gay Republican to run for lieutenant governor, has denied any connection to the posts.
In her first public comments on the matter, Earle-Sears argued that her party should be focused on uniting Virginia voters.
“This week, focus on the lieutenant governor nominee distracted from that mission and cannot continue,” Earle-Sears said. “John Reid is the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor. It is his race, and his decision alone to move forward. We all have our own race to run.”
Youngkin called on Reid to drop out from the race last week after the governor was made aware of what his super PAC called “disturbing online content.”
The Richmonder reported that Youngkin called Reid and asked him to withdraw from the race because of explicit posts on a since-deleted Tumblr account with the same username as one Reid uses on another social media platform.
In public comments this week, Youngkin left the decision about whether to stay in the race “up to” Reid while also calling the situation a distraction.
Reid denied any connection to the account. He accused Youngkin of attacking him because of his sexuality and also accused the governor of “extortion.” Since then, Reid has promised that he will stay in the race.
Reid sent a cease and desist letter to Youngkin’s political PAC, Spirit of Virginia, according to multiple outlets.
“What happened today was my worst fear,” Reid said in a video posted to X on Sunday. “A total fabricated internet lie so basic that a middle schooler could have constructed it. 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. I did not accept that, and I deeply resent it.”
The issue quickly split Republicans. The Washington Post reported that Rep. Morgan Griffith appeared alongside Reid over the weekend and, without naming Reid, said he would “always support our nominee.” But another event in which Reid was scheduled to appear alongside Youngkin and Earle-Sears for Wednesday was canceled.
Phil Kazmierczak, a member of Youngkin’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board, resigned from his role, citing support for Reid, Virginia Scope reported.
“I am deeply shocked and saddened that Governor Youngkin … would involve himself in a political attack of this nature,” Kazmierczak wrote in a statement. “I am deeply moved by the support that Lt. Governor nominee John Reid is receiving from conservative circles and wish him the best of luck moving forward as our nominee.”
Matthew Hurtt, chair of the Arlington County GOP, expressed support for Reid in an email sent to members on Monday, saying he spoke with the candidate and was confident in his leadership.
“On the issues that matter to voters in Virginia, John Reid is a principled conservative,” Hurtt said in the email. “If this is how the Governor’s political operation to close out his term in Richmond — by tossing a grenade into a statewide Republican ticket — it’s truly a shame.”
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Amelia Benavides-Colón is a NOTUS reporter and an Allbritton Journalism Institute fellow.