Republican candidate for Virginia Lt. Gov. John Reid is pushing back after Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) urged him to withdraw from the race over allegations involving sexually explicit online content —allegations Reid calls false, politically motivated, and rooted in anti-gay bias.
The controversy erupted last week when Youngkin reportedly placed a phone call to Reid personally, asking him to step down following a report that Republican researchers had uncovered explicit images tied to a Tumblr account with a username matching Reid’s social media handles. Reid has adamantly denied the material is his, saying anyone could create an account mimicking his.
“The governor … was very adamant,” Reid told WMAL, a prominent Washington, D.C.-based radio station, Wednesday morning. “He said, ‘You’re going to drop out of this race,’ and he wasn’t going to debate it with me.”
Reid, a former radio host and longtime GOP commentator who is openly gay, went further, claiming a political operation was orchestrating a smear campaign. He said that in the days before the governor’s call, local activists threatened to “destroy” his life unless he ended his campaign.
“They showed me a picture of me at a drag brunch — an event with other adults, no children — and said, ‘We will ruin your life,’” Reid said in the radio interview. “That’s extortion. And that’s illegal.”
Reid alleged that after refusing to drop out, his private call with the governor was leaked to the media — an action he called deeply unethical.
“Something stinks here,” he said on Wednesday. “They’re trying to bully me.”
In the immediate aftermath, the Spirit of Virginia PAC, Youngkin’s political arm, issued a statement confirming the governor had asked Reid to leave the race.
Matt Moran, Youngkin’s top political strategist and head of the Spirit of Virginia PAC, responded on Wednesday evening, rejecting accusations that he tried to pressure Reid out of the race and declaring that “facts matter.”
“I’ve known John Reid for years and consider him a friend,” Moran wrote on X, including a letter from his attorney in the post. “Over the last nine days, I was actively supporting and assisting John as the Lt. Governor nominee of the Republican Party. Let me be clear, facts matter, and they will demonstrate the accusations against me are unfounded.”
Speaking Tuesday at a fentanyl awareness event, Youngkin defended his decision to call the Republican lieutenant governor nominee because he believes the controversy is diverting attention from core issues.
For the first time, @GovernorVA is addressing his decision to ask @JohnReid4VA to drop out of the race for Lieutenant Governor.
Youngkin says “the decision is John’s” while adding the alleged Tumblr account with sexually explicit images is a “distraction.” From @DCNewsNow pic.twitter.com/M1qaweOU4H
— Tyler Englander (@TylerEnglander) April 29, 2025
“Explicit social media content like this is a distraction. It’s a distraction for campaigns, and it’s a distraction from people paying attention to the most important issues,” Youngkin said.
However, the governor emphasized that the final decision rests with Reid: “The decision is John’s and up to John.”
While Youngkin has sought to frame the move as a moral or strategic decision, Reid and many GOP insiders believe the effort to end Reid’s campaign was a political miscalculation.
“This looks like a hit job against a gay candidate that everyone knew was gay and nobody had a problem with five months ago,” Arlington County GOP Chair Matthew Hurtt reportedly said.
The situation has exposed sharp divisions within Virginia’s Republican Party.
Reid was left as the presumptive nominee for lieutenant governor after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity unexpectedly exited the primary due to health reasons.
Despite the growing pressure, Reid says he’s staying in the race and continuing to campaign across the state.
“I’m one of the candidates you can count on not to back down when things get hot,” he said on WMAL. “If I’m not willing to fight for myself, how can voters trust me to fight for them?”
Reid also outlined his conservative policy agenda, including support for Virginia’s right-to-work law, opposition to youth gender transitions, and a pro-law enforcement stance.
“I’m for law and order. I want parents in charge of their kids. And I’m one of the few people who can credibly speak out against radical trans ideology because I’ve lived through these questions,” he said.
Virginia GOP Chairman Mark Peake publicly endorsed the full statewide ticket this week.
With early voting in the general election set to begin this Friday, Reid emphasized that the GOP has already settled on its nominee.
“There is no primary in this race. I am the nominee,” he said, noting that he would have preferred a traditional contest but is focused on November.
“They want me to disappear quietly. But I’m not going anywhere,” Reid said.
At the top of the ticket, Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is running for governor, weighed in on the ongoing election controversy.
“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,” Earle-Sears said in a statement Tuesday night. “I am going to continue to make the case to the people of Virginia that Abigail Spanberger will tear down all the successes we’ve made in Virginia. We cannot let that happen. Our campaign is focused on results, unity and winning in November.”
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The party’s internal rift may prove consequential as Republicans look to maintain their foothold in Virginia.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Youngkin’s PAC for a comment.
