Richmond, Va. (Newsradiowrva.com) - John Reid, the first openly gay candidate for statewide office in Virginia, says he’s not backing out of the race for lieutenant governor despite the governor’s push for him to do so.
Last week, Governor Glenn Youngkin told Reid that GOP researchers found sexually explicit posts online that they believe are connected to Reid. In light of the findings, Youngkin asked Reid to withdraw from the race.
Reid confirmed to The Richmonder, a new nonprofit news site, that the governor called him Friday and said “there were salacious pictures on the internet reposted by an account that uses my Instagram handle.”
“As long as I have been in the public space, I have been a target for malicious and salacious lies,” Reid said. “This is the second overt attempt to try to force me from the race.”
The images at the center of the controversy were on a public Tumblr blog page as of Friday morning, according to The Richmonder. The account had a username that matched the name Reid uses on other social media accounts. The images were reposts and did not show Reid himself. Since then, the Tumblr page has been taken down.
On Friday, Reid published five-minute video indicating that the account wasn't his.
"What's happened today was my worst fear. A total fabricated internet lie so basic that a middle-schooler could have constructed it," Reid said in the video. "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."
In another video posted Sunday, Reid accused Youngkin's team of trying to extort him and of seeking "a coup against a gay man whom they don't want to be their nominee but didn't have the guts to run against."
Reid said a member of Youngkin’s political team told him they would purchase the opposition research if he dropped out of the race.
"This is extortion, and it is illegal in Virginia," Reid added.
Reid made a weekend appearance at a "Meet the Candidates" event in Abingdon, where he received applause for continuing his campaign.
