Gay Man is GOP Nominee in Virginia’s Lt. Governor Race
John Reid, a gay conservative talk show host, is running unopposed for the Republican nomination for Virginia's next lieutenant governor.
John Reid, a stalwart Trump defender, will be part of a history-making ticket this fall as he campaigns alongside Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is seeking to become the first Black woman elected governor in the commonwealth.
If elected, the Richmond resident would become the first openly gay Republican elected to any statewide office in the country.
Reid’s path to the nomination was cleared after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity (R-Springfield) dropped out of the primary, citing health reasons.
As reported by The Washington Post, Herrity had been leading in fundraising but was struggling to recover after receiving heart surgery last month.
With his exit, the Republican Party will not have any primaries for its top statewide offices.
Reid, who previously served as communications chief for Virginia Republican Gov. George Allen, has expressed hope that his sexual orientation will not become a contentious issue for voters.
“I’m not a diversity hire,” he said in a January news release announcing his bid. “I’m the most conservative and proven candidate running, and I’ve boldly stood up for our beliefs in a way that should make my personal life a total nonissue.”
Reid’s campaign website casts him as a “solid Reagan conservative and a gay man of faith,” acknowledging his sexual orientation and his relationship with his partner, Alonzo Mable, while also arguing that he is best poised to push back against the political Left’s alleged obsession with identity politics, pro-diversity initiatives, and critical race theory.
Reid has cast himself as a parental rights advocate and decried what he sees as “leftist indoctrination” being peddled in Virginia’s schools.
He makes clear his opposition to transgender participation in women’s sports, accusing “radical progressives” of pushing an “extreme trans-agenda” upon children.
“John is clear,” reads his website. “It’s completely unacceptable for men to participate in women’s sports. Women and men deserve private separate spaces as free as possible from any obvious physical or sexual threat. And we must be blatant in saying that it is factually impossible for biological men or women to personally decide to change their gender.”
Outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin expressed support for Reid, saying that the conservative talk show host is “ready to work with” Earle-Sears and Miyares “to keep Virginia the best state for business, to back the blue [a reference to supporting law enforcement], and to stand strong for parents.”
If he wins, Reid would likely become a frontrunner in the 2029 governor’s race, as Virginia governors are barred from seeking a second consecutive term.
It is unknown who Reid will face in the general election.
While former Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger is unchallenged for the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial nomination, six Democrats, including Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney and State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond), are seeking the party’s nomination for lieutenant governor.
That primary, where Democratic-leaning voters will also select a nominee for Attorney General, is scheduled for June 17.
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