CNN
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Virginia Republicans are reeling from an intraparty battle over a disputed social media account that has pitted lieutenant governor nominee John Reid in opposition to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political operation, imperiling the celebration’s probabilities of holding on to energy on this yr’s common election.
The controversy comes as Republicans look to buck historic traits that favor the celebration out of energy in Washington to carry on to the highest three statewide workplaces — governor, lieutenant governor and lawyer common — and make beneficial properties within the Home of Delegates, the place all 100 seats are up for reelection in November and the place Democrats maintain a slender majority. The upcoming election can even check the governor’s political energy — regardless of his 2021 win and continued recognition, the celebration misplaced the decrease chamber in 2023, derailing Youngkin’s goals of advancing conservative priorities comparable to limiting abortion rights.
At a time when the celebration needs to be unifying, it’s as a substitute contending with a multitude that has highlighted a rift between evangelicals and different conservatives.
The disagreement erupted late final month following studies that Youngkin requested Reid — the first out gay statewide nominee in Virginia — to depart the race after GOP researchers found a since-deleted Tumblr account with a username Reid has used on different social media websites. The account, which Reid has denied he created, reposted nude and sexually specific pictures of males in posts archived way back to 2014, in keeping with a CNN overview of the web site’s archives captured by the Wayback Machine.
Reid, in an April 25 video defending himself, referred to as the account “a complete fabricated web lie” and famous that “anybody on the web can open accounts with the identical or comparable names as different individuals.” The candidate refused to drop out and launched a authorized marketing campaign in opposition to a high political adviser to Youngkin.
Republicans, together with the state GOP, are pushing the celebration to rally across the ticket and to deal with Democrats.
“This was a nasty week in April,” mentioned Virginia Republican Social gathering Chair Mark Peake. “I believe issues will easy out rather a lot within the subsequent month, after which as we head into the autumn, you’re going to see us going full bore after the Democrats.”
Inside days, Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the celebration’s gubernatorial nominee, mentioned it’s Reid’s choice whether or not to remain within the race. The governor, who’s barred below the state structure from serving a consecutive time period, informed reporters Friday that Reid is the nominee and that he “has clearly made up his thoughts that he’s going to remain in.”
Requested whether or not he would marketing campaign with Reid later this yr, the governor instructed he would.
“I’ve mentioned that I’ll help the nominees and their ticket, and on the finish of the day, Republicans must win,” Youngkin mentioned.
Reid, a conservative radio host and previous aide to former US Sen. George Allen of Virginia, grew to become the nominee by default final month after the one different candidate, Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, dropped out to recuperate from coronary heart surgical procedure. A number of Republican leaders, including Youngkin, welcomed Reid to the ticket.
However days later, local outlet The Richmonder reported that Youngkin had requested Reid to drop out after studying of the account.
In a five-minute video on social media addressing the studies, Reid mentioned he had confronted repeated calls behind the scenes to drop out over pictures of him attending a drag present and “as a result of, supposedly, Christian voters would by no means help me and it was inevitable that I might destroy the ticket and destroy Virginia.”
Reid confirmed that Youngkin requested him to say no the nomination after researchers discovered the contested social media account.
“What I didn’t count on was the governor I’ve at all times supported to name and demand my resignation with out even exhibiting me the supposed proof or providing me an opportunity to reply,” Reid mentioned within the April 25 video. “I didn’t settle for that, and I deeply resent it.”
A lot of Reid’s ire has been directed towards Matt Moran, who till final week was the manager director of Youngkin’s PAC, Spirit of Virginia. A lawyer for Reid despatched Moran a cease-and-desist letter accusing him of constructing “false and defamatory” feedback in regards to the lieutenant governor nominee by persevering with to tie him to the express social media account. The letter additionally accused Moran of threatening to launch extra data if Reid didn’t drop out.
Moran pushed again on the letter’s accusations in an affidavit posted to social media, saying he supported Reid and was trying to present him sound recommendation.
“I by no means attacked John and didn’t threaten or coerce him,” Moran mentioned within the affidavit. “I communicated what I actually believed was in his greatest pursuits in my judgment.”
Moran was changed in his position with Youngkin’s PAC by Becca Glover, a former deputy chief of workers to the governor. A spokesperson for Spirit of Virginia referred to the governor’s public feedback.
On the root of the pushback in opposition to Reid has been issues from some Republicans that evangelical voters is not going to help him due to his sexual orientation. In 2020, US Rep. Denver Riggleman lost the GOP nomination within the race to carry his Virginia seat after he officiated a same-sex marriage ceremony.
Reid allies, nevertheless, pointed to the warm reception he received throughout marketing campaign occasions in southwest Virginia at some point after information broke that the governor requested him to drop out. At one look, Rep. Morgan Griffith, who represents a part of the area, informed GOP activists that he would “at all times help our nominee.”
“There’s no query {that a} sure p.c of our evangelical voters have issues about the truth that John Reid is homosexual,” mentioned Peake, the state Republican Social gathering chairman. “I believe that as we get nearer to voting in November … our voters will coalesce behind our candidates.”
John Fredericks, a conservative radio host and former co-chair of Donald Trump’s 2016 and 2020 campaigns in Virginia, mentioned that he supported Reid’s marketing campaign and didn’t agree with voters who don’t approve of Reid’s sexual orientation. Nevertheless, he additionally supported Youngkin’s name for him to step down and frightened Reid wouldn’t have the ability to win over a number of the evangelicals within the state’s extra conservative southwest area.
“Republicans, on account of this debacle, they’re doubtless going to get blown out and lose a number of seats within the Home,” Fredericks mentioned.
He referred to as on Earle-Sears to take a stronger stance on Reid’s place on the ticket. The gubernatorial nominee, he mentioned, ought to both say she stands by Reid and disagrees with the governor or say he ought to exit the race. Earle-Sears said in social media post that the choice to remain within the race is Reid’s and that candidates “all have our personal race to run.”
“That is one among these items you possibly can’t go midway,” Fredericks mentioned. “You both double down or double out. She did neither.”
The stakes are excessive this yr for Virginia Republicans, who had been going through an uphill climb below one of the best of circumstances. Virginia Democrats have already began blasting Earle-Sears and Republicans within the Home of Delegates over the affect of cuts to the federal workforce on the state.
Allen, the previous Virginia governor and senator who reaffirmed his help for Reid after the social media account allegations, has argued Republicans must deal with the problems that may outline the election — from the state’s right-to-work regulation to power insurance policies — in the event that they hope to win. He pointed to Youngkin’s 2021 victory, fueled by the parental rights motion and a post-2020 election wave that favored the GOP, as an indication of how a lot has to go proper for the celebration to win in a state former Vice President Kamala Harris carried by nearly 6 points.
“With all of that — a terrific candidate, nice message, loads of cash to get the message out, the political wins to your again — all of that, and he received by 1.9% of the vote,” Allen mentioned of Youngkin. “That’s how arduous it’s for a Republican to win statewide in Virginia … and so that you’ve received to attempt to get your crew unified on a constructive motivating message.”
A few of Reid’s most outstanding supporters are hoping the fissures throughout the celebration are being repaired.
“Politics is, by its nature, divisive,” mentioned former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore. “Generally individuals get harm emotions and so they don’t help the ticket, however the objective is to attempt to get as a lot [party unity] as you possibly can.”
CNN’s Em Steck contributed to this report.
