Earle-Sears dodges question on campaigning with the ticket
Earle-Sears did not directly answer a question from Radio IQ when asked if the full statewide ticket will appear together on the campaign trail.
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Earle-Sears dodges question on campaigning with Reid
Republican Lt. Gov. nominee Winsome Earle-Sears did not directly answer a question from Radio IQ when asked if the full statewide ticket will appear together on the campaign trail. This question arises following a controversy surrounding Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid.
"Actually, as you know, we are all running our campaigns," Earle-Sears told Radio IQ.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin asked Reid to step down in April after a Tumblr account with naked men was found that shares the same username as Reid’s personal Instagram account. Reid, the first openly gay statewide nominee, denies that the Tumblr account is his and has remained in the race.
Earle-Sears has only commented on the controversy once before this, saying, “It is his race, and his decision alone to move forward. We all have our own race to run.”
Attorney General Jason Miyares told Virginia Scope last month that “sure” he would campaign with Reid.
So far, however, the ticket has not appeared together, as Reid continues to run his own race.
Virginia Scope reported last month that Earle-Sears wrote a handwritten note of moral objection to House Bill 174, legislation mandating that marriage licenses be issued regardless of sex, gender, or race. While constitutionally required to sign the bill, Earle-Sears wrote, "I remain morally opposed to the content of HB 174 as passed by the General Assembly." The bill, sponsored by Delegate Rozia Henson, D-Prince William, passed with support from the Democratic-controlled legislature and was signed into law by Youngkin.
Republican Party of Virginia Chairman Mark Peake told Radio IQ he hopes “at some point during this election process, we will have all three of our candidates together at the same event.”
VPM reports: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin’s administration is under scrutiny for delays in establishing artificial intelligence standards for state agencies—standards that were ordered in an executive directive nearly 18 months ago. The move was supposed to set ethical and legal guardrails for AI tools like facial recognition and predictive policing, but much of that work remains unfinished, raising transparency and privacy concerns.
Attorney General Jason Miyares has pushed for clearer AI oversight, urging federal regulators to adopt transparency and safety rules—especially in high-risk areas like child exploitation. Meanwhile, the General Assembly passed legislation to regulate dangerous AI systems, but Youngkin vetoed it in March, saying it would stifle innovation.
The result: Virginia continues to spend public funds on AI tech without comprehensive state-level standards in place. Lawmakers are expected to reintroduce legislation next session.
Coverage of the LG race from the Virginian-Pilot: Six Democratic candidates are vying for their party's nomination for Virginia lieutenant governor in the upcoming June 17 primary. The field includes state senators Ghazala Hashmi and Aaron Rouse, former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, federal prosecutor Victor Salgado, and labor leader Alex Bastani.
Coverage from Cardinal News of the LG race: Despite none hailing from Southwest or Southside Virginia, the candidates have expressed commitments to these regions. Hashmi and Rouse highlighted their legislative efforts on education and infrastructure, aiming to bridge urban-rural divides. Stoney emphasized the importance of economic development initiatives tailored to rural communities. Lateef focused on healthcare access and educational equity, while Salgado advocated for ethical governance and campaign finance reform. Bastani underscored labor rights and economic justice as central to his platform.
Engage Louisa broke news that Amazon wants to open build another data center in Louisa County. The company applied to build its third data center campus in Louisa County’s Technology Overlay District (TOD).
The tech giant requests permission to construct up to 7.2 million square feet of data center buildings on 1,370 acres just north of the Northeast Creek Reservoir in central Louisa.
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This is the Virginia Scope daily newsletter covering Virginia politics from top to bottom. Please consider becoming the ultimate political insider by supporting non-partisan, independent news and becoming a paid subscriber to this newsletter today.
I don’t want another Clarence Thomas. Spanberger is our best bet.