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GOP nominees share stage, but not unity
All three Republican statewide nominees appeared at the same event for the first time on Tuesday night in Vienna — but tensions appear to remain between gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears and lieutenant governor nominee John Reid.
Reid said he is committed to helping Earle-Sears win in November, but she did not mention him during her speech and did publicly interact with him after the event.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin sparked the rift in April when he called on Reid — the first openly gay statewide nominee in Virginia history — to step down. That came after a Tumblr account sharing the same username as Reid’s personal Instagram was found reposting images of naked men. Reid denied the account was his.
Youngkin has moved on and appears to be embracing Reid as the nominee.
“John Reid has to be elected,” Youngkin said during the event Tuesday.
Although Reid initially criticized Youngkin for urging him to withdraw, he has since spoken positively about the governor.
Earle-Sears, however, has remained largely silent and did not engage with Reid on Tuesday. Her only public comment has been: “We all have our own race to run.”
Earle-Sears has expressed moral opposition to homosexuality. She included a statement to that effect in a bill she was required to sign in her role as lieutenant governor presiding over the state Senate.
Miyares called Reid his friend while addressing the crowd Tuesday and praised him for his time working for President Ronald Reagan.
But even as Earle-Sears is failing to embrace Reid’s candidacy publicly, Reid said he is committed to supporting the ticket and the Republican platform.
Reid described a conversation he had with his partner while en route to the rally on Tuesday night. “Don't call it the unity rally,” Reid said his partner told him. “Let the press call it the unity rally. Call this commitment day.”
“I am all in for the Republican ticket — Winsome Sears for governor and Jason Miyares returning as attorney general,” Reid continued.
Reid sat in the crowd after his speech and watched as Earle-Sears fired up the audience. After Earle-Sears spoke, all of the elected Republicans in attendance stood on stage for a couple of minutes. Earle-Sears stood in the middle, with Del. Delores Oates and Youngkin between her and Reid.
Earle-Sears and Reid did not appear to interact with each other at all on stage.
Reid spoke with members of the press after leaving the stage, while Earle-Sears and Miyares left the room.
Watch the entire rally with the video at the top of this newsletter.
