What a difference a week makes! On Tuesday morning April 22, Youngkin aide Matthew Moran wrote on X, the everything app, about the Virginia Republican Party fielding the most diverse ticket in their history. Moran was referring to Winsome Sears, Jason Miyares, and John Reid being named the party nominees. Sears is a Jamaican-born American, Miyares is the son of Cuban immigrants, and John Reid is an openly gay former radio host.
Through Reid’s former job, he has made connections with Republican politicians and conservative activists throughout Virginia and beyond. In 2023, Reid hosted two inernational-known gay male conservative voices in the Richmond area, Andy Ngo and Douglas Murray.
After the 2023 event with Andy Ngo, Reid went to social media and the airwaves to ask for the arrest of a private investigator Jimmie Lee Jarvis over a joke tweet. Jarvis was charged but since had those charges dismissed.
Other guest of the show include Victoria Cobb and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Topics include discussing the life of House of Delegates candidate Susanna Gibson.
The most diverse ticket described by Moran was thrown a curveball on Friday afternoon, Graham Moomaw of The Richmonder reported that Governor Youngkin asked John Reid to drop out of the race related to social media believed to be from Reid. Calls for him drop out were echoed by The Family Foundation.
Former candidate for the House of Delegates Susanna Gibsons posted “Shocked to Learn That Posting Intimate Images of Other People Sometimes Has Consequences? Thoughts and prayers 🙏”
Another former target of Reid, Jimmie Lee Jarvis told me that, “Some people in my position might say that when it comes to getting in trouble for posting on the internet, turnabout is fair play. But that’s not me. As long as everything in John’s internet history is legal and consensual, I think it’s cowardly and hypocritical for the Virginia GOP to call for him to drop out. After all, there are many more important and salient reasons why he is not fit for public office.”
John Reid choose to continue to fight and remain in the race. Reid appeared in a video on X, the Everything App because it all happens on X. In the video he appeared in front of two framed photos of Youngkin and Sears.
Reid starts off with, “I want you to send the kids out of the room because I’m mad as hell and I want to tell you why.” Reid describes a situation where he got a call from unnamed religious activist and two people he has known for years (didn’t use the word “friends.”) According to Reid, he says they told him it was in his best interest to drop out the race because of photos that would destroy his life.
“What happened today is another coordinated assassination attempt against me to force the first openly gay candidate off the statewide ticket.” Reid addressed in his video.
That would not be the only video address that from Reid over the weekend. On Sunday afternoon, Reid accused an unnamed person of blackmail. “Representatives of my campaign have been told by the leader of Governor Younkin’s political organization that the attacks on me will continue unless I drop out of the race for lieutenant governor.”
“This is extortion and it is illegal.” Reid proclaimed while telling the viewers that he has engaged in legal counsel to pursue all options.
Read more from Goad Gatsby HERE
John Reid has avoiding naming people, but other figures have not. One name getting tossed around on social media is Matt Moran. The same Youngkin staffer who was celebrating the diverse ticket last week.
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