Virginia is a weird state: As far as I know, it’s the only state in the union with a state flag that features a topless woman planting her foot on the chest of a dead corpse.
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By the way, the dead corpse is wearing shoes—ankle-high sandals, in fact—but the woman who’s trampling him is as shoeless as Joe Jackson.
(Interpret that however you will.)
But it’s more than just the flag. Virginia’s politics are weird. First of all, they hold elections during odd-numbered years, so in 2025—just seven months from now!—they’ll be electing a new governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general.
Only four states (Virginia, New Jersey, Mississippi, and Louisiana) hold odd-year elections. Because they’re the only games in town, they assume outsized importance in political PR: A strong showing by the GOP in November would empower Trump, and an electoral drubbing would have the opposite effect.
Virginia politicians gotta stay on their toes: Governors in the Commonwealth are limited to one term, so there’s steady turnover on both sides. As a practical matter, personal dynasties are unattainable, so the telltale sign of a successful, well-regarded governor— especially ones with presidential aspirations—is when they’re so respected by the people, they can hand the baton to their chosen successor.
Enter Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin.
He toyed with a 2024 presidential run but (wisely) stayed away. Smart move by Youngkin: Chances are, he wouldn’t have fared any better than Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who greatly wounded his stature (and MAGA standing) with his quixotic bid.
Right now, it seems that three people will represent the Virginia GOP in November—and there’s no shortage of storylines.
At the top of the ticket is the current lieutenant governor, Winsome Earle-Sears. A Jamaican-born immigrant who served in the Marines, she’s the first “woman of color” to hold statewide office in Virginia history. (She’s also a self-help writer: Buy your copy of “Stop Being a Christian Wimp!” today.)
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There are no term limits for attorney general, so Republican Jason Miyares is running again to be Virginia’s top cop. He’s the first Hispanic and/or Cuban American to hold the position. Full disclosure: We were buddies at James Madison University. Back then, he went by the name Jason Redding. One of our common friends told me to stop writing about all our underage drinking, so let me clarify: Jason is a very good person, a lifelong conservative, and not nearly the lush that I was. Donate to him if you can.
(But yeah. I don’t think anyone would be shocked to learn that quite a few college kids in the 1990s drank beer. Go JMU!)
Okay, we covered governor and attorney general. What about lieutenant governor?
Here’s where things get dicey:
John Reid was seen as the GOP’s slam-dunk nominee for lieutenant governor. He’s from Richmond and spent about a decade as a TV reporter before joining Richmond’s top news-talk radio station, WRVA, as its morning host. It’s afforded him a nice platform to build an identity.
Check out his official campaign website! See that nice picture on the left-hand side? Why, it’s John Reid—with a big, toothy smile—posing with Gov. Youngkin!
Yeah. About that…
John Reid is gay. (Which would give the Virginia GOP ticket a black, a Hispanic, a homosexual, a Cuban, a woman, and an immigrant. It’s a diversity party, baby!)
According to Reid, he’s been in a monogamous relationship with the same partner for eight years. But in the past, when he was single, he admits to living life as a single gay man.
Gov. Youngkin asked him to withdraw from the lieutenant governor race after sexually-explicit posts appeared on a Tumblr blog page that was linked to Reid’s Instagram handle. And… the content was (allegedly) very hardcore.
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Even more sordid than the Virginia state flag!
John Reid has refused to drop out. He’s standing his ground:
Please watch and listen intently and hear the facts of the matter! Official Statement!!! pic.twitter.com/q5MxSorBZ9
— John Reid (@JohnReid4VA) April 25, 2025
I’ve been attacked… by the radicals in my own party, simply for being gay, and by angry leftists who call me a traitor. What’s happened today was my worst fear. A total fabricated Internet lie so basic that a middle-schooler could have constructed it. It’s predictable. But what I didn’t expect was the governor [Youngkin] I have always supported to call and demand my resignation without even showing me the supposed evidence or offering me a chance to respond. I did not accept that, and I deeply resent it.
So far, Reid has been adamant that the “content in question” didn’t come from him, but from someone else.
And it’s certainly possible. Catfishing is a real thing. Americans lose $12.5 billion annually to identity fraud. Some political “dirty tricks” require money and lots of planning, but Reid was right: Setting up a bogus Tumblr account could be done by a middle-schooler.
It’s not exactly high-tech wizardry.
But it’s also possible that Reid is lying, because the truth would destroy his future.
It’s a lose-lose dilemma for the GOP. Whichever way they go, there’ll be a steep political cost.
Actually, there already is: Glenn Youngkin has been weakened. When the top guy in Virginia orders an underling to drop out—and gets publicly snubbed—it doesn’t reflect well on his leadership.
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But the upside is that it gives Winsome Earle-Sears and Jason Miyares a unique opportunity to demonstrate their leadership bona fides ASAP. Out with the old and in with the new!
Hopefully, a backroom deal can be brokered between Reid and the GOP, post-haste. Politics isn’t a game of fairness but of perception, and Reid can’t win if his base is divided.
But if he doesn’t drop out, it’s a bad look for Earle-Sears and Miyares to be seen as passive. This is a moment that calls for bold, decisive leadership.
Recommended: The Art of the Squeal: How Donald Trump Defeated the Democrats and Ate Their Souls
There are only three options: support Reid, oppose Reid, or stay silent on Reid.
It’s unclear which option is the best, but doing nothing is ABSOLUTELY the worst.
Make a decision and stick to it. Don’t be passive. Grab the frickin’ steering wheel!
And hurry up, ‘cause you’re running out of time.
Editor’s Note: President Trump is leading America into the “Golden Age” as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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