A key political analyst believes the chaos currently gripping the Virginia Republican Party could get a lot worse.
John Reid, the Virginia GOP nominee for lieutenant governor and their first ever openly gay candidate for a statewide race, has faced calls from other Republicans, including outgoing Gov. Glenn Youngkin, to step down from his campaign after it was leaked that a Tumblr account matching his Instagram handle hosted explicit content, including naked pictures of men. Reid has broadly denied that he posted the salacious content, and has gone to war with a Youngkin aide whom he claims has defamed him.
But the current GOP gubernatorial nominee, incumbent Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, has distanced herself from campaigning with Reid as Republicans fret her own prospects in the race are in trouble — a fact that Reid has publicly complained about.
Speaking to reporters this week, Reid said he was disappointed at not being able to speak to Sears lately, and that he intends to move forward with his campaign despite efforts to pressure him out.
But in the view of Chaz Nuttycombe, the Richmond-based election forecaster and president of state legislative clearinghouse organization State Navigate, the ongoing fracture between Sears and Reid signifies that something much more serious could be about to blow up.
"Look I said this on WTOP last night but if it's been two months since this whole debacle and they still ain't sharing the campaign trail, there's no way the Tumblr stuff is the only thing found in that oppo research," Nuttycombe posted to X.
"We're gonna find out in September right before the early vote if there is more damaging oppo that Democrats are sitting on," Nuttycombe continued. "But it's two months now. There's no way Winsome's team doesn't know something we don't know. The question is, do the Democrats know yet? Or do they lack the competence to find whatever it is?"
"I don't wanna hear 'homophobia,' or that the Tumblr thing and some drag photos is all there is. I don't buy it for a minute," Nuttycombe added. "Something's gotta be up. We'll see in September."
