The Virginia Democratic Party is targeting John Reid, the Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, over allegations tied to a social media account.
On Wednesday, the party posted a link to a report on its official X account that it says connects a Tumblr account tied to Reid to what it calls “racist and vile imagery.”
The claims were repeated during a Zoom call with a Democratic state senator and state delegate.
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“This account engaged with social media accounts that promoted white power pornography and used the same language and dog whistles used by Nazis,” said State Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-District 39.
Democrats also argued that the account was the same one that posted explicit photos earlier this year, prompting Gov. Glenn Youngkin to call for Reid to drop out of the race.
“It’s a distraction from campaigns, and it’s a distraction from people paying attention to the most important issues,” Youngkin said back in April. He later reversed his position and has since supported Reid’s candidacy along with the rest of the GOP ticket.
A Republican strategist tells 7News that the renewed focus on Reid is not surprising, given the election is just weeks away.
“This is the dirty politics. This is the benefit, if you will or not, of opposition research,” said GOP strategist Melik Abdul. “I believe that the Democratic Party is now seeing that, because this race seems to be tightening, that they have to pull out all of the stops.”
Reid, who is openly gay, has repeatedly denied having any connection to the Tumblr account and described the controversy as an attack on him and his family.
“This is extortion, and it is illegal in Virginia, and I am more outraged now,” Reid said in a July video recording. “I’ve engaged legal counsel to pursue all options against these people.”
Democratic Delegate Mike Jones, D-District 77, joined the criticism, saying, “John Reid owes Virginians answers and an apology if he engaged in such hateful and vile content.”
Reid’s Democratic opponent, Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, did not participate in the Virginia Democratic Party’s press conference. Shortly after, she released a statement to 7News.
“I am truly appalled by the vile and disturbing content described in this article. This content and engagement with it reflect an appalling acceptance of hate and dehumanization. We all have a responsibility to call out racism and extremism when we see it — not only to protect our communities, but to build a future rooted in compassion, equity, and shared humanity.”
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Abdul, however, pointed to issues with the broader political climate.
“I’m often frustrated because we don’t engage people with the intent to understand, we engage to enrage them,” said Abdul. “Unfortunately, as someone who’s been paid to do this in the past, this is where our politics are. We are a very divided country. We are a very politically toxic country.”
7News has contacted the Virginia Democratic Party to ask if they have conclusive proof connecting Reid to the account. The party has not responded.
The Reid campaign declined to comment for this story. However, last month, while discussing accusations leveled against another politician, Reid issued a warning.
“I would warn people, as somebody who’s been through the ringer himself, please be cautious about what you believe,” Reid said in September. “Please do some research.”