By Joe Thomas, The Daily Signal | April 24, 2025
The press, as it is wont to do, is trying to trivialize one candidate’s life in public service that goes back to Ronald Reagan and all the way to Gov. George Allen here in Virginia by repeatedly calling the new presumptive GOP lieutenant gubernatorial nominee “Radio Show Host” John Reid.
It’s what “Better Call Saul” Alinsky famously said to do in his leftist manifesto, “Rules for Radicals”: Marginalize, trivialize, and isolate your opposition from his allies so that you can more easily take him down.
So, it’s completely understandable if you just think Reid’s resume solely consists of being a radio show host as he becomes the last man standing for the Republican Party’s official nominee for lieutenant governor in 2025. His only opponent for the nomination, Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity, announced on Monday that he’s dropping out of the race for health reasons.
Reid will be joining a Republican ticket that has current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears running for governor (her two challengers failed to get the required number of signatures to qualify to get on the ballot) and Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is running unopposed for reelection.
While I say joining a “ticket,” actually, Virginians can vote for each candidate individually and split the ticket between Republicans and Democrats. For example, Republican Bill Bolling was lieutenant governor when Democrat Tim Kaine was governor.
In Virginia’s nearly unique “off-year elections,” Reid also faces an uphill battle both because of fundraising and because of traditionally lower voter enthusiasm in Virginia for the party that holds the Oval Office.
The Daily Signal sat down with Reid and asked him, now that he’s the presumptive nominee, what does the race look like from here—and how does he get past the media narrative that he’s “just” a radio show host?
Joe Thomas is The Daily Signal’s Virginia correspondent. He is a 37-year broadcasting veteran with 17 years covering Virginia from the marches to the memorials and everything in between.
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