Youngkin campaigns with Reid as GOP comes together ahead of Election Day

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — After a contentious start to the election season, it appears Republicans are unified ahead of Election Day. 

“You do want, at least, the facade of unity, and I think that’s what the Republicans are trying to put together,” Larry Sabato, Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, told 8News. 

The saga started back in April when Governor Glenn Youngkin asked John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, to drop out of the race after Youngkin was made aware of a Tumblr account potentially tied to Reid that previously shared sexually explicit images. 

Despite the fact that Reid consistently denied that the account was his, Youngkin’s request set off weeks of infighting within the GOP, including Reid not talking to Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican nominee for governor, for nearly two months. 

However, a few weeks after holding a joint unity rally with the entire GOP ticket, Youngkin campaigned with Reid on Tuesday night in New Kent. Meanwhile, Earle-Sears joined Reid on a local radio show on Wednesday. 

“I think they’ve known all along they need one another, but it’s becoming more and more apparent with each additional poll and with each additional major endorsement,” Sabato said.

Additionally, Sabato said that while being on the same page is important, it’s also important for voters to understand why Republicans are trying so hard to appear unified.

“Governor Youngkin doesn’t want to be blamed if Reid and the Republican ticket lose. And so a lot of what he’s doing is so he can say after the election, if they lose, you see, I did everything that I could,” Sabato explained. “For the candidates, they have no chance to win if they’re not unified themselves. What kind of image does that project to the voters that they can’t get their own act together, they can’t be unified as a party?” 

In that radio appearance, Earle-Sears hinted at more campaign rallies with Reid in the near future.