This story has been updated with additional information.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has asked Richmond-area radio host John Reid to withdraw as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor after GOP researchers found sexually explicit posts online that they believe are connected to Reid, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

Youngkin called Reid, the former host of a conservative talk show on WRVA, on Friday morning to ask him to drop out, the sources said.

In a statement to The Richmonder, Reid denied that the images are connected to him. 

He confirmed that the governor called him Friday and said “there were salacious pictures on the internet reposted by an account that uses my Instagram handle.”

“As long as I have been in the public space, I have been a target for malicious and salacious lies,” Reid said. “This is the second overt attempt to try to force me from the race. I’ll have more to say later today.”

The Richmonder viewed some of the images in dispute on a Tumblr blog page that was public as of Friday morning and had a username that matched the name Reid uses on other social media accounts. The explicit images The Richmonder viewed were reposts and did not show Reid himself. The Tumblr page appeared to have been taken down shortly after The Richmonder published this story. The posts had timestamps indicating they were published between 2018 and 2020.

Later Friday afternoon, Reid published a five-minute video indicating he wouldn't back down and claiming he's being targeted by his fellow Republicans because he's openly gay.

"What's happened today was my worst fear. A total fabricated internet lie so basic that a middle-schooler could have constructed it," Reid said in the video. "It's predictable. But what I didn't expect was the governor 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."

Please watch and listen intently and hear the facts of the matter! Official Statement!!! pic.twitter.com/q5MxSorBZ9

— John Reid (@JohnReid4VA) April 25, 2025

The governor pushing Reid to withdraw could upend a GOP ticket that had appeared settled, with current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears running for governor, Attorney General Jason Miyares seeking re-election and Reid in the lieutenant governor spot. 

In a statement Friday afternoon, Youngkin's PAC confirmed details of the phone call, saying the governor asked Reid to step down after learning of "disturbing online content" on Thursday.

Reid was set to appear with Youngkin and the GOP ticket at an event in Henrico County next week.

If Reid were to drop out, Republicans would be able to select a new nominee. It wasn’t immediately clear Friday exactly how that process might work. The 45-day early voting window for the June 17 primaries begins May 2.

Until recently, Reid had been facing the prospect of a primary battle. But he recently became the GOP nominee after Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity announced he was dropping his own bid for lieutenant governor for health reasons.

Contact Reporter Graham Moomaw at gmoomaw@richmonder.org