Virginia GOP ticket set as talk-radio host clinches lieutenant governor nomination

Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity is dropping out of the Republican primary election for Virginia lieutenant governor because of health reasons, he announced this week — a move that clears a path for conservative talk-radio host John Reid to become the commonwealth’s first openly gay nominee for statewide office.

Herrity, the lone Republican elected official in Northern Virginia’s largest jurisdiction, had been leading in fundraising in the party’s sole statewide primary contest but said Monday he had been struggling to recover from heart surgery last month.

His exit from the primary effectively sets the GOP ticket for statewide elections this fall — including Reid in the No. 2 spot — and means the party will have no statewide primaries in June.

Herrity said in a statement shared with The Washington Post that he could no longer justify staying in the race after he had been experiencing complications related to the surgery, which was intended to repair a genetic defect. He does not plan to resign from his post on the Fairfax board but said his recovery will be slower than he first anticipated.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2025/04/21/herrity-virginia-lieutenant-governor-john-reid/