John Reid, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, made a surprise appearance at a Rockbridge candidate forum to discuss voters’ concerns and his plans for Virginia.
Reid was not invited as a formal speaker. But he spoke individually with voters before the candidates took the stage and left as the forum commenced.
In an interview with the Phi, Reid said he was unaware that the forum was taking place until the day of the event. He originally came to Lexington to speak with the board at Virginia Military Institute.
“I think there are always reforms that could be made to important institutions to make them better,” Reid said. “But I felt like some of the decisions that have been made of late were not protecting the best traditions.”
Reid visited with cadets on the day of the forum, including eating lunch in the chow hall and visiting the barracks. “Everybody was very welcoming. I tried to talk to cadets who don’t look like me and see how they’re feeling on the campus,” Reid said.
Overall, Reid said he thought VMI was in a stable position. But he said the military college could still make improvements.
“I hope that such an important school will find some solid footing going forward and we can get over the DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] argument and the CRT [Critical Race Theory] argument and really focus on the core curriculum,” Reid said.
The forum took place on Sept. 23, and Reid said he planned to make a similar visit to Washington and Lee University the next day. Reid said he was frustrated by what he considered “woke” and “negative and hostile” things happening on the university’s campus.
“I think if you go to a school, it’s called Washington and Lee, you should at least start out without hatred for the namesakes of the school. [You need] a full appreciation of the region and who those men were, but not hostility to them,” Reid said.
The GOP nominee discussed how his upbringing in Richmond taught him to reflect on and examine the history of his family, city and region without condemnation.
“I think W&L has such a unique story to tell. It’s a shame in my opinion to watch people kind of have a self-loathing attitude. I don’t think that’s healthy,” Reid said.
“I do not have $3 million like my opponent. But what I do have is endless energy and an enthusiasm for the people of Virginia,” Reid said. “I’m going to get in the car and every day go meet people, including people who might not vote for me, and I’m going to try to win their vote … In the end I think that will still count.”
According to the Virginia Public Access Project, as of Aug. 31, Reid raised about $800,000 while Ghazala Hashmi, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, raised about $4.9 million. Early voting began Sept. 19, and election day is Nov. 4.
“I think hard work, sincerity, and good ideas will still count in Virginia,” Reid said.
