Herrity bows out of LG race, setting Virginia’s GOP ticket for 2025

The Republican ticket for Virginia’s 2025 statewide elections is now locked in, after longtime Fairfax County Supervisor Pat Herrity announced Monday that he is withdrawing from the lieutenant governor’s race due to lingering health complications following heart surgery.

That clears the path for conservative radio show host John Reid of Richmond to become the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor — joining Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is now her party’s default nominee for governor after two challengers failed to qualify for the ballot, and Attorney General Jason Miyares, who is seeking reelection unopposed within the party.

Reid brings a long resume in Republican politics and communications to the ticket. He has served as vice chair of the Henrico County GOP Committee, was elected an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention in 2020, and a full delegate last year. He is also the founder and chair of the Virginia Council, a group of educators and activists focused on preserving the state’s cultural heritage. 

Reid previously worked as director of editorial communications for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and as Senate communications director for former U.S. Sen. George Allen, R-Va. Earlier in his career, he served as president of the bipartisan U.S. Senate Press Secretaries Association and had the distinction of being one of the last interns to President Ronald Reagan. 

On Monday, Reid offered praise for Herrity and struck a unifying tone as the GOP closed ranks around its 2025 ticket.

“Pat has been a gentleman during this campaign and he has devoted many years of his life to serving the people of Fairfax and of Virginia,” he said in a statement. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to responsible men and women who step forward into the arena, sacrificing their time and often personal lives to offer leadership.”

Reid called Herrity’s decision to end his campaign “selfless” and said it provides the Republican Party with an early chance to rally around a full statewide slate. Positioning himself as a candidate focused on broad appeal, Reid said he’s prepared to carry the GOP banner across the state. 

“As I hope my travels across the state and work ethic have demonstrated, I take my new responsibility as the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor seriously. I will continue to work hard to be worthy of this opportunity and to earn every vote of Republicans, Democrats, and all those looking for a voice across Virginia.”

Herrity said in a lengthy statement that he made the decision “with a very heavy heart,” noting that while his doctors still expect a full recovery, complications from his March 13 open-heart surgery have made it clear that returning to the campaign trail at full strength won’t be possible in the near future. 

“Unfortunately, the 150 percent effort required for a statewide campaign would also significantly delay my recovery, put undue stress on my health and come with some risk,” he wrote.

The sole Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and the only GOP candidate from vote-rich Northern Virginia in the statewide field, Herrity had been off the trail for weeks but still led all candidates — Republicans and Democrats alike — in first-quarter fundraising for the office of lieutenant governor, pulling in $540,000. 

That put him ahead of former Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney ($429,000), state Sen. Aaron Rouse, D-Virginia Beach, and physician Babur Lateef, both of whom raised just under $400,000. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Richmond, raised $306,000, followed by former U.S. Department of Justice counsel Victor Salgado at $134,000.

Herrity’s exit leaves Reid as the lone Republican for the job, avoiding a divisive primary fight and allowing the GOP to fully consolidate its resources toward November. 

He also used the moment to urge continued support for the Republican slate, calling Earle-Sears “critical” to preserving what he described as Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s legacy. 

“If not, Virginia will lose its competitive edge with forced unionization, our neighborhoods will be less safe, education standards will again be lowered, California will determine what cars we drive and electricity will continue to be both more expensive and less reliable.”

State Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, who recently took the reins as chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, said Herrity’s exit was a bittersweet development — a loss for the field, but a gift to the party’s electoral strategy.

“I’m very hopeful that Pat is going to make a full recovery, he’s a great guy and was a great candidate,” Peake said in a phone interview Tuesday. “On the other hand, I am glad that we are not going to have a fight for the lieutenant governor nomination.”

Peake said he wasn’t sure who would have come out on top had Herrity remained in the race. “I have no idea who would have won that race had it played out into the primary,” he admitted. “But I think John Reid is going to be a great candidate as well.”

He contrasted the GOP’s early unity with the escalating battles taking shape on the Democratic side. 

“I think the Democrats are going to have a very brutal primary fight for their lieutenant governor race with six candidates who are very ambitious,” Peake said. “The attorney general’s race is already getting ugly and I suspect that’s only going to get worse as they get closer to June.”

Earle-Sears congratulated Reid on X, saying, “With Jason Miyares and our team, we’ll continue building on the meaningful results of the Youngkin-Sears Administration — making Virginia safer, stronger, more affordable, and with more opportunity than ever before.”

Democratic candidates were quick to offer words of support for Herrity’s recovery, even as they prepare for what promises to be a fierce primary battle.

“Wishing (Pat Herrity) strength and healing as he steps back from the LG race,” Rouse posted on X. “Praying for a full recovery for him and his family.”

Stoney added: “I am sending my best wishes for a speedy recovery to Pat Herrity. Brandy and I are thinking about you and your family during this time.”

Lateef struck a more pointed tone in his response, saying he hoped Herrity makes a full recovery and that he would be ready to take on Reid, “flip the lieutenant governorship, help win the governor’s and attorney general’s races, and expand the Democratic majority in the House of Delegates.”

Democrats have already secured their nominee for governor — former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger was unchallenged for the party’s top spot. But the battles for lieutenant governor and attorney general remain crowded and costly.

Former Del. Jay Jones of Norfolk is attempting a political comeback in the attorney general’s race after his 2021 primary loss. He faces Henrico Commonwealth’s Attorney Shannon Taylor. Both are currently lagging behind Miyares in fundraising. Miyares raised $1.5 million in the first quarter, compared to $931,000 for Jones and $534,000 for Taylor.

Political observers say Herrity’s exit reshapes the dynamics for both parties.

“With the GOP slate now settled with Earle-Sears, Miyares and Reid, it gives the GOP some room to launch a coordinated campaign,” said David Richards, a political science professor at the University of Lynchburg. “Money they would have spent in a primary now can be spent in the general election.”

Richards noted the ticket’s diversity could be a strategic advantage for Republicans but warned of its ideological branding. “It is also a diverse ticket, which will be a selling point, but also a very pro-Trump, far-right ticket, which will be a difficult sell in much of Virginia.”

Democrats, meanwhile, are facing a double-edged sword. 

“That means spending money now and having less later,” Richards said. “On the positive side it means that the Democrats get a lot more attention as primary season rolls around in June, while the GOP gets sidelined until later in the summer when the regular election campaign season starts.”

Despite stepping back from the statewide race, Herrity said he remains committed to his role on the Fairfax Board of Supervisors and to helping Republicans in November. 

“My campaign was less about me and the lieutenant governor position and more about doing well in Northern Virginia so we could elect Winsome Sears as our governor and reelect Attorney General Jason Miyares,” he wrote. “I remain committed to the mission.”

Youngkin offered his support late Monday.

“After making a difficult decision today, Pat Herrity — one of Virginia’s strongest leaders — is in our prayers for strength and a full recovery. We’ll continue to fight alongside him as the best supervisor in Fairfax County,” he said. 

And while his recovery may be slower than expected, Herrity insisted he’s not down and out. 

“I can assure you that I did not have a stroke or heart attack and I am walking over three miles a day and climbing stairs.”

This article first appeared on Virginia Mercury and is republished here with permission. Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence.