Gay Virginia GOP nominee accuses governor's team of extortion, says lewd photos aren't his

Virginia’s Republican nominee for lieutenant governor is accusing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political advisers of extortion and says they’re trying to force him to end his campaign.

Virginia’s Republican nominee for lieutenant governor is accusing Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s political advisers of extortion and says they’re trying to force him to end his campaign.

John Reid is the first openly gay man to run on a Republican or Democratic statewide ticket.

In two videos he posted online, he went public with details of what he called Youngkin’s efforts to get him to leave the race. Many Republicans continue to support Reid, a former Richmond radio talk show host who has been with his partner for eight years.

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin.Logan Riely / Getty ImagesReid suddenly became the nominee for lieutenant governor a week ago, when the favorite and only other candidate, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors member Pat Herrity, stepped aside for health reasons.

Reid said that before that, "a local religious activist" and two people he has "known for several years" threatened him with what they described as sexually explicit photos they claimed he had posted on a Tumblr account. Reid says that the photos are not his and that the account was fabricated.