WFXR: Jason Miyares, John Reid headline Republican campaign rally in Blacksburg

BLACKSBURG, Va. (WFXR) — Jason Miyares and John Reid represented the Republican ticket at a campaign stop in Blacksburg on Friday, working to get those who haven’t voted yet out to the polls just days before they close.

The Republican candidate for Governor, Winsome Earle-Sears, was unable to attend due to her presiding over Friday’s vote in the Virginia State Senate on a proposed redistricting amendment.

Reid, the Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor, criticized Democrats for the amendment and blamed the party for pulling Earle-Sears off the campaign trail in the final days of the election.

“[Winsome Earle-Sears] is being abused by the Democrats,” said Reid. “They know it. It is dirty. It is election interference.”

Earle-Sears’ husband, Terry Sears, stood in for his wife at the rally, calling this election one of the most important in Virginia’s state history.

“You need to get out there and vote,” said Sears. “We are so close. And it wouldn’t matter if we won by one point. But I want it to be too big to cheat.”

Reid and Miyares pushed on with their respective election bids, nonetheless, calling on Southwestern Virginians to make their voices heard.

“I’m not going to go to the Capitol and just hope that we can kick the can down the road for another two years and try to win off the same problems,” said Reid. “We’ve got to actually solve problems.”

“I’m asking Virginians to rehire me, and my mission will not change,” said Miyares. “I said from day one, Virginians’ safety will be my number one issue.”

Miyares also addressed the Jay Jones texts, saying that his race now transcends politics.

“My election really isn’t about politics,” said Miyares. “It’s just about decency. We’ve gotten press calls from all over the world saying, ‘what’s happening in Virginia now?’ This is a test for us. Are we going to pass this decency test?”

The polls close for early voting on Saturday, November 1, and election day is Tuesday, November 4.