By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – After 125 days without a joint forum or debate, Republican lieutenant governor nominee John Reid says he’s done waiting.
Reid announced Tuesday that at 6 p.m., his campaign will release The 2025 Virginia Lieutenant Governor “Debate.”
He calls it “the debate that should have happened,” describing the video as a “fully cited and sourced, one-take debate” responding directly to Democratic nominee Ghazala Hashmi’s publicly stated positions.
According to the campaign, the project features a recorded moderator asking questions, with Reid answering in one continuous take.
Hashmi’s responses are represented using her verified quotes and public statements gathered from her website and previous interviews.
“This is the only time this debate occurred,” Reid said in the release. “There were no rehearsals, no second takes, and no advance prep beyond my own notes. I was shown the final structure and format just minutes before we taped.”
“Virginians deserve to see a side-by-side contrast, and since my opponent won’t show up, I had to force the issue myself,” he said.
Reid also described the video as an example of transparency and fairness.
“Unlike even the real debates where every candidate gets days of preparation, this tape was my one and only take,” he said. “Virginians can see exactly how I respond when I don’t get to hide behind consultants or scripts. My opponent has had months to prepare; she’s simply chosen silence.”
“It’s unfortunate that a sitting state senator is either too afraid of her own record or too calculating to face the voters directly,” he added. “But I will always stand on my own two feet and, in an unscripted format, answer questions from the media and the public. That’s what leadership looks like.”
The video will be live streamed on the campaign’s website starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Reid’s announcement comes after both the governor and attorney general candidates have already faced off in their own statewide debates.
The governor’s debate featured Abigail Spanberger and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, while Attorney General Jason Miyares and Jay Jones went head-to-head in the attorney general race.
Reid’s event serves as the final debate moment for the statewide ticket, though it’s a solo appearance.
Recent polling shows all three races tightening as Election Day approaches.
A VCU Wilder School Commonwealth Poll conducted Oct. 6-14 found Spanberger leading Earle-Sears 49% to 42%, Hashmi leading Reid 44% to 43%, and Miyares leading Jones 45% to 42%.
The poll has a margin of error of 3.9%.