NORFOLK, Va. — John Curran, a business consultant from James City County, announced Monday that he intends to reenter Virginia’s lieutenant governor race as a write-in candidate.

Curran initially ran for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor but did not turn in enough signatures to qualify for the ballot ahead of the April deadline. He alleges he had gathered 10,000 signatures but many of them were stolen by a former campaign staffer, a matter he says Virginia State Police are investigating.

“I know that write-ins are historically a long shot,” he said.

After Curran failed to qualify for the ballot and Fairfax Board of Supervisors member Pat Herrity dropped out of the race citing health concerns, John Reid became the party’s nominee for the position. Shortly thereafter, Gov. Glenn Youngkin called Reid and asked him to drop out of the race, pointing to risqué photos shared from a social media account that matched the username of other accounts Reid uses. Reid denied the account was his and was adamant he would remain in the race.

Youngkin and current Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the Republican candidate for governor, eventually said the decision was up to Reid but did not offer stronger support for his candidacy.

“We’re so wrapped up in the battle between the governor and John Reid and all those kinds of things that we’re losing track of what needs to be done,” Curran said. “I decided to give the voters an option. It’s a hard option because people actually have to know how to spell your name and write it in. If Virginia wants me, they’ll do it.”

Curran said he had been encouraged to run by religious organizations and other groups. His name will not appear on the ballot in November, and as a write-in, he will technically run as an independent candidate without the support of the state Republican party. That’s an expensive endeavor.

“I think I will have the support and financial base to go through it,” he said. “A write-in is going to cost even more because you really, really, really need to get your name out there.”

Six Democrats are running for the party’s nomination in the race. The winner of the June primary will be on the November ballot.

Curran said he has stronger policy positions compared to Reid on issues like abortion and business development, but also thought he was more electable. Reid is the first openly gay candidate on a statewide ballot in Virginia, though Curran said that was not his primary motivation for running.

“There’s some people who just believe their religious beliefs or whatever are against it,” he said. “I have friends and family members who are gay. I don’t think that’s it. I think the only part of him in that was how he portrays it and how much he makes it a part of him. I’m the other way. I’m a heterosexual. I’m a married man. I don’t go out there and tell people that. I don’t get into that with my orientation, and I don’t think anybody needs to.”

When asked for comment on Curran’s announcement, a spokesperson for the Reid campaign said “Who?”

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