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Candidate recruitment from a furtive political organization could threaten a tight Virginia congressional race, returning the Commonwealth’s 2nd District to Democratic hands.
The Patriots Run Project, a group linked to Democrat-aligned campaign firms, scouted third-party candidate Robert Reid to run against GOP Rep. Jennifer Kiggans and Democratic nominee Missy Cotter Smasal, the Associated Press reported Monday.
Reid, described as “a widowed retiree,” told AP the recruiters appeared “to be nice people,” although he acknowledged “these guys want me to run to draw votes away” from the Republican incumbent.
“Democrats know they have nothing to run on, so they’ve resorted to using shady tactics in a desperate attempt to win in VA-02,” Kiggans said after the news broke. “I will not be intimidated and I certainly will not be deterred on my mission to take care of this country and secure America’s future success.”
The Post contacted the Cotter Smasal campaign for comment, as it has not yet issued a statement on the bombshell AP disclosure.
Reid isn’t the only scouted candidate: “For the past year, the group has recruited Trump supporters to run as independent candidates in key swing districts where they could siphon votes from Republicans in races that will help determine which party controls the House next year,” AP reported.
Kiggans is seeking her second term in the lower chamber, having upset two-term incumbent Democrat Elaine Luria in 2022. The latest polling from Christopher Newport University shows Kiggans with a 5-point lead over Cotter Smasal, but a Kiggans insider notes Reid could siphon support from the Republican and tip the balance in the Democrat’s favor.
At the end of June, Kiggans’ $4,233,404 was more than three times the $1,282,860 Cotter Smasal had on hand.
The latter’s website boasts her contest is one of 20 the House Democrats’ campaign arm is targeting in this year’s race.
Reid reported no campaign cash at the end of June. He has no campaign website, and there was no address or phone number listed for his campaign during a reporter’s search.
Early voting in Virginia starts Friday, and according to timetables posted by the state’s Department of Elections, it appears to be too late to remove Reid’s name from ballots.
In Virginia, the wire service said, ”conspiracy against rights of citizens” is considered a felony.
Contacted for comment, Attorney General Jason Miyares’ communications director Shaun Kenney replied on behalf of the office that “we have nothing to say on this matter.”