John Reid, a gay Republican radio host running for Virginia lieutenant governor, posted a 40-minute video of himself debating an AI-generated version of his Democratic opponent after she declined repeated debate requests.
The attention-grabbing video, posted to Reid’s YouTube channel, shows him standing behind a podium as if at a formal debate, facing what his campaign claims is an AI-generated version of State Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Richmond). This AI was programmed with her policy positions and a robotic approximation of her voice. Reid’s campaign insists he didn’t see the debate questions in advance. Even the moderator, they said, was a computer program.
The campaign told The Washington Post they turned to the AI debate after Hashmi repeatedly declined to face him. The event was live-streamed to a few hundred viewers on Reid’s YouTube channel earlier this week and remains publicly available.
Noah Jennings, Reid’s campaign manager, said the team aimed to simulate a real debate that was “fair and accurate to [Hashmi], not campy or overdramatic.” He added that they would have preferred a real debate to what he called a gimmick.
There have been no forums or formal debates in the lieutenant governor’s race this cycle, unlike four years ago when Winsome Earle-Sears defeated Democrat Hala Ayala amid Glenn Youngkin’s sweeping gubernatorial win.
Hashmi’s campaign dismissed the stunt, telling Axios the senator never granted permission for her likeness to be used. “John Reid’s failed use of deepfakes is a desperate move straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook,” Hashmi campaign spokesperson Ava Pitruzzello said in a statement.
“While we appreciate that AI Ghazala did share her vision, like her commitment to public education and reproductive rights, it’s pretty clear Reid only cares about shoddy gimmicks and not governing. Maybe he should focus on voters instead of videos. And hasn’t he gotten in enough trouble online already?” Pitruzzello added, referencing the myriad controversies over Reid’s Tumblr account.
On X, the Democratic Party of Virginia shared screenshots of AI Hashmi’s responses that they said cast both her and the party in a positive light. “Tonight we congratulate @SenatorHashmi for winning @JohnReid4VA’s fake debate and thank John Reid for sharing Ghazala’s winning message,” the party wrote.
Hashmi’s campaign has aired two television ads, compared to none from Reid, whose team has instead released web spots on YouTube that have circulated on social media. According to the Virginia Public Access Project, Hashmi has raised more than five times Reid’s total and, as of September, held nearly ten times more cash on hand.
Despite Hashmi’s financial advantage and the Tumblr controversies that could have derailed him, the gay Republican appears largely unfazed and is running a credible, competitive campaign.
A recent Washington Post-Schar School poll showed Hashmi leading Reid by 4%, which falls within the margin of error, while a VCU Wilder School poll found them essentially tied, 44% to 43%.
Reid’s AI debate may have been born of frustration, but it perfectly captures a campaign season where technology keeps blurring the line between strategy and spectacle. Voters will decide whether it reads as clever innovation or pure desperation.
https://www.metroweekly.com/2025/10/john-reid-ai-debate-virginia/