NORFOLK, Va. — Independent House candidate Robert E "Bob" Reid, Jr. is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans and Democratic challenger Missy Cotter Smasal in Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.
The widowed retiree said he was contacted to run by a group called Patriots Run Project which has been described in Associated Press reporting as "secretive."
"If there had been anything slightly untoward or illegal or corrupt or immoral or anything, I wouldn't have run. And I never considered being anything but forthright and honest. I feel the voters deserve that," said Reid.
Kiggans is not happy about Reid's presence on the ballot, blaming Democrats.
"They know that they cannot beat me in a fair fight straight up on my record and policy priorities, so they resort to unethical and shady tactics like this," she said.
But Reid said his intentions are honorable, that he's not running to siphon votes away from anybody and he's not trying to be a spoiler.
"Absolutely. It's totally false," he said.
As for how much running Reid will be able to do or want to do going forward, that's unclear. He just got some bad medical news.
"I just found out yesterday I have cancer," he said. "I don't know where my health is at. And I don't want people to waste a vote if I'm not going to be here that long. And that's the truth."
Reid, who lives more than an hour away from the 2nd District in Tappahannock, has no campaign website or phone number. According to Ballotpedia, he has raised and spent zero dollars.
A spokeswoman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee told 13News Now the organization had no knowledge of or involvement in the Patriots Runs Project effort.
A complaint filed in September with the Federal Election Commission accuses the Patriots Run Project of violating campaign finance law.
Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball rates the district as "Leans Republican." A September Christopher Newport University Wason Center poll showed Kiggans beating Smasal 45-40%, with 9% undecided, and no mention of Reid.