CHARLOTTESVILLE (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) — Republican Lieutenant Governor nominee John Reid,  U.S. Representative John McGuire and Terry Sears, the husband of current Lieutenant Governor and Republican nominee for Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, were all on hand for a campaign event at First Free Coffee Bar in Albemarle County on Wednesday. The three spoke to the packed crowd inside the coffee house on a variety of issues, including the recent redistricting efforts by state Democrats.

McGuire started his remarks to the crowd by saying Earle-Sears could not be there because of what he called “election interference.” He spoke on how in his time in the House of Delegates and State Senate, Democrats “fought tooth and nail” to put together a nonpartisan redistricting commission, which passed through a referendum.

He said Democratic nominee for Governor Abigail Spanberger, whom McGuire said had promised earlier in the campaign trail would not get involved with redistricting, and Virginia House Speaker Don Scott each received $150,000 in donations from the National Democratic Redistricting Committee on Oct. 22, just one day before Scott called lawmakers back to Richmond this week.

Records on the Virginia Public Access Project’s website show confirmed both the donation to Spanberger, as well as an additional $150,000 donation made by the committee on the same day to the “House Democratic Caucus.”

“I call that pay-for-play,” McGuire told the crowd. “It’s election interference, plain and simple, and the most important week of any campaign is the week before the election.”

Reid echoed the sentiment in his remarks, telling reporters afterward that he believes Democrats have “really overplayed their hand.”

“What they’re doing at the capital right now trying to overturn the will of the people with a constitutional amendment, not just a regular law,” he said. “I don’t think Virginians are going to go for that.”

Virginia law requires a constitutional amendment like the one Democrats are considering to be approved by two separate sessions of the legislature and then be voted on by Virginians in a ballot referendum, so the special session considering the amendment is just the first step in the process.

Democrats argue they are considering the move only after Republican-controlled states including Texas, Missouri and North Carolina redrew their own district maps to give the GOP better chances to win additional seats.

Wednesday, McGuire, Reid and Sears helped deliver the Republican party’s final pitch with Election Day just six days away, but also spoke about the importance of toning down the rhetoric.

“She’s not a politician, she is a public servant,” Sears said about his wife, “and that’s the way she sees her job, is to serve you, the public. Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, whatever. If you come in this country and you do legally, she’s going to fight for you.”

Still, McGuire and Reid each took their own jabs at Democrats both in and outside of Virginia throughout their remarks to the cheers of a friendly crowd, all while Winsome Earle-Sears continues to run campaign ads that claim State Democrats are “woke nut jobs” who hate conservative voters.

When asked about his running mate’s approach, particularly the claims made in her polarizing radio ads, he said he hadn’t heard or seen many of her ads as of late. He said he has been asked why he continues to refer to his Democratic opponent, state senator Ghazala Hashmi, as a’ radical.’ Reid reiterated he believes that is an apt description.

“I think the fact that Ghazala Hashmi keeps pushing what I consider to be pretty crazy ideas that most of us are not on board with,” he said, “even somebody like me not being on board with, calling her a radical I don’t think is a derogatory slur. I think it’s an accurate description.”

Still, Reid continued, emphasizing that while he disagrees with Hashmi, he will “always stand up for her safety,” and that if Hashmi were there today, he wouldn’t pull his punches when it comes to their positions, but he would treat her politely and with respect.

While Hashmi was not in fact at Wednesday’s event, there were a small group of protesters outside the coffee shop before the event’s start set up along the road, holding up signs attacking Winsome for her support of the health care cuts in the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

The group included several health care workers with the Service Employees International Union, as well as Laura Packard, a small business owner from Alexandria. The group, which Packard said mostly consisted of Richmond residents, had followed the Republican candidates from their event in Yorktown on Tuesday.

“We’ve been following (them) across Virginia,” Packard said, “making sure that Virginia knows what’s at stake.”

Reid said afterward that protesters are “a part of the deal these days,” and he usually goes over to talk to them at his events. McGuire said that protesting was a part of the First Amendment, and added “as Governor Glenn Youngkin would say,” Virginians should disagree without being disagreeable.

“If you saved my life on the battlefield as a Navy Seal,” McGuire said, “I don’t care if you’re male or female, pink or blue, Democrat, Republican, independent. We’re all Americans.”