Virginia AG Candidate Jay Jones Faces Bipartisan Backlash Over Violent 2022 Texts

Virginia Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones is embroiled in a major controversy after 2022 text messages surfaced in which he joked about shooting former House Speaker Todd Gilbert and used violent language, including wishing death on Gilbert and his children. The texts, which compared Gilbert unfavorably to dictators Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, sparked bipartisan condemnation from leaders such as Republican incumbent Jason Miyares, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin. Jones apologized publicly and directly to Gilbert's family but faced skepticism and rejection of his apology from Miyares and others, who called his remarks disqualifying for public office. While Democratic candidates Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi condemned Jones' language and urged accountability, they stopped short of demanding he drop out of the race, unlike some Republicans who called for his withdrawal. The controversy has placed significant pressure on the Democratic ticket ahead of the November election, highlighting concerns about the tone of political discourse and accountability for violent rhetoric in Virginia politics.