Democrat Jay Jones has secured a narrow victory in the Virginia attorney general race, prevailing over Republican incumbent Jason Miyares despite a scandal involving inflammatory text messages. The election took place on November 7, 2023, and resulted in a tight contest that has ignited strong reactions from various political figures.
Jones faced backlash following the revelation of text messages he sent in 2022 while serving in the Virginia state legislature. In these messages to Republican Delegate Carrie Coyner, he expressed violent fantasies about killing Miyares and referred to other historical figures associated with brutality. In one of the texts, Jones wrote, “Three people, two bullets Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” This reference to Todd Gilbert, the former Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates, raised significant concerns about his fitness for office.
Following the surfacing of the texts, Jones publicly apologized, stating, “I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.” His attempt to reconcile with voters coincided with a determined campaign that ultimately led to his election victory.
Despite the controversy, Jones won the election by a slim margin, garnering just over 51% of the votes compared to Miyares’ approximately 48%. This outcome has provoked outrage among conservative commentators and supporters. Notable conservative voice Benny Johnson expressed his dismay on social media platform X, stating, “Democrats in Virginia saw these texts from Jay Jones and decided ‘yup, he has my vote!’ Truly evil. You can’t live in a country with people that want you dead.”
Similarly, Nick Sortor criticized the election result, calling it “absolutely sickening.” He asserted, “Democrats calling for Republicans to be assassinated has just been APPROVED of. THIS CANNOT CONTINUE.” The intensity of these reactions highlights the deep divisions within Virginia’s political landscape and raises questions about the implications of Jones’ remarks on future political discourse.
The Virginia attorney general race has now become a focal point for broader discussions about accountability and the standards expected of public officials. As Jones prepares to assume his role, the aftermath of his campaign and the text scandal will likely continue to influence political conversations in the state.
This story is developing, and further updates are anticipated as the implications of this election unfold.
