The Democratic nominee for Virginia’s upcoming attorney general race is facing backlash after a series of 2022 text messages in which he spoke about shooting the former Virginia House speaker resurfaced. Jay Jones, a former state legislator now running to be the state’s top prosecutor, has since apologized for the comments, calling them “abhorrent.”
However, whether the text messages will be enough to sway the electorate one month out from election day is another story.
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According to Alex Keena, a political science professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia holds state elections outside of the traditional federal and gubernatorial election season. As such, turnout tends to be “very low.”
“Because turnout is low, these races are very hard to predict,” Keena told Straight Arrow News. “So on the one hand, this story could absolutely add volatility to the dynamics of the race. On the other hand, we live in a new era of American politics; public corruption is rampant and we no longer hold our elected officials to the high standards of integrity that we did a generation ago. In this way, this type of story may have no impact whatsoever on the race.”
‘Two bullets to the head’
On Friday, the National Review obtained a 2022 text message thread between Jones and Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner. During the exchange, Jones said that if he had two bullets and the opportunity to shoot a group of three people –– then-Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot –– Gilbert would get both bullets “every time.”
“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones wrote. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
In response, Coyner told Jones to “please stop,” adding, “It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them. It isn’t ok. No matter who they are.”
According to the National Review, Jones then called Coyner to try to explain his comments, but instead doubled down and invoked Gilbert’s family in his violent rhetoric. A source familiar with the conversation reportedly told the National Review that Jones argued the only way to get Gilbert to embrace more progressive policies would be to watch his children die in his wife’s arms.
“I’ve told you this before,” Jones said, “Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.” He went on to add of Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer, “I mean do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they’re breeding little fascists? Yes.”
Dems dodge calls for Jones to drop out of the race
Following the fallout from the text exchange on Friday, Jones told local media outlet ABC 8 News that his comments were “abhorrent,” but he stopped short of dropping out of the race.
“I’m sick to my stomach when I read those words,” Jones said during an exclusive interview with ABC 8. “Certainly they’re objectionable, they’re abhorrent, they have no place in Virginia, no place in this country’s discourse. Again, I am so deeply, deeply sorry.”
However, Jones added, “We’re gonna continue to move forward. This race has never been about me. It’s always been about the people of Virginia and what they deserve out of their leaders and their attorney general.”
The Democratic candidate for Virginia’s next governor, Abigail Spanberger, condemned Jones’ text messages, but also stopped short of calling on him to drop out of the race.
“After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted,” Spanberger wrote in a statement shared with NBC News. “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
According to Keena, the Democrats aren’t incentivized to demand that Jones step down. “Fewer people tend to show up to these ‘odd year’ state races than they do for congressional or presidential elections,” Keena told SAN. “That means that people who do show up, the voting population, tend to be party supporters and party loyalists –– precisely the type of voter who is unlikely to be swayed.”
GOP says texts should be ‘disqualifying’
Calls for Jones to drop out from the Virginia GOP are noticeably louder. Current lieutenant governor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears called on the state’s Democratic party to remove Jones from the running.
“Jay Jones’ horrific comments are a symptom of the entire Democratic Party and his running mate, Abigail Spanberger, needs to call on him to drop out,” Earle-Sears wrote on X.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin also said the texts should disqualify Jones’ candidacy.
“This violent, disgusting rhetoric targeted at an elected official and his children is beyond disqualifying,” Youngkin posted to X. “There is no ‘gosh, I’m sorry’ here. Jones doesn’t have the morality or character to drop out of this race, and his running mates Abigail Spanberger, Ghazala Hashmi, and every elected Democrat in Virginia don’t have the courage to call on him to step away from this campaign in disgrace.”
Jones’ Republican opponent, Jason Miyares, has not commented on the text messages.
“Although 30 years ago, this could have shaken up the race, voters today are desensitized to corruption and scandal, and the party supporters will likely not be moved by this news,” said Keena, citing President Donald Trump’s norm-shattering tenure in the Oval Office.
“During Trump’s first term, the Democrats believed that taking the ‘high road’ would win with voters,” Keena explained. “Trump’s comeback in 2024 has shown everybody that voters have a short-term memory and are willing to look past scandals and unethical behavior by politicians. I doubt the Democrats will call on [Jones] to leave the race.”
Why are Virginia’s gubernatorial elections important?
Virginians will head to the polls for statewide elections on Nov. 4. As of Wednesday, 284,274 people had cast early ballots. The first week of early voting, which opened Sept. 19, saw an influx of ballots cast across GOP-leaning districts, according to the Virginia Mercury.
Because Virginia’s gubernatorial elections occur outside the standard federal and statewide election season, they can serve as a barometer for the national political climate, and generally favor whichever party is in the governing minority.
“Youngkin and Earle-Sears surprised everybody by winning four years ago. The Republicans could absolutely do it again, particularly if they manage to excite and motivate their base of support,” said Keena. “That said, the sitting president’s party tends to do worse in Virginia governor races, so this gives Democrats an advantage.”
Top prosecutor in Virginia fired over false allegations
Meanwhile, in Virginia, a top national security prosecutor in the state was fired after a conservative influencer falsely accused him of ties to the James Comey indictment. Michael Ben’Ary, who led the national security section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, was terminated on Wednesday following a social media post by pro-Trump commentator Julie Kelly.
In her post, Kelly wrote that she assumed Ben’Ary “was a big part of the internal resistance to the Comey indictment.” However, the claim was reportedly baseless, and Ben’Ary had no involvement in the case against the former FBI director.
