Virginia Democrats are reeling after the emergence of 2022 text messages in which attorney general nominee Jay Jones wrote that he would shoot former House Speaker Todd Gilbert and that he wanted Gilbert’s wife to watch her children die.
The response to the texts has gone national, with the president and vice president both calling on Jones to drop out of the race, and Democrats condemning his statements.
However, with early voting already underway in Virginia, Democrats have stopped short of calling for Jones to withdraw from the race.
“I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted,” said Democratic gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger. “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words.”
Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears — who is also running as the Republican nominee for governor — both called on Jones to drop out.
His opponent, Attorney General Jason Miyares, said Jones should be “disqualified,” but he also stopped short of calling on him to drop out.
Jones has remained in the race.
Timeline
Friday
The National Review first reported the story on Friday afternoon. Jones did not provide a comment for their story, but he did give one to Virginia Scope around 1:30 p.m.
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” Jones said, before pivoting to blaming President Donald Trump and Miyares.
Both Republicans and Democrats quickly reacted and called on Jones to apologize.
“What Jay said was harmful, reckless, and wrong,” said Speaker of the House Don Scott, D-Portsmouth. “I believe he needs to apologize now. He must take accountability for his words, and then reflect and pray.”
Jones received some measured support from two influential state Senators, Louise Lucas, D-Portsmouth, and Mamie Locke, D-Hampton.
“There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions,” Lucas and Locke wrote in a joint statement. “But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election or to distract from the urgent fight we are all in for Virginia’s future. The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake. It is about the kind of leadership we need for our families, our rights, and our democracy.”
Jones issued a second statement just before 8 pm, which included an apology.
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family,” he said. “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”
Jones joined Tyler Englander at WRIC in Richmond at 11 p.m. to face questions.
“I sincerely and from the bottom of my heart, want to express my remorse and my regret for what happened and what I said,” Jones told Englander.
Saturday
Jones survived the first night, but Republicans ramped up their attacks on Saturday.
After declining to comment on Friday, Miyares scheduled a press conference at the Republican Party of Virginia headquarters for 2:30 p.m.
“It is clear that Jay Jones has proven he is reckless, he is biased, and he is willing to trade his integrity away, disqualifying himself from ever serving as attorney general for Virginia,” Miyares said.
Shortly after the Miyares conference, Vice President JD Vance called on Jones to withdraw.
“I’m sure the people hyperventilating about sombrero memes will join me in calling for this very deranged person to drop out of the race,” Vance wrote on social media.
Earle-Sears held a press conference around 8:30 p.m., in which she again called on Jones to drop out. She condemned violence while also calling Democrats the enemy.
“The enemy is among us, devouring us in Virginia and in America today,” Earle-Sears said. “The leadership of the Democratic Party has become consumed with hate.”
Jones did receive some support Saturday night when the Virginia Beach Democratic Committee reaffirmed its support for him.
“Jay Jones has taken responsibility, apologized, and shown he is committed to serving with integrity and accountability that his public record already shows,” they wrote. “Virginians deserve a leader who learns, grows, and stands for everyday people—and Jay is that leader.”
Sunday
On Sunday morning, Earle-Sears posted a new ad featuring Jones’ texts, which incorporated pieces of news coverage from the previous days, including his interview with Englander.
The ad attempts to link Jones to Spanberger by using several clips of her from the campaign trail in which she speaks positively about Jones.
“Reject the insanity. Vote Republican,” is written across the closing screen.
Later in the morning, Trump released a statement on social media.
“It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children,” Trump wrote.
He called on Jones to withdraw and gave his endorsement to Miyares, which is notable because Trump has yet to endorse Earle-Sears or the lieutenant governor nominee, John Reid.
Comparing scandals
This weekend for Democrats is reminiscent of the few days earlier this year when the Republican statewide ticket was roiled by controversy involving Reid and a Tumblr account.
Related: The weekend that sent the Virginia Republican Party into a tailspin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin called on Reid to withdraw as the nominee after a Tumblr account that reposted pictures of naked men was discovered using the same username Reid uses for his private accounts.
Reid, who is openly gay, denied the account was his, and he and Youngkin eventually campaigned together.
But the damage was done, as Earle-Sears, who does not support gay marriage, which she wrote in her own words when signing legislation last year, avoided Reid on the trail and said they each have their own race to run.
Earle-Sears and Reid eventually filmed a few videos and appeared at a couple of the same events — but the divide between the two is hard to miss.
However, the scandal occurred six months before Election Day, whereas the Jones controversy is taking place one month before Election Day.
“These late-breaking kinds of issues are the kinds of things that hang in voters’ minds as they head to the polls,” said Richard Meagher, a political science professor at Randolph Macon College. “If I had to choose the timing of the scandal, I’d rather have it early in the campaign so I could move past it.”
Meagher noted that the fallout from the two different scandals has different impacts on the two statewide tickets.
“I think the difference here is that the Reid issues really affected the whole ticket. Earle-Sears had a chance to respond dramatically and boldly, and instead just kind of hid for a month or two,” Meagher said.
“What’s happened over the last week is really more of a Jay Jones problem than a Democratic problem,” he continued. “Spanberger should be fine; she is disavowing his comments, saying the right things.”
The conversation about Miyares, the only incumbent running in a statewide race this year, overperforming the rest of his ticket have been circulating for months.
Meagher said that seems more likely to happen now.
“I think the bottom line here is that this doesn’t reset the entire election, but it may reset the attorney general campaign,” Meagher said. “Republicans all along have thought that maybe Miyares might be their best shot at winning a statewide election; split tickets are much more likely now.”
Election Day is Nov. 4.