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Former Virginia state Del. Jay Jones’ escalating scandal — over messages envisioning the murder of a Republican lawmaker and his young “fascist” children — is expected to dominate Thursday’s attorney general debate at the University of Richmond.
The tentacles of the scandal have already reached far beyond the home of the Spiders, as President Donald Trump and Republican leaders across the country have latched onto the messaging from Jones, D-Norfolk, and the muted response from fellow Democrats.
The most recent Fox News-approved poll, conducted by Christopher Newport University on Oct. 3 before the scandal broke, showed Jones leading Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares by six points, with other Democrats on the statewide ticket enjoying similar margins.
But anecdotal evidence points to a tightening race, as Miyares has largely put the three-seat Republican ticket on his shoulders while Jones’ campaign falters.
Virginia attorney general candidates Jay Jones and Jason Miyares (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears hammered Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger on the issue at their own debate last week in Norfolk, repeatedly asking whether Jones should withdraw from the race.
Spanberger declined to call for his resignation, saying voters should decide, but several voters in the Shenandoah Valley told Fox News Digital they were disappointed she didn’t take a stronger stand.
Jones’ fellow Democrats have either been silent or vaguely supportive of the embattled former Biden administration Justice Department staffer continuing his bid, even as polling and public sentiment suggest his troubles could bring down the rest of the Democratic ticket.
Top Democrats back Jones despite backlash
Current Virginia House Speaker Don Scott Jr., D-Portsmouth, was defiant when he addressed the media following the gubernatorial debate, comparing and contrasting the situation with Trump’s own words about Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney facing gun barrels in one of the war zones her neoconservative stances advocated for.
Senate President L. Louise Lucas, D-Norfolk, and caucus campaign chief Sen. Mamie Locke, D-Hampton, later issued a joint statement backing Jones and warning that keeping Miyares in office would be worse.
Meanwhile, Earle-Sears has a similar grip on the Republican base as Youngkin did, but continues to trail Spanberger in recent polling. Miyares, however, has now either closed the gap or slightly surpassed Jones – which pundits have said may help blunt Democratic turnout for the entire ticket.
Republican lieutenant gubernatorial candidate John Reid recently posted on social media that he has reportedly pulled to within a point or two of challenger Sen. Ghazala Hashmi, D-Chesterfield, although the rubric of the surveys he was referring to were not immediately verifiable.
Together, these signs suggest a tightening statewide contest in an increasingly blue-leaning commonwealth.
Virginia’s political upset shifting again
In 2021, Republican Glenn Youngkin rode an upset victory on parental-rights outrage over transgender athletes in school sports. Earle-Sears has since championed that same issue while also hammering Democrats for their silence or ambivalence over Jones remaining in the race.
Youngkin’s upset over Terry McAuliffe was an outlier versus other recent Virginia races – notably Republican military veteran Hung Cao’s 20-point defeat to Sen. Tim Kaine in the intervening 2024 election. Kamala Harris also defeated Trump that year.
A decade ago, Republicans still had somewhat of a presence in heavily-populated northern Virginia. Then-Prince William County chairman Corey Stewart, seen as a staunch conservative, unsuccessfully sought statewide office but remained in the suburban county’s leadership for many years.
While currently opposed to Trump’s brand of Republicanism, then-Rep. Barbara Comstock, was a popular officeholder in the now-progressive Loudoun County area. Del. Geary Higgins, R-Lovettsville, remains the only Republican delegate in the once-red county west of Washington. Though he, too, faces a tough road against Warrenton innkeeper John McAuliff in November’s contest.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin addresses the crowd during an early voting rally on Sept. 21, 2023, in Petersburg, Va. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
During his campaign, Youngkin made repeated trips to southwest Virginia to run up margins in Republican strongholds and boost turnout — a strategy that, combined with support from concerned parents across northern Virginia’s Democratic-leaning suburbs, helped secure his victory.
Jones’ texts revealed
In messages first reported earlier this month, Jones texted Del. Carrie Coyner, R-Hopewell, in 2022, imagining a scenario where he would choose to “fire two bullets” into then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert’s head, describing Gilbert as worse than dictators Pol Pot or Adolf Hitler.
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Jones also referred to Gilbert’s young children as “fascists” in the exchange.
The revelations have prompted bipartisan condemnation, though Democratic leaders have so far resisted calls — including from Youngkin — for Jones to bow out of the race.