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The Virginia governor’s race has taken a dramatic turn! Some pretty shocking texts from Jay Jones, a Democrat who was hoping to become the state’s attorney general, have surfaced, and they’re causing a major headache for the Democratic candidate, Abigail Spanberger.
Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears is definitely seizing the opportunity. She’s launched new ads calling out Spanberger for sticking by Jones, despite the fact that, years ago, he privately wrote about a senior Republican figure getting “two bullets to the head” and accused him of “breeding little fascists”.
Jones has apologized, and Spanberger has tried to distance herself, saying she “will always condemn violent language in our politics.” However, Earle-Sears isn’t letting up. Before these texts came to light, polls showed Spanberger with a comfortable 12-point lead, but Earle-Sears is now demanding that both Spanberger and Jones drop out of their respective races. Even Donald Trump has weighed in, calling Spanberger “weak and ineffective.”
“Spanberger’s continuing support for Jay Jones is disqualifying for higher office,” Earle-Sears said, emphasizing the impact of the controversy.
This all comes at a time when concerns about political violence are already high in the US. Recent events like the murders of Democratic Minnesota state house speaker Melissa Hortman and the far-right commentator Charlie Kirk, and the arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s home are fueling anxieties.
While Trump and some allies try to paint this as a solely “left-wing” issue, a Justice Department study (later removed from the website) actually found that far-right extremists have been responsible for more deaths in the US than any other domestic terrorist group.
So, what exactly did Jones say? These texts, dating back to August 2022, were sent to a Republican colleague. He was talking about Republican Todd Gilbert, who was then the speaker of the house.
According to the National Review, Jones was commenting on the death of long-serving state politician Joe Johnson Jr, joking about what he would do if he faced Gilbert and two dictators, “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” he wrote. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
He went on to say Gilbert and his wife were “evil” and “breeding little fascists.”
The recipient of the texts, Republican Carrie Coyner, was understandably disturbed. She told the National Review that Jones’s words were “not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office” and “disgusting and unbecoming of any public official.”
Jones has issued an apology, saying he takes “full responsibility” and has apologized to Gilbert and his wife. “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach,” he said. “I am embarrassed, ashamed and sorry.”
Jason Miyares, the Republican attorney general running for re-election against Jones, also criticized him, emphasizing the importance of character and integrity for the state’s chief law enforcement officer.
Now, Spanberger finds herself on the defensive, and her once-comfortable lead is in jeopardy.
“This definitely qualifies as something that breaks through, and not many events do that any more,” Zack Roday, a Virginia-based Republican strategist, told NBC News. “This is all the campaign is going to be for the next 30 days.”