The televised debate on October 16 put a harsh spotlight on Jay Jones when he was forced to confront the violent text messages he sent in 2022, and for the first time he offered a public apology, calling himself “ashamed” and “embarrassed.” That apology came under the glare of a state and national audience that rightly expects a candidate for attorney general to show judgment and restraint.
The messages themselves were grotesque: Jones reportedly fantasized about shooting then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert and even suggested children should suffer to change minds — rhetoric that is beyond the pale for anyone, let alone a man seeking to be the Commonwealth’s top law-enforcement officer. Republicans and independent voters have every reason to recoil when a candidate’s private words betray a willingness to celebrate pain and violence. Those revelations explain why this story exploded across local and national outlets.
Incumbent Attorney General Jason Miyares did what a responsible chief law enforcement officer must do: he called the texts unconscionable, said Jones wouldn’t pass a background check for a line prosecutor, and argued such conduct disqualifies a person from holding the office that protects Virginians and their children. Miyares didn’t mince words — he reminded voters that the AG’s job is about justice, victims, and public safety, not partisan theatrics or second chances for those who have refused genuine accountability. That clarity is exactly what Virginians deserve.
Miyares has taken the fight national, appearing on conservative platforms to press the moral case, while rightly framing this election as more than left versus right — it’s about common decency and the safety of families across the Commonwealth. The debate over Jones’s fitness isn’t manufactured; it’s rooted in his own words and a long-overdue conversation about standards in public life. Conservatives have every right to push back when Democrats shrug off violent rhetoric from their own side.
The political consequences are real: Jones’s standing with voters has slipped and Republican leaders, including Gov. Youngkin, have publicly urged Democrats to force Jones off the ticket, arguing that tolerance of such messages signals a party that prioritizes power over principle. With the election set for November 4, voters now have to decide whether they’ll reward a candidate who once cheered violence or back the incumbent who has made law and order his priority. This is not a trivia contest — it’s about which side will protect kids and communities.
Make no mistake: Democrats’ reflexive defense of their own is a troubling pattern, and silence from party leaders only reinforces the perception that there are two standards in American politics. Jason Miyares’s insistence that this race is “right versus wrong” resonates because it asks Virginians to choose whether public office will be a refuge for decency or a prize for the perfidious. Voters should reward accountability, not ambition cloaked in apology.
Hardworking Virginians should look at the record and the rhetoric and decide which candidate will actually stand up for victims, respect the rule of law, and defend children — not one who once celebrated their suffering. If you care about the safety of your family and the character of state leadership, the choice is clear: the Commonwealth needs an attorney general who embodies respect for life and the law, not a left-wing promotion-seeker hoping to bury his past behind a campaign slogan.
