Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) and former state Del. J. Jones (D) face off in a highly anticipated attorney general debate in Richmond on Thursday. a surprising scandal This has created renewed interest in downballot races.
Unlike previous state attorney general races, this year’s contest in 2022 has drawn national attention following leaked violent messages Jones sent about former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R).
Jones apologized after the texts surfaced earlier this month, but Miyares and Republicans have used the controversy to declare Jones ineligible to serve as the state’s top law enforcement official. Several internal surveys conducted following the scandal have shown that the already competitive gap has tightened.
Thursday’s forum marked the first and only time Miyares and Jones faced each other in person during the campaign. Here are five takeaways from the Virginia Attorney General debate:
Jones apologizes for violent text messages, reckless driving
Thursday’s debate was deeply overshadowed by the scandal surrounding Jones’ text messages in which he suggested shooting Gilbert. The Democrat sought to quickly address the controversy, using a portion of his opening remarks to apologize.
Jones said in his opening remarks, “Let me be very clear: I am embarrassed, I am embarrassed and I am sorry. I am sorry for Speaker Gilbert, sorry for his family, and sorry for every single Virginian.”
The Democrat was later asked by the moderator why voters should trust him in the wake of the texting scandal as well as a reckless driving conviction in 2022.
“I was held accountable by my party and I respect that deeply,” Jones said. “But what about that time Donald Trump used inflammatory language to incite a riot in this country to try to overturn the election? What about when Winsom Sears used violent language about people who disagreed with you and him on your extreme stance on abortion? What about when John Reed shared Nazi porn? You didn’t say a word. I Took accountability for mistakes; Now the time has come that you also take accountability.”
Jones, who was not holding elected office at the time, sent messages to Republican state Del. Carrie Coiner about firing Gilbert in 2022.
“Three people, two bullets,” Jones wrote in a text to Coiner about Gilbert.
“Gilbert, Hitler, and Pol Pot,” Jones wrote. “Gilbert was shot twice in the head.”
“Spoiler: Team Gilbert up with two of the worst guys you know and he gets both bullets every time,” Jones told Coiner.
Coyner responded by telling Jones to stop.
Trump is at the center of Jones’ strategy
When Jones was not answering for the texting scandal, he was constantly trying to link Miyares to President Trump.
Jones referred to Miyares as “a willing cheerleader” for Trump, saying, “Jason is going to make this race about my mistakes, but this race has always been about more.”
“The risk of something else happening in this race is very high, because when Donald Trump fires workers, defunds our schools, imposes tariffs that destroy our regional economies, sends armed forces into cities and defunds law enforcement, he has a willing cheerleader in Jason Miyares who won’t step forward to sue,” Jones said. “Where other attorneys general have fought to protect their states’ resources and values and institutions, Jason has not done that.”
Democrats’ strategy of invoking Trump throughout the debate underscores the president’s underwater approval ratings in the state. According to an Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey released earlier this month, Trump has a 42 percent approval rating and 54 percent disapproval rating.
Virginia Democrats have historically fared better while Trump has been in office, and many of his policies, including massive cuts to the federal workforce, have not played well with the large population of federal workers living and working in Virginia.
Jones’ strategy shows her party is tapping into frustration with the current administration to overcome a difficult situation in the attorney general race following the texting controversy.
Miyares fired back at Jones for constantly mentioning Trump during the debate.
“There he goes again,” Miyares said at one point after Jones leaned toward Trump.
The debate remains relatively civil
Despite several tense moments over issues such as political rhetoric and violence, the Attorney General debate remained civil, a sharp contrast with last week’s often raucous gubernatorial debate.
Thursday night’s debate began with Jones and Miyares shaking hands and wishing each other good luck before beginning their opening statements. Additionally, there were few interruptions, if any, and both candidates adhered to their allotted time to give their responses.
That decorum was a far cry from last week’s gubernatorial debate in Norfolk. Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsom Earl-Sears spent much of that hour-long debate interrupting Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger, even during closing statements.
Miyares hits out at Jones on crime, trans issues
Miyares touted his own record as attorney general, pointing to his work to combat crime and fight drug addiction in the state. They in turn questioned Jones’ record as a representative and his stance on issues such as no-cash bail.
Miyares said, “The reality is that Jay Jones is a perpetrator-first, victim-last politician, and we know this from his own voting record.” “It is not safe for him to be the protector of the people of Virginia.”
Miyares announced support from law enforcement groups such as the Virginia Police Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.
“They also call for you to come out,” Miyares said, referring to the groups. “And I find it a little surprising that today you say that a pillar of your public safety platform is to protect children. Were you protecting Jennifer’s children when you said you wanted to see them die in their mother’s arms?” He continued to mention Gilbert’s wife and the texting scandal.
Miyares also attacked Jones over his vote to allow trans players on women’s sports teams, arguing that, in contrast, he protected female athletes as attorney general. Trans issues have proven to be a lightning rod in the commonwealth, with Earl-Sears even hitting out at her Democratic opponent in the governor’s race on the issue.
Debate has the potential to move the needle
While Thursday’s forum drew national attention because of coverage of the texting scandal, it’s unclear how it will play with Virginia voters. But recent polling suggests the race is likely to go either way, meaning this event could be a defining moment.
A series of internal surveys from both sides of the aisle have shown stiff competition following the texts discovered from Jones.
Jones’ campaign released a poll conducted by Hart Research in the wake of the scandal that showed Miyares ahead with 46 percent support to 45 percent. Another poll released by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA), which was conducted by Signal, shows Miyares leading Jones with 44 percent support versus 46 percent. And a third poll released by the right-wing firm Trafalgar Group showed Miyares ahead with 49 percent support to Jones’ 43 percent.
The relatively close Attorney General race differs from the gubernatorial race, where Spanberger has a commanding lead over her Republican opponent.
Another factor: Early voting could also play a role in who wins the race, given that voters began voting several weeks before Jones’ text came to light. Others note that the speed of the news cycle makes the outcome of the race highly unpredictable.
Still, the debate could potentially sway undecided voters in a race that has flown under the radar until recently.
