Republican Jason Miyares and Democrat Jay Jones faced off in a contentious debate for Virginia attorney general Thursday that focused in large part on the recently surfaced violent texts that Jones sent three years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In their only debate before the November election, Miyares, the incumbent, repeatedly slammed Jones over the texts, suggesting they proved he was unfit to be Virginia\u2019s top law enforcement officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have seen a window to who Jay Jones is and the way he thinks of people that disagree with him,\u201d Miyares said early on in his opening statement. \u201cAbraham Lincoln said that character is what you do in the dark when no one is watching \u2014 but now we know what he was doing in the dark.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Moments later, Miyares went on the attack again on the topic, addressing Jones directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJay, if you were to apply to be a line prosecutor in not just in my office, but any attorney general office in the country, you would not pass a background check. And right now you may say that you are sorry, but look back at what happened. You had three years to say you\u2019re sorry, Jay, and you didn\u2019t. Three years to actually recognize what you did was horrific. You chose to stay silent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The criticisms referred to texts Jones sent in 2022, in which he suggested that Republican Todd Gilbert, then Virginia\u2019s House speaker, get \u201ctwo bullets to the head.\u201d Another text from Jones discussed violence against Gilbert\u2019s children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jones, a former state lawmaker, apologized and expressed remorse over the texts during Thursday’s hourlong debate. In his opening statement, he told the audience that they were \u201cgoing to hear from my opponent about text messages that I sent that I deeply, deeply regret.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLet me be very clear. I am ashamed, I am embarrassed, and I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI\u2019m sorry to Speaker Gilbert, I\u2019m sorry to his family, I\u2019m sorry to my family, and I\u2019m sorry to every single Virginian. I cannot take back what I said, but you have my word that I will always be accountable for my mistakes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The news of Jones\u2019 texts has further inflamed tensions around political violence and upended races up and down the ticket in Virginia, one of the first major statewide elections to take place since last year\u2019s presidential race. Jones\u2019 texts have drawn bipartisan condemnation, but so far, only Republicans have called for him to exit the race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The debate came at a pivotal moment: Republicans have pumped money into the race, launching ads that center on Jones\u2019 violent texts, with early voting in the state already open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jones repeatedly sought to shift the focus of the debate by going after Miyares for not standing up to President Donald Trump and his policies, which Jones said have hurt Virginians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen Donald Trump fires workers, defunds our schools and levies tariffs that destroy our regional economies, sends armed troops into cities and defunds law enforcement, he has a willing cheerleader here in Jason Miyares who will not step up to sue,\u201d Jones said. \u201cWhere other attorneys general have fought to protect their state\u2019s resources and values and institutions, Jason hasn\u2019t done that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI was held accountable,\u201d Jones said at another point, referring not only to his texts, but also to a reckless driving conviction in 2022. \u201cBut what we have here in Virginia right now is an attorney general who won\u2019t hold the president accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump, who has endorsed Miyares, \u201chas run roughshod over this commonwealth,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He mentioned the firing of federal workers this year by Trump\u2019s Department of Government Efficiency, as well as the current government shutdown, among what he said were \u201c50 opportunities\u201d when Miyares could \u201csue the administration to protect our values.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHis office hasn\u2019t done a thing because he\u2019s too weak and too scared to stand up to the president,\u201d Jones said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Miyares responded that he had \u201csued both administrations, the Trump administration and the Biden administration,\u201d to \u201cprotect our veterans.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The two also sparred over topics related to public safety, addiction, consumer protections and cashless bail. But the conversation frequently veered into national subjects, including abortion, transgender rights and immigration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At one point, Jones tried to criticize Miyares over his record on reproductive rights, but Miyares quickly turned the conversation into an attack on trans issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do find it amazing, Jay, that you talk about the importance of protecting women,\u201d he said, before he claimed that Jones \u201cwill never stand up for female athletes and their desire to be able to compete on the training field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But time and again, Jones\u2019 texts took center stage. During Miyares\u2019 closing message, he asked voters whether they could trust a person who sent the texts Jones did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow can we trust Jay Jones?\u201d he said. \u201cHow can we trust Jay Jones to prosecute a … gang member, knowing that he asked for an innocent Virginian to get two bullets to his head? How could Jay Jones ever be trusted to comfort a grieving mother who has lost a child to violence, knowing that he hoped that a child as young as 2 years old would die?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cVirginians, we could do so much better,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n