Democratic Virginia attorney general candidate Jay Jones is facing scrutiny, this time from both sides of the aisle, after he reportedly sent a text message three years ago to a former Republican colleague joking that a former Virginia House of Delegates speaker should get “two bullets to the head.”
That colleague, Republican Del. Carrie Coyner, shared reported screenshots of her Aug. 8, 2022m conversation with Jones in which he admitted they were sent to her in error.
News of the messages was first broken Oct. 3 by the National Review, a conservative-leaning media outlet.
Jones acknowledged in a statement from his campaign that “like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret.” He reiterated that “violent rhetoric has no place in our politics.” However, he accused Republican incumbent Jason Miyarres of “dropping smears” through a media outlet favorable to President Donald Trump and Republicans.
In an email to The Progress-Index accompanying the screenshots, Coyner called the messages “not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office.
“Jay Jones wished violence on the children of a colleague and joked about shooting (former Speaker) Todd Gilbert. It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official,” Coyner said in her statement.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger released her own statement where she said she spoke “frankly” with Jones about the messages.
“After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted,” she said. “I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and as the next governor of our commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
News of the text messages comes more than a week after a man was arrested for texting Republican Virginia Del. Kim Taylor that he planned to kill her over a robotext her campaign sent to his mobile phone.
What did the messages reportedly say?
The messages were sent less than a year after Jones left office as a delegate representing Norfolk.
According to the screenshots of the text, Jones was apparently upset by comments attributed to Gilbert on the death of a Democratic delegate. Jones accused that delegate of leaking information about Virginia House Democrats to the House Republican Caucus.
He initially apologized to Coyner for sending the message to her in error but then launched into a rant where he compared Gilbert to former world dictators Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot. He reportedly mentioned how he would have loved to shoot all three of them.
“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot,” he texted. “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”
Coyner responded, “Jay, please stop.”
His answer. “LOL. Ok, ok.”
“It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death upon them,” Coyner replied.
Later in the text thread, Jones also reportedly mentions Gilbert’s wife and children.
“Do I think Todd and Jennifer are evil? And that they’re breeding little fascists?” he said. “Yes.”
Jones also reportedly said that “only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”
‘Reckless’
Jones’ campaign released this entire statement after the National Review published its story.
“Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics,” it read. “Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign. This is a strategy that ensures Jason Miyares will continue to be accountable to Donald Trump, not the people of Virginia. This race is about whether Trump can control Virginia or Virginians control Virginia.”
Miyares in a statement on X called Jones “reckless, biased, and willing to trade away his integrity.”
“My job is to stop violence, to protect innocent lives, and keep people safe. I cannot imagine someone running for this job who advocates for violence,” he said.
The Republican Attorneys General Association, of which Miyares is a member, had plenty to say in its own statement.
“There is no place for political violence, including joking about it – especially from an elected official,” Kansas Attorney General and RAGA Chair Kris Kobach said in the statement. “Jay Jones should drop out of the attorney general’s race. His comments are not acceptable from someone who wants to represent law enforcement.
Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI.
This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: VA Democratic candidate faces backlash for texts about GOP colleague
