5 takeaways from the Virginia attorney general debate
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (R) and former state Del. Jay Jones (D) came face-to-face on Thursday at a highly anticipated attorney general’s debate in Richmond amid a stunning scandal that has put renewed interest on the downballot race.
Unlike past state attorney general races, this year’s contest has garnered national attention following leaked violent texts sent by Jones in 2022 about former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R).
Jones apologized for the texts after they surfaced earlier this month, but Miyares and Republicans have used the controversy to knock Jones as being unfit to serve as the state’s top law enforcement official. A number of internal polls following the scandal have shown a tightening margin in the already competitive contest.
Thursday’s forum marked the first and only time Miyares and Jones confronted 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 heavily overshadowed by the scandal involving Jones’s text messages, in which he suggested shooting Gilbert. The Democrat sought to immediately address the controversy, using part of his opening remarks to apologize.
“Let me be very clear: I am ashamed, I am embarrassed and I am sorry. I am sorry to Speaker Gilbert, I am sorry to his family, and I am sorry to every single Virginian,” Jones said in his opening remarks.
The Democrat was later asked by the moderator why voters should trust him in the wake of the texting scandal, as well as a 2022 reckless driving conviction.
“I was held accountable by my party and I deeply, deeply respect that,” Jones said. “But what about when Donald Trump used incendiary language to incite a riot to try to overturn an election here in this country? What about when Winsome Sears used violent language about people who disagree with you and her on your extreme position on abortion? What about when John Reid shared Nazi porn? You haven’t said a word. I have taken accountability for my mistakes; it’s time you take accountability, too.”
Jones, who was not in elected office at the time, sent texts about shooting Gilbert to Republican state Del. Carrie Coyner in 2022.
“Three people, two bullets,” Jones wrote in a text to Coyner about Gilbert.
“Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot,” Jones wrote. “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”
“Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time,” Jones told Coyner.
Coyner, in response, told Jones to stop.
Trump is central to Jones’s strategy
When Jones was not answering for the texting scandal, he was consistently trying to link Miyares to President Trump.
“Jason is going to make this race about my mistakes but this race has always been about more,” Jones said, referring to Miyares as “a willing cheerleader” for Trump.
“The stakes of this race are too high for it to be about anything else, because when Donald Trump fires workers, defunds our schools, 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,” Jones said. “Where other attorneys general have fought to protect their states’ resources and values, and institutions, Jason hasn’t done that.”
The Democrat’s 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 holds a 42 percent approval rating and a 54 percent disapproval rating.
Virginia Democrats have historically performed better while Trump has been in office, and many of his policies, including mass cuts to the federal workforce, have not played well with the large population of federal workers residing and working in Virginia.
Jones’s strategy suggests his party is banking on frustration over the current administration to carry it over the rough patch it has hit in the attorney general’s race following the texting controversy.
Miyares, for his part, hit back against Jones for constantly invoking Trump during the debate.
“There he goes again,” Miyares said at one point following Jones’s pivot to Trump.
Debate remains relatively civil
Despite a number of tense moments over issues like political rhetoric and violence, the attorney general’s debate remained civil, drawing a sharp contrast with last week’s often raucous gubernatorial debate.
Thursday night’s debate opened with Jones and Miyares shaking each other’s hands and wishing each other luck before they dove into their opening statements. Additionally, there were few, if any, interruptions, and both candidates kept to their allotted time in their responses.
That decorum was a far cry from last week’s gubernatorial debate in Norfolk. Republican gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears spent much of that hour-long debate interrupting Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, even during closing statements. Both candidates in the gubernatorial debate also frequently raised their voices as they debated each other on stage.
Miyares hits Jones over crime, trans issues
Miyares touted his own record as attorney general, pointing to work combating crime and fighting drug addiction in the state. He in turn called into question Jones’s record as a delegate and his stance on issues like no-cash bail.
“The reality is Jay Jones is a criminal-first, victim-last politician, and we know it from his own voting record,” Miyares said. “He is not safe to be the people’s protector of Virginia.”
Miyares touted endorsements from law enforcement groups like the Virginia Police Benevolent Association and the Fraternal Order of Police.
“They have also called on you to drop out,” Miyares said, referring to the groups. “And I find it a little bit stunning that today you say one of the pillars of your public safety platform is protecting children. Were you protecting Jennifer’s children when you said you wanted to see them die in their mother’s arms?” he continued, invoking Gilbert’s wife and texting scandal.
Miyares also attacked Jones over his vote that allowed 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 Earle-Sears also hitting her Democratic opponent over the issue in the governor’s race.
Debate has potential to move the needle
While Thursday’s forum garnered national attention due to the coverage of the texting scandal, it’s unclear how it will play with Virginia voters. But recent polling suggests the race has the potential to go either way, meaning the event could be a pivotal moment.
A series of internal polls from both sides of the aisle have shown a tightening race following the unearthed texts from Jones.
Jones’s campaign released a poll conducted by Hart Research showing him leading Miyares 46 percent support to 45 percent in the wake of the scandal. Another poll released by the Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) that was conducted by Cygnal showed Miyares leading Jones 46 percent support to 44 percent. And a third survey released by the Trafalgar Group, a right-leaning firm, showed Miyares leading with 49 percent support to Jones’s 43 percent.
The relatively close attorney general’s race is different from the gubernatorial race, where Spanberger has enjoyed a healthier lead over her Republican opponent.
One other factor: Early voting could also play a role in whoever wins the race, given that voters started voting weeks before Jones’s texts came to light. Others note that the speed of the news cycle makes the race’s outcome highly unpredictable.
Still, the debate could potentially sway undecided voters in a race that until recently has gone under the radar.