Jay Jones (politician)

Last updated

Jones was a candidate in the Democratic primary in the 2021 Virginia Attorney General election, where he faced incumbent Mark Herring. [2] Jones criticized Herring over the incumbent's blackface controversy. Jones lost the June 8, 2021 primary to Herring. [4]

2025

Jones ran for and won the Democratic nomination for the 2025 Virginia Attorney General election against Shannon Taylor. [21] He faces Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in the general election. [22]

Messages advocating violence and subsequent fallout

In October 2025, Jones came under fire for a 2022 text conversation with fellow delegate Carrie Coyner, in which Jones repeatedly made statements advocating violence against then–House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his family. Jones stated that if he had two bullets and could shoot Speaker Gilbert, Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot, Speaker Gilbert "gets two bullets to the head". [23] [24] Jones acknowledged that he had talked about hoping Speaker Gilbert's children would die because "Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy", before describing Gilbert and his wife as "evil" and "breeding little fascists". [25] [26] [27]

The impetus for Jones's texts to Coyner was his anger at the tributes Republican legislators had for former delegate Joseph P. Johnson, a moderate Democrat, who had recently passed away, with Jones disparaging "Johnson's political centrism." [28] [29] Jones said of Republican legislators who gave tributes about Johnson that "If those guys die before me I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves" and said that it will "Send them out awash in something". [30] [29] [22]

Jones speaks at rally with Abigail Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi in Fairfax City Jay Jones, Ghazala Hashmi and Abigail Spanberger at a bus rally in Fairfax City.png
Jones speaks at rally with Abigail Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi in Fairfax City

The comments were made public by National Review in October 2025 during Jones' campaign for Attorney General, and received bipartisan condemnation, including by fellow Democratic nominees former representative Abigail Spanberger and state senator Ghazala Hashmi. [31] Numerous prominent Republicans, including president Donald Trump, vice president JD Vance, governor Glenn Youngkin, and Republican gubernatorial nominee lieutenant governor Winsome Earle-Sears have all requested for Jones to drop out of the election due to these messages. [32] [33] Jones has acknowledged that he sent these texts and apologized to Gilbert and his family. Jason Miyares publicly stated that he "does not accept his apology", stating that Jones "had a chance then to apologize", and that he "is sorry only after it made the news". [34]

After the story broke, Coyner said in an interview that Jones made charged comments during a phone conversation on qualified immunity in 2020. [35] [36] [37] Jones allegedly said "if a few police officers died, then maybe they would stop killing people". [36] Jones denies making that comment. [36]

Personal life

Jones is Catholic, a lifelong member of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk. [38]

Jones was introduced by a friend to public relations media manager Mavis Baah in 2017. [39] They married in September 2020. The couple has two sons. Baah is the daughter of Janna Baah from Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Dr. Anthony Baah from Accra, Ghana. The Baah family immigrated to the United States when Mavis was five years old. [11] [39]

On January 21, 2022, a year after his first run for attorney general, a Virginia state trooper clocked him speeding on Interstate 64 at 116 miles per hour — 46 over the speed limit — resulting in a reckless driving conviction in New Kent County. Of the 1,000 hours of community service he performed as part of his plea deal, 500 were for his own political action committee. [40] [41]

Electoral history

Jay Jones
Jay Jone Speaks at rally in Fairfax City (cropped).png
Jones in 2025
Member of the VirginiaHouseofDelegates
from the 89th district
In office
January 10, 2018 –January 2, 2022
DateElectionCandidatePartyVotes%
Virginia House of Delegates, 89th district
June 13, 2017 [42] Primary Jerrauld "Jay" Jones Democratic 5,24266.19
Joe W. Dillard Democratic 2,67833.81
Daun Sessoms Hester did not seek re-election
November 7, 2017 [43] General Jerrauld "Jay" Jones Democratic 16,54184.49
Terry Hurst Libertarian 2,94415.04
Write Ins970.47
November 5, 2019 [44] GeneralJerrauld "Jay" JonesDemocratic14,39896.18
Write Ins5713.82
November 2, 2021 [45] GeneralJerrauld "Jay" Jones Democratic 17,45079.85
Hahns Copeland Republican 4,34019.86
Write Ins630.29
2021 Virginia Attorney General election Democratic primary results [46]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Mark Herring (incumbent) 274,736 56.63
Democratic Jay Jones210,36543.37
Total votes485,101 100.00
2025 Virginia Attorney General election Democratic primary [47]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Jay Jones 252,976 51.11
Democratic Shannon Taylor 241,96948.89
Total votes494,945 100.00
2025 Virginia Attorney General election general election [48]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Jason Miyares (incumbent)
Democratic Jay Jones
Write-in
Total votes

References

  1. ↑ "Bischoff – Martingayle » Jerrauld C.C. "Jay" Jones". bischoffmartingayle.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Schneider, Gregory. "Norfolk Del. Jay Jones announces bid for Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general". Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  3. ↑ Otey, Jazmine (March 4, 2021). "Gov. Ralph Northam endorses Jay Jones over incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring". WSLS. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  4. 1 2 "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  5. 1 2 Sullivan, Ali (December 17, 2021). "Special election to fill Jay Jones' 89th District seat set for Jan. 11". pilotonline.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  6. ↑ Mirshahi, Dean (November 12, 2024). "Former Delegate Jay Jones launches bid for Virginia attorney general". WRIC-TV . Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  7. ↑ "2025 June Democratic Primary". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  8. ↑ Smith, John (October 4, 2025). "Virginia Elections: Jay Jones's Texts Spark Outrage". Politico. Retrieved October 26, 2023. In October 2025, text messages were leaked showing Jay Jones wishing death for kids of his political opponents.
  9. ↑ "Jones fallout". Politico. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  10. ↑ Manchester, Manchester (October 6, 2025). "Pressure grows on Virginia Democratic candidate to quit after violent text messages".
  11. 1 2 "Mavis Baah Jones, 32, public relations and media manager, PRA Group | Top 40 Under 40". The Virginian-Pilot. October 12, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 "Jerrauld 'Jay' Jones To Run For 89th Delegate". New Journal and Guide . February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  13. ↑ 89th district: Elections. Virginia Public Access Project site
  14. ↑ "Jay Jones wins big in 89th House District Democratic primary". The Virginian-Pilot =. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  15. ↑ "Jones wins Virginia House of Delegates 89th District". The Virginian-Pilot . November 7, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  16. ↑ Virginia Elections Database: district 89 at Virginia Department of Elections site
  17. ↑ 2017 election results for 89th district at Virginia Public Access Project site
  18. ↑ "Virginia Election Results". The New York Times. November 8, 2019. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  19. ↑ Feld, Lowell (September 11, 2019). "Virginia Del. Jay Jones (D-HD89) Endorses Cory Booker for President; Booker Plans Trip to Virginia "In the Coming Weeks."". Blue Virginia. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Glass projected to win special election for 89th House of Delegates seat, Dolmo concedes". January 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Virginia Attorney General Primary Election Results". The New York Times. June 17, 2025. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  22. 1 2 Armus, Teo; Cox, Erin; Schneider, Gregory S. (October 3, 2025). "Jay Jones's 2022 text messages roil race for Virginia attorney general". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  23. ↑ @NRO (October 3, 2025). "National Review" (Tweet). Retrieved October 4, 2025– via Twitter.
  24. ↑ "Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general once suggested a top Republican should get 'bullets to the head,' text messages show". NBC News. October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  25. ↑ Seltzer, Kate (October 3, 2025). "Jay Jones texts from 2022 describe wanting to shoot former Virginia House speaker". The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on October 3, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  26. ↑ Bryson, Anna (October 3, 2025). "In 2022, Jay Jones texted about shooting House Speaker Todd Gilbert". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 3, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  27. ↑ Svirnovskiy, Gregory (October 4, 2025). "Democratic candidate's 'abhorrent' texts threaten to shake up bellwether Virginia elections". Politico. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  28. ↑ McKend, Eva (October 4, 2025). "Virginia's Democratic nominee for attorney general facing pressure over resurfaced text messages". CNN. Retrieved October 7, 2025. Jones was objecting to tributes of deceased former state legislator Joe Johnson Jr., who was a longtime moderate Democrat
  29. 1 2 Fahlberg, Audrey (October 3, 2025). "Dem AG Nominee Jay Jones Fantasized About Shooting Former Virginia GOP Speaker: 'He Receives Both Bullets'". National Review. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  30. ↑ Mehrotra, Vani (October 4, 2025). "'Piss On Their Graves': Virginia Attorney General Nominee Jay Jones Under Fire Over Leaked Texts". CNN News18. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  31. ↑ Atkinson, Bill (October 3, 2025). "VA Democratic AG candidate under fire for texts about GOP colleague". The News Leader. Archived from the original on October 4, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  32. ↑ Strack, Haley (October 5, 2025). "Trump Demands Jay Jones Drop Out of Virginia AG Race over 'Demented' Texts". National Review. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  33. ↑ Strack, Haley (October 5, 2025). "Pressure Builds on Virginia Dems to Force Jay Jones Out of AG Race over Violent Texts". National Review. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  34. ↑ Montilla, Desiree (October 7, 2025). "Jason Miyares reacts to Jay Jones' 'disturbing' 2022 text messages". WWBT. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  35. ↑ Nichols, Hans (October 7, 2025). "Scoop: Jay Jones cancels Virginia fundraiser amid "two bullets" backlash". Axios. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  36. 1 2 3 Manchester, Julia (October 6, 2025). "Pressure grows on Virginia Democratic candidate to quit after violent text messages". The Hill. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  37. ↑ Laris, Michael (October 6, 2025). "Trump joins Republicans calling for Jay Jones to exit Virginia race". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2025.
  38. ↑ "Jay Jones | VIRGINIA". va.onair.cc. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  39. 1 2 Mallozzi, Vincent M. (October 2, 2020). "Their Matchmaker Was Right". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  40. ↑ Bryson, Anna (October 1, 2025). "Jay Jones was convicted of reckless driving after speeding at 116 mph". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 1, 2025. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  41. ↑ Fitzgerald, Bill (October 3, 2025). "Threatening Texts: Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones issues apology". CBS 6 News Richmond WTVR. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  42. ↑ "2017 June Democratic Primary". Results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  43. ↑ "2017 November General". Results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  44. ↑ "Virginia Election Results: November 5, 2019". The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  45. ↑ "2021 November General". results.elections.virginia.gov. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  46. ↑ "2021 June Democratic Primary". Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  47. ↑ "2025 June Democratic Primary". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  48. ↑ "Statewide Offices". Virginia Department of Elections. July 9, 2025.
Virginia House of Delegates
Preceded by Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 89th district
2018–2021		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Attorney General of Virginia
2025 		Most recent
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