Michael Jones | |
---|---|
![]() Jones in 2024 | |
Member of the VirginiaHouseofDelegates from the 77th district | |
Assumed office January 10, 2024 | |
Preceded by | Cliff Hayes Jr. (redistricting) |
Personal details | |
Born | 1967 (age 57–58) |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Tanya Jones (div. c. 2012) June Cober (m. 2019) |
Children | 3 |
Education | University of Colorado Boulder (BA) Virginia Union University (MDiv) McCormick Theological Seminary (DMin) |
Michael J. Jones (born 1967) is an American pastor and politician serving as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 77th district. A Democrat, he was elected in 2023 and previously served on the city council of Richmond from 2016 to 2023.
Jones was raised by a single mother. [1] He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts in sociology in 1989, Virginia Union University with a Master of Divinity in 2001, and the McCormick Theological Seminary with a Doctor of Ministry in 2007. [2]
Jones formerly worked as a pastor at Fourth Baptist Church in Richmond, then founded the Village of Faith church with his then-wife Tanya Jones where he has worked as a full-time pastor since 2005. In 2018, the church had around 900 members and two locations in Sandston and Midlothian. [3] [1]
In 2016, Jones was elected to the city council of Richmond from the 9th district.
In 2021, Jones filed to run against incumbent state delegate Betsy Carr in the Democratic primary, but was disqualified by the Virginia State Board of Elections over paperwork issues. [4]
In 2023, Jones ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in the 77th district, a new seat containing parts of Chesterfield County and Richmond. [5]
In 2024, Jones visited the Red Onion State Prison following numerous of inmate mistreatment and self-immolation, and stated inmates' needed better food, access to educational resources, medical care, and that prison leadership needed to end to racist behavior toward Black inmates. [6]
In 2025, Jones introduced a bill which would have restricted universities from divesting from foreign countries that are not already subject to United States government sanctions as a counter to student protests calling for universities to divest from Israel; it did not receive a hearing. [7] He also introduced a bill which would implement a plastic bag ban in grocery stores, requiring them to encourage reusable bag usage. [8]
Jones was married to Tanya Jones, with whom he founded the Village of Faith church with, and the couple divorced around 2012. He married his current wife, June (née Cober), in 2019; he has two adult children and she has a daughter from previous relationships. [3]
In March 2024, June and her daughter were granted a preliminary protective order against him following allegations of domestic abuse and harassment. [9] [10] A judge declined to extend the order a month later. [11]
Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Michael J. Jones | 4,440 | 57.1 | |
Leon Benjamin | 1,711 | 22.0 | |
Germika Tomasiah Pegram | 1,202 | 15.5 | |
Marcus Omar Squires | 382 | 4.9 | |
Write-in | 36 | 0.5 | |
Total votes | 7,771 | 100.0 |
Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|
Michael J. Jones | 7,221 | 98.4 | |
Write-in | 115 | 1.6 | |
Total votes | 7,336 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Michael J. Jones | 18,587 | 91.1 | |
Write-in | 1826 | 8.9 | ||
Total votes | 20,413 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |