Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, faced strong criticism Friday night after text messages from 2022 emerged in which he suggested then-state House Speaker Todd Gilbert deserved "two bullets to the head." The texts, first reported by the National Review and confirmed by the Republican Attorneys General Association, compared Gilbert to Hitler and Pol Pot and implied he should be targeted over the infamous dictators, per NBC News.
Jones, who wasn't in an elected office at the time, directed the texts to then-Republican delegate Carrie Coyner, who promptly urged him to "please stop." Coyner later called the comments "disturbing" and "disqualifying," arguing they were unbecoming of any public official. Jones didn't dispute the authenticity of the messages and issued a statement accepting "full responsibility." "Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry," he said in a statement to NBC, apologizing to Gilbert and his family.
Jones said in his statement that he'd also reached out privately to Gilbert. The revelations drew sharp bipartisan rebuke. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger said she'd spoken directly to Jones, expressing her "disgust" and demanding he take full responsibility. On the Republican side, gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears labeled the comments "wholly disqualifying," urging Jones to quit the race.
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