Virginia’s Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares kicked off the Thursday debate referencing text messages in which his Democrat opponent Jay Jones wished death on a political rival.
Jones responded in his opening remarks on the controversy that has plunged the third-tier race on this year’s Virginia ballot into the national spotlight, asserting he “deeply, deeply” regrets the messages about wishing death on former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, and Gilbert’s children.
Here are the key takeaways from the debate held at the University of Richmond.
1. Ashamed, Embarrassed, Sorry
“I am ashamed. I am embarrassed, and I’m sorry. I am sorry to Speaker Gilbert. I’m sorry to his family. I’m sorry to my family,” said Jones, a former member of the state House of Delegates, during the debate at the University of Richmond. “And I’m sorry to every single Virginian. I cannot take back what I said, but you have my word that I will always be accountable for my mistakes.”
After Gilbert extended condolences over the passing of Democrat Del. Joe Johnson in 2022, Jones texted Republican state Delegate Carrie Coyner that he would prefer to shoot Gilbert instead of murderous dictators Adolf Hitler or Pol Pot. He went on to double down and assert that “public policy only changes when policymakers feel pain themselves, such as that felt by parents when their children die from gun violence.”
2. What Would Lincoln and Jefferson Say?
The attorney general said this shows who his opponent is.
“We have seen a window to who Jay Jones is, and the way he thinks of people that disagree with him,” Miyares said. “Abraham Lincoln said, the character is what you do in the dark when no one is watching, but now we know what he was doing in the dark.”
After referencing the 16th president earlier in the evening, the attorney general also referenced Virginia’s own Thomas Jefferson, the third president.
“One of my favorite quotes came from Thomas Jefferson. It is this. I never considered a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend.”
Miyares said, “In every autocratic regime, the people in charge always think ideas matter more than people.”
3. Fighting Crime
Miyares was proud of the overwhelming support of state law enforcement organizations, such as the Fraternal Order of Police and numerous sheriffs.
“Every single major law enforcement association in the state of Virginia has not just endorsed me, Jay, they have said you need to drop out, and I find it a little bit stunning that today you say one of the pillars of your public safety platform is protecting children,” he said. He added, “If you were truly sorry, you would not be running for this office because you disqualified yourself.”
He highlighted his record fighting crime.
“I said I was going to work with law enforcement instead of against law enforcement, which we did,” he said. He added, “I promised that we would prosecute repeat violent offenders, which we have by launching Operation Casefire, because we were saying that 5% of felons were committing over 50% of our violent felonies. The result, a dramatic reduction in a murder rate, and in our ceasefire cities, reductions of murder’s high as 60%.”
4. Suing Trump
Several times when talking about his own anti-crime record, Miyares stressed that Jones never prosecuted a case.
At one point, Jones responded, “If you’re going to prosecute a case, you should prosecute the president.”
Jones spent most of the evening debate pledging that if elected he would use the office to sue President Donald Trump’s administration, as other Democrat state attorneys general have done. He criticized Miyares for not doing so.
“The stakes of this race are too high for it to be about anything else because when Donald Trump fires workers, defunds our schools and levies tariffs to 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 state’s resources and values and institutions, Jason hasn’t done them.”
Miyares said he “calls balls and strikes,” and noted he has sued both the Biden and Trump administrations. He further said Jones is focused on Washington, not on Virginia.
