Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, has faced criticism from both parties after sending controversial text messages to Republican State Del. Carrie Coyner in 2022.
On Friday, conservative magazine National Review reported an alleged text exchange between Del. Coyner and Jones, where Jones said that the then-Speaker of Virginia’s House of Delegates was worse than Cambodian dictator Pol Pot and Adolf Hitler.
Following the release of the text exchange, members of both parties called for Jones to take accountability for the messages. Democratic candidates Abigail Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi, running for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, responded to the allegations:
“After learning of these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted. I made clear to Jay that he must fully take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
Abigail Spanberger, Democratic nominee for governor in Virginia
“I have been very clear that political violence has no place in our country, and I condemn it at every turn. Jay must take accountability for the pain that his words have caused. We must demand better of our leaders and of each other.”
Ghazala Hashmi, Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in Virginia
Current Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, who is the Republican nominee for governor, also responded to the text exchange in a statement on X, saying he should drop out of the race:
“This is horrible to read and should be wholly disqualifying of someone running for an office that protects the people of Virginia.
Jay Jones’ horrific comments are a symptom of the entire Democratic Party and his running mate, Abigail Spanberger, needs to call on him to drop out.
Attorney General Jason Miyares has served the people of Virginia with honor and dignity, and will continue to do so come November.
Jay Jones can never be Attorney General of Virginia."
Virginia Lt. Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, Republican candidate for governor in Virginia
Earle-Sears later held a press conference responding to the comments as well.
On Friday evening, Jones issued a statement regarding the text messages, confirming their validity:
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family. Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.
“I have reached out to Speaker Gilbert to apologize directly to him, his wife Jennifer, and their children. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.
“Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes. This was a grave mistake and I will work every day to prove to the people of Virginia that I will fight for them as Attorney General.”
Jay Jones, Democratic nominee for attorney general in Virginia
Since the initial report and Jones’s response, the controversy has garnered national attention, with figures such as President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Speaker of the House Mike Johnson commenting on the issue. On Sunday afternoon, Trump posted the following statement on his social media platform Truth Social:
“It has just come out that the Radical Left Lunatic, Jay Jones, who is running against Jason Miyares, the GREAT Attorney General in Virginia, made SICK and DEMENTED jokes, if they were jokes at all, which were not funny, and that he wrote down and sent around to people, concerning the murdering of a Republican Legislator, his wife, and their children. Abigail Spanberger, who is running for Governor, is weak and ineffective, and refuses to acknowledge what this Lunatic has done. Even Democrats are saying it is “RESIGNATION FROM CAMPAIGN” TERRITORY. Democrat Jay Jones should drop out of the Race, IMMEDIATELY, and the People of Virginia must continue to have a GREAT Attorney General in Jason Miyares who, by the way, has my Complete and Total Endorsement — JASON WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!"
President Donald Trump
Former Trump aide Elon Musk also responded to the messages in a string of posts to X, with one post stating, “Jay Jones is a horrible person.”
This comes as worries of political violence are heightening around the nation, following the assassination of right-wing political commentator Charlie Kirk and the assassination of the former Minnesota state speaker of the house and her husband in 2025.