Jay Jones, Virginia’s Democratic nominee for attorney general, faces mounting pressure to abandon his campaign after text messages from 2022 resurfaced, revealing violent and disrespectful remarks about a Republican lawmaker. The messages, obtained by National Review, depict Jones mocking political opponents and threatening violence against elected officials.
In August 2022, Jones, then a former state legislator, sent a series of texts to Carrie Coyner, a Republican House Delegate, following public tributes for Joe Johnson Jr., a deceased moderate Democrat. Jones ridiculed the “glowing” honors from Republicans, including House Speaker Todd Gilbert, and wrote: “D that was for mark,” implying he mistakenly sent messages to Coyner. He later joked about what “that POS” Gilbert would say if he died, before escalating to explicit threats.
“I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves,” Jones wrote, referencing Republican legislators honoring Johnson. He also suggested he would shoot Gilbert “every time” in a hypothetical scenario involving two bullets and two dictators. Coyner urged him to stop, but the messages continued.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin condemned the remarks, calling them “disgusting” and questioning Jones’s moral character. “There is no ‘gosh, I’m sorry’ here,” Youngkin stated, criticizing Democratic leaders for failing to demand Jones withdraw. Jones later apologized, claiming he was “embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry” but could not retract his words.
Coyner confirmed the texts and called for Jones’s resignation, while GOP lawmakers urged him to end his campaign. The controversy has intensified as Jones seeks to unseat Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares in November.
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