Virginia's Democratic nominee for attorney general facing pressure over resurfaced text messages

[GJGCA]

Source: CNN

Virginia’s Democratic candidate for attorney general Jay Jones is facing widespread criticism for text messages he sent in 2022 suggesting a colleague should be shot.

In a private exchange between Jones and Republican Virginia Delegate Carrie Coyner, Jones griped about how the then Republican speaker of the House of Delegates Todd Gilbert was paying tribute to a former moderate Democratic lawmaker who died, according to the National Review which obtained the text messages and first reported the news.

“Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” the text reads in part, referring to Gilbert and the two dictators.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/04/politics/virginia-democratic-nominee-attorney-general-facing-pressure

[underpants]

1. Just about to post this. This is not good at all.

Whew this could be bad UP the ticket.

God I hope not. I’ve already voted.

I have no idea what, if there is one, the process of replacing him would be. Obviously the ballots are already made and, I’d think, distributed.

[Attilatheblond]

2. Not good, but a handy distraction from GOP candidate for Lt Governor social media oopsie

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/politics/gop-candidate-for-va-lieutenant-governor-wont-exit-race-despite-youngkins-push/3899965/

Republican John Reid said Friday he will continue his campaign to be Virginia’s lieutenant governor and denied he had anything to do with a social media account containing sexually explicit photos that had prompted GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin to call for him to quit the race.

[underpants]

6. That was in April. Reid got a pass on that. Youngkin even relented

but I don’t think he apologized.

Frankly almost no reporting or research was done following it up. If memory serves, it was from 10 years ago butthe handle was remarkably close to handles Reid later used on Twitter and Facebook. It also was before he was the morning host on RW WRVA radio so he wasn’t even a public figure yet. That’s a lot of coincidence. Maybe it was a former relationship or a personal vendetta. ???

Reid working in Allen’s Senate staff and had been a local TV news anchor. Other than that it seems incredibly random and coincidental as I said.

[4139]

3. Early voting started weeks ago... and this is only part of the problem

There’s also that couple of years ago he was arrested for driving 116 mph and got a reckless driving. I believe it’s the similar timeframe as these text. Must not have been doing mentally well at that period of time.

116???? And this was after he had tried to run for Attorney General for Virginia the first time

[underpants]

4. I didn't know that. Wow. If it was the same time frame

sounds like he was very reckless.

The texts could very well be drunk texting. Not an excuse.

[4139]

5. I didn't wanna make that suggestion, but anybody know what time the text were sent?

[underpants]

7. National Review broke the story. They say 8 AM.

https://live-national-review-wordpress.pantheonsite.io/news/dem-ag-nominee-jay-jones-fantasized-about-shooting-former-virginia-gop-speaker-he-receives-both-bullets/

On August 8, 2022, a Republican state legislator received a disturbing string of early-morning text messages from a former colleague, Jay Jones, this year’s Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general.

Around 8 a.m., Jones shared those feelings with his former state legislative colleague, Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner. In a series of text messages obtained by National Review, Jones derided Johnson’s political centrism and scoffed at the “glowing” tributes that were being made in his honor by Republicans in the wake of his death.

[yardwork]

10. Could very well be drunk texting at that hour if he had a problem.

If that was the problem and he's now sober maybe it will help if he explains it.

[4139]

12. 8 A.M. ???? That's spooky.... And he was texting a republican

[dsc]

14. were they sent at 8 am or received at 8 am

if the other phone was off and not turned on until 8 am then I think the messages would read as 8 am.

[dsc]

15. This is nothing short of crazy.

How can we not have vetted our candidate better than this.

[QueerDuck]

8. If it were a Republican... nobody would care.

[GreenWave]

9. They would deploy the "just joking" line.

[mdbl]

11. Maybe some repugs will vote for him now

since he's talking their lingo.

[onenote]

18. We would care.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

13. WHAT.IN.THE.FUCKING.HELL.

[Shrek]

16. Called for the death of Gilbert's children

https://archive.is/7Sxhn

The text conversation continued after the call ended. In those further texts, Coyner suggested that Jones had also talked about Gilbert’s children dying in the arms of their mother, Jennifer.

“You weren’t trying to understand,” Coyner texted. “You were talking about hopping [sic] jennifer Gilbert’s children would die”

“Yes, I’ve told you this before,” Jones replied. “Only when people feel pain personally do they move on policy.”

[Deminpenn]

17. He's not wrong that opinions change when one has a personal experience

with whatever they oppose.

For ex, Dick Cheney and Liz Cheney support gay rights because his daughter and her sister is a lesbian. If everyone in their family was a heterosexual, they'd have the usual rw aversion to LBTQ rights.

[SouthBayDem]

19. How dumb is this guy?

A lawyer, of all people, should know what NOT to put in writing!

If this were an unrecorded private conversation, no way it’d turn into an attack ad.

[Skittles]

20. what a gun humping POS

SEE HOW FUCKING EASY THAT IS, REPUKES?

[Jose Garcia]

21. The GOP is already running ads tying this guy to Congresswoman Spanberger

Hopefully he doesn't drag down the rest of the ticket. This race should have been a cakewalk.