Democrats and Republicans are condemning old text messages from Democratic candidate for attorney general of Virginia Jay Jones, conservative outlet the National Review first reported.
Jones sent the messages to Republican Del. Carrie Coyner in 2022, according to the National Review. In one instance, Jones said if he had two bullets for three people and one of those people was then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a Republican, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”
He went on to say: “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
News4 has not seen nor confirmed the messages independently.
Jones told Virginia political reporter Brandon Jarvis, “Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics.”
“Let’s be clear about what is happening in the Attorney General race right now: Jason Miyares is dropping smears through Trump-controlled media organizations to assault my character and rescue his desperate campaign,” Jones told Jarvis.
“I take full responsibility for my actions, and I want to issue my deepest apology to Speaker Gilbert and his family,” Jones said in a statement released Friday evening. “Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach. I am embarrassed, ashamed, and sorry.”
The statement says Jones reached out to Gilbert to apologize to him and his family.
“Virginians deserve honest leaders who admit when they are wrong and own up to their mistakes,” Jones said in the statement. “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.”
Miyares has not commented.
Democratic candidate for governor Abigail Spanberger said she spoke with Jones Friday and made clear he must take responsibility for his words and said she was disgusted by his comments.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Winsome Earle-Sears said Jones’ comments should be “wholly disqualifying for someone running for an office that protects the people of Virginia.”
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