Virginia governor’s race shaken up by ‘violent’ texts sent by ally of Democratic candidate

A series of “violent” texts sent by a Democrat seeking to become Virginia’s attorney general has shaken up the state’s governor’s race, with Republican candidate Winsome Earle-Sears seizing on the controversy to try to reverse her opponent’s double-digit polling lead.

Earle-Sears has released new campaign advertisements condemning Democratic former congresswoman Abigail Spanberger, her opponenent in the governor’s race, for continuing to support Jay Jones, whose private texts three years ago speculated about a senior state Republican getting “two bullets to the head” and “breeding little fascists”.

Jones, a former state lawmaker, has apologized, and Spanberger distanced herself from his remarks, insisting in a statement: “I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”

But Earle-Sears, who trailed her opponent by 12 points in a poll for November’s election taken before the texts emerged, said Spanberger and Jones both needed to drop out of their respective races, a view echoed by Donald Trump. The president called Spanberger “weak and ineffective” in a post to his Truth Social platform.

“Spanberger’s continuing support for Jay Jones is disqualifying for higher office,” Earle-Sears said at a weekend press conference. “She and her party’s irresponsible behavior have brought us to this point.”

The episode comes amid escalating political violence in the US, which in recent months has included the murders of Democratic Minnesota state house speaker Melissa Hortman and the far-right commentator Charlie Kirk – as well as an arson attack on the home of Pennsylvania’s Democratic governor, Josh Shapiro.

Trump and his allies have attempted to portray the violence as the exclusive preserve of leftwing agitators, even though a study – removed by the justice department from its website in September – concluded that far-right extremists have killed far more Americans than any other domestic terrorist group.

The texts by Jones – who served in the state house from 2018 to 2021 – were sent in August 2022 to a Republican female former colleague. The text referred to Republican Todd Gilbert, the then speaker of the chamber.

According to National Review, which first reported the texts Friday, Jones was musing about Gilbert and other Republicans in the wake of the death of Democratic long-serving state politician Joe Johnson Jr, saying he would “piss on their graves” if they died before him.

Then he speculated on what he would do if he faced Gilbert and two dictators. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” he wrote. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”

In a subsequent text, he said Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer, were “evil” – and “breeding little fascists”.

The recipient of the messages, Republican state house of delegates member Carrie Coyner, challenged Jones on their content, the National Review said.

“What he said was not just disturbing but disqualifying for anyone who wants to seek public office,” she told the outlet in a statement.

Her statement also said: “It’s disgusting and unbecoming of any public official.”

Jones issued his own statement of apology, accepting “full responsibility for my actions” and stating he had apologized to Gilbert and his wife.

“Reading back those words made me sick to my stomach,” he said. “I am embarrassed, ashamed and sorry. I cannot take back what I said; I can only take full accountability and offer my sincere apology.”

The Republican attorney general running for re-election against Jones, Jason Miyares, criticized his opponent at a press conference on Saturday. “The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of Virginia,” Miyares said. “It must be done with character and integrity. Jay Jones has proven he is reckless, biased, and willing to trade away his integrity. This conduct is disqualifying.”

The scandal has put Spanberger on the back foot in a race that she was comfortably winning.

“This definitely qualifies as something that breaks through, and not many events do that any more,” Virginia-based Republican strategist Zack Roday said to NBC News. “This is all the campaign is going to be for the next 30 days.”