Controversy Erupts in Virginia Governor’s Race Over Democratic AG Nominee’s Violent Texts

By Grok News Desk
October 11, 2025

As early voting kicks off in Virginia’s closely watched 2025 gubernatorial election, a bombshell scandal involving Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones has thrust the race into national headlines, forcing gubernatorial nominee Abigail Spanberger into a defensive crouch. The controversy—centered on resurfaced 2022 text messages from Jones fantasizing about shooting a Republican lawmaker and his family—has Republican Winsome Earle-Sears hammering Spanberger for refusing to fully disavow her party’s running mate, potentially shaking up a contest Spanberger had been leading comfortably.

The texts, first revealed last Friday, show Jones—then a state delegate—joking in private messages about putting “two bullets to the head” of former Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert, a prominent GOP figure. In one particularly chilling exchange, Jones mused about the lawmaker’s young children “breeding little fascists” and wished for them to die in their mother’s arms, even suggesting urinating on the graves of political opponents. The messages, sent to a Democratic colleague, quickly drew bipartisan outrage, with figures from President Donald Trump to Vice President J.D. Vance calling for Jones to withdraw. Jones, who was not in office at the time, has apologized, calling the remarks “inexcusable” and a product of frustration during heated legislative battles, but he has no plans to exit the race—especially with ballots already printed and early voting underway.

For Spanberger, a former CIA officer and U.S. Representative who clinched the Democratic nomination unopposed, the timing could not be worse. Polls had shown her with a double-digit edge over Earle-Sears—52% to 42% in an Emerson College survey last week—fueled by strong support among independents, younger voters, and suburban women. But the Jones fallout has given Republicans fresh ammunition in a state where Democrats hold slim legislative majorities but Republicans occupy the governor’s mansion under term-limited Glenn Youngkin.

Abigail Spanberger voted for the so-called Equality Act. That vote says a grown man can walk naked into your daughter’s locker room and if she’s uncomfortable, she’s the problem.

Virginia, ours daughters are not the problem, politicians like Abigail are. pic.twitter.com/E6sNdnnPsW

— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 9, 2025

Spanberger wasted no time condemning the texts, issuing a statement Friday expressing her “disgust” and saying she had spoken “frankly” with Jones about taking full responsibility. “As a candidate—and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics,” she added. Yet, when pressed on whether she would withdraw her endorsement or urge Jones to drop out, Spanberger has demurred, insisting the decision belongs to voters now armed with the facts.

The issue exploded during Thursday’s sole televised debate at Norfolk State University, where Earle-Sears—the state’s Jamaican-born lieutenant governor and a Marine veteran—turned the 60-minute showdown into a relentless interrogation. From the opening question on Virginia’s car tax, Earle-Sears pivoted: “Abigail, when are you going to take Jay Jones and say to him, ‘You must leave the race?’ He has said that he wants to murder his political opponent, and not only that, but his political opponent’s children.” Spanberger called the comments “absolutely abhorrent” and vowed to denounce them “every opportunity that I get,” but dodged direct answers on Jones’ future, countering that Earle-Sears “only denounces violence when her side is the target.”

Earle-Sears, trailing in polls but buoyed by the scandal, didn’t let up, accusing Spanberger of “political calculations” and lacking “courage.” She even invoked Spanberger’s three daughters, asking, “What if he said it about your children?” Spanberger, facing forward, did not engage, later telling moderators, “We are all running our individual races.” The exchange drew immediate backlash on social media, with conservative commentators branding Spanberger’s silence as tacit approval of extremism.

Republicans have seized the moment with attack ads splicing Spanberger’s past praise for Jones with headlines about the texts, while Youngkin labeled the Democratic ticket “running mates” to Jones’ “violent, disgusting rhetoric.” Trump amplified the criticism on Truth Social, calling Spanberger “weak and ineffective” for not disowning the “lunatic.” Democrats, meanwhile, point to Earle-Sears’ reluctance to criticize Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric as hypocrisy, arguing the focus on Jones distracts from core issues like affordability, abortion rights, and education.

With Election Day on November 4, the scandal threatens to erode Spanberger’s momentum in this bellwether state, where off-year races often preview national trends. Analysts note that while Virginia law doesn’t allow easy ballot changes this late, the optics of Spanberger’s stance could alienate moderates in a purple commonwealth. Earle-Sears, who would make history as the first Black woman and Jamaican-born governor if elected, has framed the race as a choice between “character and integrity” and Democratic “recklessness.”

As Virginians head to the polls, one thing is clear: In a campaign already steeped in national divisions, Jones’ words have injected a raw, personal edge, testing Spanberger’s ability to navigate the fallout without alienating her base. Whether it proves a fatal blow or a fleeting blip remains to be seen—but for now, it’s dominating the Old Dominion’s political discourse.