Jay Jones (politician): Difference between revisions

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Jones ran for and won the Democratic nomination for the 2025 Virginia Attorney General election against [[Shannon Taylor (attorney)|Shannon Taylor]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Attorney General Primary Election Results |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/17/us/elections/results-virginia-attorney-general-primary.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=18 June 2025}}</ref> He faces Republican incumbent [[Jason Miyares]] in the general election.<ref name=”2025 bid” /> As a candidate, Jones has affirmed his support for reining in corporate price-gouging and ending housing discrimination.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-11 |title=ICYMI: Jay Jones Releases Plan to Lower Costs and Protect Virginia Consumers in Charlottesville |url=https://www.jayjones.com/2025/09/11/icymi-jay-jones-releases-plan-to-lower-costs-and-protect-virginia-consumers-in-charlottesville/ |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=Jay Jones |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Israel |first=Josh |date=2025-08-11 |title=Meet the candidate: former Del. Jay Jones |url=https://virginiaindependentnews.com/elections/meet-the-candidate-former-del-jay-jones/ |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=The Virginia Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>

Jones ran for and won the Democratic nomination for the 2025 Virginia Attorney General election against [[Shannon Taylor (attorney)|Shannon Taylor]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Virginia Attorney General Primary Election Results |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/06/17/us/elections/results-virginia-attorney-general-primary.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=18 June 2025}}</ref> He faces Republican incumbent [[Jason Miyares]] in the general election.<ref name=”2025 bid” /> As a candidate, Jones has affirmed his support for reining in corporate price-gouging and ending housing discrimination.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-11 |title=ICYMI: Jay Jones Releases Plan to Lower Costs and Protect Virginia Consumers in Charlottesville |url=https://www.jayjones.com/2025/09/11/icymi-jay-jones-releases-plan-to-lower-costs-and-protect-virginia-consumers-in-charlottesville/ |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=Jay Jones |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Israel |first=Josh |date=2025-08-11 |title=Meet the candidate: former Del. Jay Jones |url=https://virginiaindependentnews.com/elections/meet-the-candidate-former-del-jay-jones/ |access-date=2025-09-16 |website=The Virginia Independent |language=en-US}}</ref>

=====Leaked text messages=====

Democratic Attorney General nominee Jay Jones sent text messages in 2022 in which he fantasized about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. In the texts, Jones hypothetically said that if he had two bullets to use on Hitler, Pol Pot, or Gilbert, he would shoot Gilbert every time. He also wished harm upon Gilbert’s children and referred to Gilbert and his wife as “breeding little fascists.” These messages were leaked and reported by the National Review in October 2025, <ref>{{cite web | last= Fahlberg |first=Audrey |date=2025-10-03 |title=Dem AG Nominee Jay Jones Fantasized About Shooting Former Virginia GOP Speaker: ‘He Receives Both Bullets’|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/news/dem-ag-nominee-jay-jones-fantasized-about-shooting-former-virginia-gop-speaker-he-receives-both-bullets/ |website=National Review |access-date=03 October 2025}}</ref>. Jones acknowledged regretting sending the messages but accused his Republican opponent, Attorney General Jason Miyares, of leaking them and called the attacks smears. The incident has drawn widespread attention for its inflammatory nature and the broader concerns about violent language in political discourse.

==Personal life==

==Personal life==

American politician (born 1989)

Jerrauld Charles Corey “Jay” Jones (born March 14, 1989) is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 89th district from 2018 to 2022.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, he is the party’s nominee for attorney general in the 2025 election, and will face Republican incumbent Jason Miyares.[2]

In July 2020, Jones announced his candidacy for attorney general of Virginia in the 2021 election.[3] He lost the Democratic primary to incumbent Mark Herring, despite receiving an endorsement from Governor Ralph Northam.[4][5] In January 2022, Jones announced his resignation from the Virginia House of Delegates to focus on his family.[6]

Early life and education

Jones was born in Norfolk to family court judge Lyn M. Simmons and Jerrauld Jones, a presiding judge for Norfolk’s circuit court who held the 89th district seat in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1988 to 2002.[7] His paternal grandparents are Hilary H. Jones Jr. (an attorney and civil rights pioneer in Norfolk)[8] and Corinne D. Jones (a Norfolk school teacher). His maternal grandparents are Charles and Margaret Simmons, who were tenured professors at Norfolk State University and Hampton University, respectively.

Jones attended Norfolk Collegiate School and graduated in 2006. He then went on to attend the College of William & Mary as a William & Mary Scholar. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in government and history.[8] During college, Jones served as a legislative intern for Paula Miller in 2009.

Early career

After college, Jones spent two years in New York as an associate with Goldman Sachs, where he focused on risk management and credit rating advisory, focusing on natural resources and technology companies. He then returned to Virginia and earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2015. While in law school, Jones interned in the office of state delegate Algie Howell. Jones serves on several boards in Hampton Roads, and is a practicing trial attorney based in Norfolk, Virginia.[2]

Political career

Virginia House of Delegates

Jones speaks at rally with Abigail Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi in Fairfax City

On February 13, 2017, Jones announced his candidacy for the 89th district of the Virginia House of Delegates, running for the same seat his father held from 1988 to 2002.[9] The incumbent, Daun Hester, announced she would not run for reelection.[8] He won the contested Democrat primary on June 13, 2017,[10] and won the November 7, 2017 general election against Libertarian Terry Hurst.[11][12][13]

He ran for reelection unopposed in the 2019 election cycle.[14] Jones was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee at the beginning of his second term. In September 2019, Jones endorsed Cory Booker in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[15]

In January 2022, Jones resigned from the Virginia House of Delegates following the announcement that he and his wife are expecting their first child in summer 2022. Jones’ fellow Democrat Jackie Glass was elected to succeed him in a special election held on January 11, 2022.[6][16]

Virginia Attorney General elections

2021

Jones was a candidate in the Democratic primary in the 2021 Virginia Attorney General election, where he faced incumbent Mark Herring.[3] Jones criticized Herring over the incumbent’s blackface controversy. Jones lost the June 8, 2021 primary to Herring.[5]

2025

Jones ran for and won the Democratic nomination for the 2025 Virginia Attorney General election against Shannon Taylor.[17] He faces Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in the general election.[2] As a candidate, Jones has affirmed his support for reining in corporate price-gouging and ending housing discrimination.[18][19]

Leaked text messages

Democratic Attorney General nominee Jay Jones sent text messages in 2022 in which he fantasized about shooting former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. In the texts, Jones hypothetically said that if he had two bullets to use on Hitler, Pol Pot, or Gilbert, he would shoot Gilbert every time. He also wished harm upon Gilbert’s children and referred to Gilbert and his wife as “breeding little fascists.” These messages were leaked and reported by the National Review in October 2025, [20]. Jones acknowledged regretting sending the messages but accused his Republican opponent, Attorney General Jason Miyares, of leaking them and called the attacks smears. The incident has drawn widespread attention for its inflammatory nature and the broader concerns about violent language in political discourse.

Personal life

Jones is Catholic, a lifelong member of the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk.[21]

Jones was set up by a friend with public relations media manager Mavis Baah in 2017.[22] In September 2020 they married; shrinking their wedding from 300 guests to just 50 due to COVID-19. The couple has two sons. Baah is the daughter of Janna Baah from Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Dr. Anthony Baah from Accra, Ghana. The Baah family immigrated to the United States when Mavis was five years old.[7][22]

Controversies

A year after his first run for attorney general, a Virginia state trooper clocked him speeding on Interstate 64 at 116 miles per hour — 46 over the speed limit — resulting in a reckless driving conviction in New Kent County.[23]

In a 2022 text conversation with fellow delegate Carrie Coyner, Jones stated that he would kill Republican House of Delegates Speaker Todd Gilbert in a hypothetical scenario before Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, described Gilbert and his wife as “evil” and “breeding little fascists”, and appeared to suggest that Republican politicians needed to experience their children dying to change their views on policy.[24][25] The comments were made public in October 2025 during Jones’ campaign for Attorney General, and received bipartisan condemnation.[26] Jones stated he regretted the texts and condemned political violence while criticizing his Republican opponent Jason Miyares for “dropping smears”.[24]

Electoral history

Date Election Candidate Party Votes %
Virginia House of Delegates, 89th district
June 13, 2017[27] Primary Jerrauld “Jay” Jones Democratic 5,242 66.19
Joe W. Dillard Democratic 2,678 33.81
Daun Sessoms Hester did not seek re-election
November 7, 2017[28] General Jerrauld “Jay” Jones Democratic 16,541 84.49
Terry Hurst Libertarian 2,944 15.04
Write Ins 97 0.5
November 5, 2019[29] General Jerrauld “Jay” Jones Democratic 14,397 96.19
Write Ins 571 3.81
November 2, 2021[30] General Jerrauld “Jay” Jones Democratic 17,450 79.08
Hahns Copeland Republican 4,340 19.09
Write Ins 63 0.3

References

  1. ^ “Bischoff – Martingayle » Jerrauld C.C. “Jay” Jones”. bischoffmartingayle.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c “Virginia Leaders Announce Support for Jay Jones for Attorney General”. Jay Jones for Virginia. November 13, 2024. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Schneider, Gregory. “Norfolk Del. Jay Jones announces bid for Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general”. Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  4. ^ Otey, Jazmine (March 4, 2021). “Gov. Ralph Northam endorses Jay Jones over incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring”. WSLS. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  5. ^ a b “DDHQ Election Results”. results.decisiondeskhq.com. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  6. ^ a b Sullivan, Ali (December 17, 2021). “Special election to fill Jay Jones’ 89th District seat set for Jan. 11”. pilotonline.com. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
  7. ^ a b “Mavis Baah Jones, 32, public relations and media manager, PRA Group | Top 40 Under 40”. The Virginian-Pilot. October 12, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c “Jerrauld ‘Jay’ Jones To Run For 89th Delegate”. New Journal and Guide. February 16, 2017. Archived from the original on December 5, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  9. ^ 89th district: Elections. Virginia Public Access Project site
  10. ^ “Jay Jones wins big in 89th House District Democratic primary”. The Virginian-Pilot =. June 13, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  11. ^ “Jones wins Virginia House of Delegates 89th District”. The Virginian-Pilot. November 7, 2017. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  12. ^ Virginia Elections Database: district 89 at Virginia Department of Elections site
  13. ^ 2017 election results for 89th district at Virginia Public Access Project site
  14. ^ “Virginia Election Results”. The New York Times. November 8, 2019. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  15. ^ Feld, Lowell (September 11, 2019). “Virginia Del. Jay Jones (D-HD89) Endorses Cory Booker for President; Booker Plans Trip to Virginia “In the Coming Weeks.”“. Blue Virginia. Retrieved November 10, 2019.
  16. ^ “Glass projected to win special election for 89th House of Delegates seat, Dolmo concedes”. January 11, 2022.
  17. ^ “Virginia Attorney General Primary Election Results”. The New York Times. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  18. ^ “ICYMI: Jay Jones Releases Plan to Lower Costs and Protect Virginia Consumers in Charlottesville”. Jay Jones. September 11, 2025. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  19. ^ Israel, Josh (August 11, 2025). “Meet the candidate: former Del. Jay Jones”. The Virginia Independent. Retrieved September 16, 2025.
  20. ^ Fahlberg, Audrey (2025-10-03). “Dem AG Nominee Jay Jones Fantasized About Shooting Former Virginia GOP Speaker: ‘He Receives Both Bullets’“. National Review. Retrieved 03 October 2025.
  21. ^ “Jay Jones | VIRGINIA”. va.onair.cc. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  22. ^ a b Mallozzi, Vincent M. (October 2, 2020). “Their Matchmaker Was Right”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
  23. ^ Bryson, Anna (November 8, 2019). “Jay Jones was convicted of reckless driving after speeding at 116 mph”. Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  24. ^ a b Seltzer, Kate (October 3, 2025). “Jay Jones texts from 2022 describe wanting to shoot former Virginia House speaker”. The Virginian-Pilot. Archived from the original on October 3, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  25. ^ Bryson, Anna (October 3, 2025). “In 2022, Jay Jones texted about shooting House Speaker Todd Gilbert”. Richmond Times-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 3, 2025. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  26. ^ Atkinson, Bill (October 3, 2025). “VA Democratic AG candidate under fire for texts about GOP colleague”. The News Leader. Retrieved October 4, 2025.
  27. ^ “2017 June Democratic Primary”. Results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  28. ^ “2017 November General”. Results.elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  29. ^ “Virginia Election Results: November 5, 2019”. The Virginia Public Access Project. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  30. ^ “2021 November General”. results.elections.virginia.gov. Archived from the original on February 5, 2022. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
  31. ^ “2021 June Democratic Primary”. Archived from the original on June 9, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  32. ^ “2025 June Democratic Primary”. Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  33. ^ “Statewide Offices”. Virginia Department of Elections. July 9, 2025.

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