Democrat Jay Jones has been projected to win the Virginia attorney general race, defeating Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in one of the state’s most closely watched elections.
The call was made by Decision Desk HQ at 8:26 p.m. on Tuesday night, with much of the remaining vote expected to come from Democratic-leaning areas.
Decision Desk HQ projects Jay Jones to win the Virginia Attorney General election.#DecisionMade: 8:26 pm ET
Follow live results on our website. pic.twitter.com/7FHdoAkgCY
— Decision Desk HQ (@DecisionDeskHQ) November 5, 2025
The outcome came as a surprise to many observers, given that Miyares had led in several late-October polls and was widely expected to retain his seat.
In the final week before the election, prediction market site Polymarket placed Miyares’ chances of victory at 85 percent, while polling averages showed him holding a narrow but steady advantage.
This Could Be the Most Important Video Gun Owners Watch All Year
Jones, a former state lawmaker and the Democratic nominee for attorney general, faced significant controversy throughout the campaign over the release of violent text messages he sent in 2022.
In those messages, Jones stated that he wanted to put “two bullets” in the head of then-Republican House Speaker Todd Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer. He also referred to the couple’s children, writing that the Gilberts were “breeding little fascists.”
The texts became a central issue in the race, prompting national media coverage and widespread criticism.
The Miyares campaign highlighted the messages as evidence of what it described as an alarming pattern of behavior, while Democratic officials distanced themselves publicly from the remarks.
Democrats in Virginia saw these texts from Jay Jones and decided “yup, he has my vote!”
Truly evil. You can’t live in a country with people that want you dead. pic.twitter.com/no9RlI91q8
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 5, 2025
According to the Decision Desk HQ polling average, Miyares led 47.8 percent to 45.7 percent as of October 18, following weeks of positive polling momentum.
By contrast, Jones had led by more than 10 percentage points in mid-August, before the text message scandal emerged.
As of Tuesday evening, with 70 percent of precincts reporting, Jones held 51 percent of the vote compared to 48.6 percent for Miyares.
During the campaign’s only debate, Jones addressed the controversy when asked about the texts.
“And I will also say this. I was held accountable by my party, and I deeply, deeply respect that,” he said.
“But what about when Donald Trump used incendiary language to incite a riot to try to overturn an election here in this country? What about when Winsome Sears used violent language about people who disagree with you and her and your extreme position on abortion?”
Jones’ comments drew mixed reactions.
Critics argued that his attempt to redirect the discussion toward national politics avoided accountability, while supporters said he had accepted responsibility for his actions.
An exit poll conducted by Fox News found that fewer than half of Virginia voters viewed Jones’ messages as “disqualifying.”
Analysts noted that the issue may have resonated less with voters focused on broader partisan and policy divides.
Miyares, who made history in 2021 as the first Hispanic attorney general in Virginia, campaigned heavily on crime prevention and parental rights in education.
His campaign had expected strong turnout among suburban and rural voters, but early results showed higher-than-anticipated participation in urban and Northern Virginia precincts that favored Democrats.
While official certification of the results is pending, Decision Desk HQ’s projection marks a significant win for Democrats in Virginia and a notable upset in a race once seen as leaning Republican.
🚨The soul of the Democrat Party belongs to the radical left now — AOC, Mamdani, Jay Jones, Omar Fateh. A communist, a socialist, and a man with a murder fetish — this is who they’ve become.
I warned in 2019 this would be @AOC’s party. Tonight proved it. pic.twitter.com/F364MCfVTN
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) November 5, 2025
![Speaker Johnson Uses Barack Obama's Own Words to Destroy Democrats' Shutdown Narrative [WATCH]](https://www.right2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Speaker-Johnson-Uses-Barack-Obamas-Own-Words-to-Destroy-Democrats-350x250.jpg)
