Watch Jay Jones Need Three Tries To Explain Why Voters Should Trust His Judgment

Democrat Virginia Attorney General candidate Jay Jones needed three tries Thursday evening during his debate against incumbent Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares to explain why Virginians should trust his judgment.

In one of the first questions posed to Jones during the debate, the moderator mentioned the candidate’s disturbing text messages and added that he was also cited for reckless driving that year, with questions remaining about his completion of the required community service. The moderator asked Jones how he would address those incidents to concerned voters and why they should trust his judgment moving forward.

“Well, I was held accountable, and several years ago I made very grave mistakes, but I was held accountable not just by the people in my party, but by the Virginia State Police, where I had completed a very rigorous driver improvement course, paid a substantial fine, and completed the terms of the community service as outlined and approved by the New Kent Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the judge in that county,” Jones said. “I have been held accountable, and I think Virginians deserve leaders who understand when they make mistakes and can be held accountable.”

“But what we have here in Virginia right now is an attorney general who won’t hold the president accountable,” Jones added. “I will see Jason Miyares and Donald Trump in court as your next attorney general, because that’s what this job requires, and that’s what this job needs in this moment, to protect Virginia. And not only will we protect Virginia and hold Donald Trump accountable, we’ll use this office to help address the problems that people in Virginia are talking about right now, lowering costs.”

In October, disturbing text messages from Jones in 2022 resurfaced, including content about wanting to kill a Republican lawmaker.  The text messages from Jones were sent to a former colleague in August 2022, in which he described giving former Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert “two bullets to the head” and urinating on his grave.

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Following the release of the report, Jones issued a statement taking “full responsibility” for his actions and apologizing to Gilbert and his family, according to ABC8 News. (RELATED: Moderator Presses Former Rep. Spanberger On Potentially Poisonous Endorsement. She Tries To Avoid It)

As Jones wrapped his two-minute response to the initial question, the moderator then turned to Miyares for his reply. The incumbent Republican attorney general said Jones had been going “116 miles an hour on Interstate 64” when cited for reckless driving, while three others traveling at “roughly” the same speed “got suspended or an active jail sentence.”

Miyares also criticized Jones’ text messages, stating that he “advocated for violence against innocent children” and didn’t apologize until he was publicly called out.

Giving Jones 30 seconds to respond, the moderator emphasized that he also wanted the Democrat to directly “answer the question” about why voters should trust his judgment moving forward.

“Well, look, Brett, I want to say one thing. Jason Miyares can’t prosecute a case against Donald Trump, that’s for sure,” Jones responded. “I will  also say this. I was held accountable by my party, and I deeply, deeply respect that.”

Jones continued pivoting to January 6, 2021, and other criticisms of Republicans, stating that because he has taken “responsibility” for his “mistakes,” Miyares also needs to “take accountability too.” However, for a third time, the moderator pressed Jones on why voters should trust his judgment based on the two incidents from 2022.

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“I’ve taken accountability for my mistakes, and I know that people in Virginia right now demand and deserve leaders who accept when they make mistakes and can acknowledge that and have been held accountable,” Jones said. “This job right now demands someone who will hold Donald Trump accountable.”

“For the last nine months, Jason’s had 50 chances to sue the administration to protect us, to protect our workers, to protect our health care, to protect our K-12 funding, funding for law enforcement. And his office hasn’t done a thing because he’s too weak and too scared to stand up to the president,” Jones added.

With Election Day fewer than 30 days away, the race between Jones and Miyares has tightened. While Jones had previously been leading, a recent Trafalgar Group poll shows the incumbent Republican now ahead by more than five points.

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