Virginia Democrat Repeatedly Refuses to Answer Questions about Jay Jones Endorsement during Gubernatorial Debate

Virginia Democrat Abigail Spanberger repeatedly refused to say whether she still endorses attorney general candidate Jay Jones during Thursday night’s only gubernatorial debate—dodging direct questions from moderators and her opponent despite a firestorm over Jones’ violent text messages.

The scandal erupted after it was revealed that Jones, a Democratic nominee for attorney general, had sent shocking messages in 2022 suggesting then-GOP House Speaker Todd Gilbert should be shot “with two bullets” and expressing vile fantasies about harming Republicans and their children. Yet even with this on the table, Spanberger would not call on Jones to drop out of the race.

Her opponent, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, made it the opening salvo of the night, confronting Spanberger during her very first response.

“Abigail, when are you gonna take Jay Jones and say to him, ‘You must leave the race?’” Earle-Sears asked. “He has said he wants to murder his political opponent—and not only that, his opponent’s children.”

Pressed directly by moderator Deanna Allbrittin, Spanberger initially said, “The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent. I denounced them when I learned of them.” But when asked if she would still endorse him, she danced around the issue.

Allbrittin followed up: “Will you continue to endorse Jay Jones to be the next attorney general of Virginia? And were you aware of these text messages before they were released?”

Spanberger deflected again, accusing Republicans of withholding the texts for political advantage and claiming, “I learned of these text messages the day they came out.” But she refused to say whether her endorsement stands.

Instead, she offered vague statements like, “It is up to voters to make an individual choice based on this information.”

Allbrittin tried once more to get a clear answer. “What you’re saying is that as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general?” Spanberger didn’t budge, repeating: “It’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision.”

Earle-Sears didn’t let it go.

“Jay Jones advocated the murder, Abigail—the murder—of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were two and five years old,” she said, directly addressing her opponent. “You have little girls. What would it take? Him pulling the trigger?”

Spanberger sat silently, refusing to look at Earle-Sears.

“What if he said it about your three children?” Earle-Sears pressed. “Is that when you would say he should get out of the race? Abigail, you’re running to be governor.”

The Republican lieutenant governor didn’t hold back, slamming Spanberger for “taking political calculations about your future.”

“Well, as governor, you have to make hard choices. And that means telling Jay Jones to leave the race.”

Spanberger never did.