Virginia Dems quietly fret that refusal to dump AG candidate Jay Jones is hurting party: ‘Avoid him like the plague’

Virginia Democrats are privately concerned that their refusal to distance themselves from Attorney General candidate Jay Jones, following the leak of disturbing text messages and alleged comments, is harming the party's electoral prospects. The leaked messages, which surfaced in August 2022, show Jones comparing Republican state House Speaker Todd Gilbert to Adolf Hitler and Pol Pot, suggesting Gilbert should be shot, and fantasizing about Gilbert's children dying. Additionally, Jones is accused of saying that if more police officers were killed, they might stop shooting people. While some prominent Democrats, like Senator Tim Kaine, have defended Jones by calling the comments out-of-character and a lapse in judgment, other... download the app to read more