Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones, shown here during a campaign stop in Petersburg on Oct. 2, 2025, said in a statement that he has reached out to former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert over text messages he sent three years ago about shooting him.

Jay Jones wants to be the attorney general of Virginia.

It’s a job he should never get.

The former Democratic state lawmaker is running as the nominee for the post, hoping to oust incumbent Republican AG Jason Miyares.

Don’t take my word for why Jones doesn’t have any business being Virginia’s top law enforcement officer.

Take his words.

Disturbing and violent texts with a former legislative colleague, first reported by National Review, recently came to light. The exchange is from 2022 but remains relevant with the hotly contested election just weeks away. Early voting has already started.

Democrats have had high hopes that they could regain top statewide posts in Virginia, which have been under Republican control, showing strength ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Jones’ poor judgment could upend those chances – and should.

Jay Jones' texts threatened GOP lawmaker – and his family

In August 2022, Jones, who had recently resigned the state house, was perturbed about how state GOP lawmakers, including then-House Speaker Todd Gilbert, were honoring a former moderate Democratic state lawmaker who had recently died. The deceased Democrat was too centrist for Jones' taste, apparently.

So he started venting about Gilbert and other Republicans to a former colleague, Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner – at first, apparently, by accident. Yet, even after Jones realized whom he’d sent the messages to, he doubled down disturbingly.

“If those guys die before me,” Jones wrote in regard to the Republican lawmakers, “I will go to their funerals to piss on their graves” to “send them out awash in something.”

He didn’t stop there, even when he got pushback from Coyner. Jones offered a hypothetical situation that if he had only two bullets and had to choose between killing Gilbert or two dictators, he’d choose the Virginia House speaker.

Here is some of the exchange, according to the texts obtained by National Review:

Jones — Three people, two bullets; Gilbert, hitler, and pol pot; Gilbert gets two bullets to the head. Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time

Coyner — Jay Please stop

Jones — Lol Ok, ok

Coyner — It really bothers me when you talk about hurting people or wishing death on them. It isn’t ok. No matter who they are

At that point, according to National Review, Jones called Coyner to “explain” his position. He took things to an even darker place by bringing Gilbert’s family into it. Jones said he hoped Gilbert’s wife could watch her child die in her arms so that Gilbert would change his political views. Coyner then hung up.

Jones then followed up with some additional texts, calling the Gilberts “evil” and saying they were “breeding little fascists.”

Should 'SICK' comments force Jones out of race? Democrats don't think so.

The resurfacing of the texts has led to bipartisan pushback, yet Democrats aren’t calling for Jones to step aside and seem to be standing by him.

Republicans want him out. Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, the GOP gubernatorial nominee, has released an ad criticizing her Democratic opponent, former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger, for not calling on Jones to drop out.

Conservatives are the target of real-life violence. The country is still reeling from the assassination of Charlie Kirk less than a month ago. President Donald Trump nearly faced the same fate in 2024 on the campaign trail.

In a social media post, Trump called the comments “SICK and DEMENTED.”

He’s right about that.

Jones has responded by saying, “Like all people, I’ve sent text messages that I regret and I believe that violent rhetoric has no place in our politics.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never texted anyone fantasizing about murdering someone or wishing harm on their children.

Americans have the right to say disgusting and disturbing things, thanks to our First Amendment protections.

However, we should hold our elected officials to a higher standard.

And Jones has fallen far short.

Ingrid Jacques is a columnist at USA TODAY. Contact her at ijacques@usatoday.com or on X: @Ingrid_Jacques

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Two bullets to the head'? Virginia Democrat's texts should end his AG campaign. | Opinion

Reporting by Ingrid Jacques, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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