Editorial: Voters will render their judgment on Jay Jones’ fitness for office

Virginians are rightly horrified by the despicable comments Democratic Attorney General candidate Jay Jones made in a handful of 2022 text messages recently released to the public.

In an exchange first reported by the National Review , Jones joked to former Republican Del. Carrie Coyner about murdering then-Speaker of the House Todd Gilbert and, in a follow-up phone call with Coyner, theorized about Gilbert’s wife seeing their children die so Gilbert would reconsider his political views.

There is no defense for Jones using such vile, hateful rhetoric, even in jest. The former delegate from Norfolk did not deny the exchanges and, after they were made public, took “full responsibility” for them and said he reached out directly to Gilbert to apologize to him, his wife Jennifer and their