Democratic Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger appears to be distancing herself from other Democrats embroiled in controversy.
Spanberger recently removed the names of attorney general candidate Jay Jones and congressional candidate Ghazala Hashmi from our campaign tour bus. Several users pointed out the missing candidates in recent pictures of the bus.
Did Abigail Spanberger re-wrap her campaign bus to remove Jay Jones' name? pic.twitter.com/0VOtmtbR6y
— Amber Duke (@ambermarieduke) October 25, 2025
— Blue State Snooze (@BlueSnoozeBlue) October 26, 2025
Spanberger is currently leading her Republican opponent, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, in the polls. But Earle-Sears has been steadily closing the gap over the past month.
Jones came under fire when a 2022 text message exchange leaked in which he fantasized about violence against then-Virginia state House Speaker Todd Gilbert. He suggested that Gilbert should be shot and possibly lose his children to violence because that might prompt him and other Republicans to support leftist policies.
The backlash against the candidate was fierce — even after he apologized for his text messages during a debate. He canceled a high-profile fundraising event amid the criticism.
Democratic state Sen. Hashmi has also been the subject of controversy over her past anti-Israel activism. Pro-Israel and Jewish leaders slammed her for appearing at a 2021 anti-Israel protest and for opposing an anti-antisemitism bill. She has also faced criticism for refusing to debate her opponent, John Reid.
The latest polling shows Spanberger leading the race. A Suffolk University poll gave her a nine-point lead over Earle-Sears.
This was definitely a smart move on Spanberger’s part — but the question is: Why did she wait so long? Hashmi’s anti-Israel stances have been known for quite a while at this point. Jones’ fiasco happened weeks ago.
It also didn’t help that during her debate with Earle-Sears, Spanberger stood in stonefaced silence when her opponent asked whether she would condemn Jones’ violent fantasies about Gilbert and his family. At this point, it is baffling that Spanberger has retained her lead.
Virginia’s elections are set for November 4, a little over one week away.