Tipsheet

This Exit Poll Just Showed How Virginia Voters Feel About Jay Jones' Violent Text Messages

Jeff Charles
Jeff Charles  |  November 04, 2025 7:15 PM

Fewer than half of Virginia’s voters believe Democratic attorney general candidate Jay Jones’ text messages fantasizing about the death of a political opponent are “disqualifying.”

InteractivePolls published an exit poll showing that 45 percent of Virginia voters believe Jones’ messages, in which he wished for then-state House Speaker Todd Gilbert to be killed in 2022, should disqualify him from office.

About 25 percent said the messages were “concerning but not disqualifying.” About 27 percent indicated there is no reason for concern or that they had not heard enough details about the story to form an opinion.

When the messages surfaced, the scandal rocked Jones’ campaign, and support for the candidate faltered. He had suggested that Gilbert should be shot twice in the head and that his children should also be murdered because it migh force him and other Republican officials to rethink their policies. The candidate faced criticism from figures on the right and left amid the rise in political violence against government officials. 

Jones apologized for the text messages during his debate with his opponent, Republican Jason Miyares. Despite the backlash, he chose to stay in the race. 

The scandal has also affected other Democrats, such as Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger, who refused to denounce Jones’ messages during her debate with challenger Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears.

Jones was also criticized on Tuesday when he appeared to try kicking a dog.