Democrat Abigail Spanberger was given multiple opportunities during Virginia’s only gubernatorial debate Thursday to disavow her support for embattled attorney general candidate Jay Jones and repeatedly refused.
The topic of Jones’ vile text messages about the state’s former GOP House speaker deserving “two bullets” to the head came up early in Spanberger’s contentious debate against Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears – with the Republican bringing the scandal up during her response to the moderator’s first question, which was unrelated to Jones.
“Abigail, when are you gonna take Jay Jones and say to him, ‘You must leave the race?’” Earle-Sears asked Spanberger.
“He has said he wants to murder his political opponent, and not only that – his opponent’s children,” the lieutenant governor continued.
Spanberger remained silent.
“My opponent needs to answer about Jay Jones,” Earle-Sears demanded.
One of the moderators, Deanna Allbrittin, then asked Spanberger when she first learned about Jones’ deranged text messages – which date back to August of 2022 – and if she still endorses Jones to become Virginia’s top prosecutor.
“The comments that Jay Jones made are absolutely abhorrent. I denounced them when I learned of them,” Spanberger responded, adding that it is important for candidates from both sides of the aisle to condemn violent rhetoric.
The moderator noted that the Democrat didn’t answer any part of her question.
“I didn’t hear an answer there on the endorsement issue. So, I want to just make sure. Will you continue to endorse Jay Jones to be the next attorney general of Virginia? And were you aware of these text messages before they released?” Allbrittin asked again.
Spanberger began her answer by suggesting Republicans had knowledge of Jones’ text messages but withheld them from the public for years, prompting Earle-Sears to interject, “When did you know and what did you do about them?”
“I learned of these text messages the day that they came out, and I denounced them as soon as I learned of them,” Spanberger responded.
She continued: “And importantly, at this point, as we move forward, the voters now have this information – information that was withheld from them presumably for political reasons – but the voters now have the information and it is up to voters to make an individual choice based on this information.”
Pressed again by the moderator about whether she endorses Jones, Spanberger declined to answer.
“It’s up to every person to make their own decision,” she said.
“What you’re saying is that as of now, you still endorse Jay Jones as attorney general?” Allbrittin asked again, attempting to pin Spanberger down.
“I’m saying, as of now, it’s up to every voter to make their own individual decision,” the Democratic candidate responded.
Earle-Sears was then asked about President Trump saying, “I hate my opponent and I don’t want the best for them,” in remarks during conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s funeral, which the lieutenant governor acknowledged is something she would not have said.
Turning her attention to Spanberger, Earle-Sears made an emotional appeal for the former congresswoman to call for Jones to drop out of the race.
“Jay Jones advocated the murder, Abigail, the murder of a man, a former speaker, as well as his children who were two and five years old,” the Republican said, directly addressing her opponent.
“You have little girls. What would it take? Him pulling the trigger? Is that what would do it? And then you would say he needs to get out of the race?” Earle-Sears continued.
Spanberger appeared emotionless and refused to even look at her opponent during the grilling.
“Abigail? You have nothing to say, Abigail? What if he said it about your three children? Is that when you would say he should get out of the race? Abigail, you’re running to be governor,” Earle-Sears continued, while Spanberger kept on ignoring her.
“Have some political courage,” the lieutenant governor demanded of Spanberger. “What you have done is you are taking political calculations about your future as governor.”
“Well, as governor, you have to make hard choices. And that means telling Jay Jones to leave the race.”
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