In a contentious Virginia gubernatorial debate on Thursday, Democratic candidate Abigail Spanberger faced intense scrutiny over her continued endorsement of state attorney general candidate Jay Jones, who has been embroiled in a scandal involving violent text messages sent in 2022. Republican Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears took the initiative during the opening question to challenge Spanberger directly on whether she would withdraw her support for Jones following the emergence of his controversial texts.
Despite repeated questioning, Spanberger avoided directly addressing the endorsement issue. It wasn't until the second question of the debate, when moderators pressed her specifically on whether she would pull her support and if she had prior knowledge of the messages, that she spoke to the matter. Spanberger labeled the texts "abhorrent" but sidestepped the direct questions. Instead, she criticized Earle-Sears for what she perceived as selective denunciation of violence, referring to Earle-Sears' failure to condemn remarks made by President Donald Trump at a recent memorial event.
The debate, moderated by Deanna Allbrittin of WRIC-TV, became a focal point for the issue of political violence and the conduct expected of public officials. Spanberger confirmed that she was unaware of the text messages until their public release and that she denounced them immediately. However, she deflected the endorsement question back to the voters, stating that they now had all the information needed to make an informed decision.
Earle-Sears seized the opportunity to further challenge Spanberger, questioning her reluctance to take a definitive stance on the endorsement. The heated exchange underscored the tension between the candidates, with Earle-Sears pointedly inquiring why Spanberger would not demand Jones's exit from the race given the violent nature of his messages.
The text messages at the heart of the debate were sent by Jones shortly after his resignation from the state house to a former colleague, Republican House Delegate Carrie Coyner. In the messages, Jones expressed extreme hostility towards his Republican colleagues and made disturbing comments about hypothetical violence against Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert, including a statement about using bullets on Gilbert over two dictators.
The controversy has not only stirred Virginia state politics but has also caught national attention, with President Trump calling for Jones to withdraw from the attorney general race. The debate concluded with Spanberger maintaining her position that it was up to voters to make their own judgments, despite the pressure to clarify her stance on the endorsement.
