Gubernatorial candidate Winsome Sears (R-VA) hit Democrats in her state with a brutal ad after they failed to condemn their own candidate for state attorney general, Jay Jones, over resurfaced texts in which he advocated for violence against his political opponents.
“Reject the insanity,” the ad challenged, showing the texts Jones had sent in 2022, calling for former state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R-VA) to be murdered. “Three people, two bullets. Gilbert, Hitler and Pol Pot. Gilbert gets two bullets to the head,” Jones texted to Del. Carrie Coyner (R) at the time. “Spoiler: put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time.”
WATCH:
🚨 NEW AD: Jay Jones dreamed of murdering two young kids and their dad over politics—and Abigail Spanberger wants him to be attorney general. pic.twitter.com/RoipSKn436
— Winsome Earle-Sears (@winwithwinsome) October 5, 2025
The ad showed some of the fallout in reaction to the texts and other comments Jones had made, including saying that he’d attend the funerals of Republican lawmakers in order to “piss on their graves” and suggesting that Gilbert might change his political positions if he and his wife were forced to watch one of their children die.
Immediately after shining a light on Jones and his comments, the ad pivoted to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and a few other Democratic candidates, none of whom have denounced Jones or called for him to bow out of the race.
In fact, Democrats in Virginia had largely doubled down on Jones, as The Daily Wire previously reported, suggesting that he was still better than any potential Republican alternative.
Louise Lucas, president pro tempore of the Virginia Senate and a marijuana dispensary co-owner, said in a statement, “There is no place for political violence or violent rhetoric in our public discourse, and Jay must take accountability for his actions. But we will not allow this moment to overshadow the stakes of this election. … The choice before us is far bigger than this mistake.”
Sears has called for Jones to remove himself from the race — and even The Washington Post has raised the question as to whether or not a person making statements like Jones did had the “temperament” to serve in elected office.
“Curbing the epidemic of political violence will require leaders who do not incessantly inflame routine partisan conflict,” the WaPo piece read. “But text messages that Jay Jones, the Democratic nominee for Virginia attorney general, sent to a GOP legislator, which emerged Friday afternoon, cast doubt on whether he has the temperament to become the state’s top law enforcement officer.”
When a Democrat has lost The Washington Post, he’s got big problems.
Jay Jones should do the right thing and withdraw from the race.
Abigail Spanberger and Ghazala Hashmi should do the right thing and call on Jay Jones to withdraw.
He does not have the temperament to lead. pic.twitter.com/5DrHucmYZg
— Virginia GOP (@VA_GOP) October 4, 2025
