FILE - Democratic candidate for Virginia attorney general Jay Jones participates in the debate with Republican incumbent Jason Miyares in Richmond, Va., Oct. 16, 2025. (Mike Kropf/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, Pool, File)
Democrat Jay Jones overcame a texting scandal to become Virginia’s first Black attorney general.
Democrat Jay Jones is projected to defeat Republican incumbent Jason Miyares and will become Virginia’s next attorney general. Decision Desk HQ made the call at 8:26 p.m. ET.
As of 9:53 p.m., unofficial results show Jones winning 52.1% of the vote compared with 47.5% for Miyares, with 87% of the vote reported.
Jones’ victory means that Virginia, for the first time in its history, will have a Black attorney general.
Polls showed Jones and Miyares neck-and-neck with voters heading into Election Day. Jones overcame a bruising scandal over old text messages he sent suggesting that a Republican state lawmaker should be shot and that his kids should die.
Jones repeatedly apologized for the texts and his victory suggests voters were willing to look past the scandal in favor of his promise to fight back against Trump administration policies that are hurting Virginia.
Democrats like Jones had a historical advantage heading into Election Day: whichever party loses in the presidential election, as Democrats did in 2024, typically goes on to win the statewide races in the following year.
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