Virginia Republican gubernatorial candidate and Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears has released a new attack ad going after her Democratic opponent, Abigail Spanberger, following the release of disturbing and violent text messages sent from Virginia Attorney General hopeful Jay Jones.
Both Spanberger and Jones are Democrats.
The 60-second ad features images from news reports detailing how Jones sent messages to a colleague in 2022 saying former Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert should be shot.
“Jay Jones dreamed of murdering two young kids and their dad over politics — and Abigail Spanberger wants him to be attorney general,” Earle-Sears wrote on X alongside the video.
The ad then cuts to photos of Spanberger and Jones together, which includes audio of Spanberger saying, “It’s been great to be out on the campaign trail with Jay Jones.”
Notably, those comments are from well before the texts became public. The images were from stops during an eight-day bus tour immediately after the Democratic Primaries held in June, where Spanberger was joined by both Jones and Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Ghazala Hashmi. The texts were made public Friday via a report in the National Review.
“We deserve an Attorney General who will stand up for the people of Virginia,” Spanberger can then be seen telling a crowd of supporters during the June tour.
Spanberger released a statement Friday after the text messages surfaced.
“After learning these comments earlier today, I spoke frankly with Jay about my disgust with what he had said and texted,” Spanberger said. “I made clear to Jay that he must take responsibility for his words. What I have also made clear is that as a candidate — and as the next Governor of our Commonwealth, I will always condemn violent language in our politics.”
Spanberger has not, however, formally called for Jones to withdraw from the race.
The Earle-Sears ad continues, cutting to Jones facing questioning over the comments, including him allegedly saying during a call that Gilbert’s wife “could watch her own child die in her arms, so that Gilbert might reconsider his political views,” according to the National Review report.
Jones also said via text that Gilbert and his wife, Jennifer, were evil and “breeding little fascists.”
“Only when people feel pain personally, do they move on policy,” Jones added in the 2022 texts.
The ad includes comments Jones made regarding Gilbert, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and Cambodian dictator Pol Pot, with an accompanying text, “Gilbert gets two bullets to the head.”
“Put Gilbert in the crew with the two worst people you know and he receives both bullets every time,” Jones commented in those texts.
He has since confirmed the authenticity of the texts and has attempted to apologize.
“The calls for hate and violence are coming from the mouths of the Democrat party’s leaders, and Jay Jones is just the most recent, and his wish for violent acts, the most clear,” Earle-Sears said during a press conference Saturday. “The leadership of the Democrat Party has become consumed with hate.”
Earle-Sears then asked if anyone could name a Democratic leader that hasn’t called President Donald Trump “Hitler,” or marked the GOP as an “existential threat to democracy.”
“No, I’m not saying that Democratic leaders are committing violence, although Jay Jones fantasizes about murdering Republican children,” Earle-Sears said. “I’m saying this, the leadership of the Democrat Party is inciting violence as a strategy to win power. My opponent, Abigail Spanberger, urges often for her supporters to fill their hearts with violent hate.”
Earle-Sears said the stakes in Virginia’s Governor’s election are high, adding that it is not enough for Jones to simply drop out of the Attorney General race.
“Let me be clear, Spanberger’s continuing support for Jay Jones is also disqualifying her from office,” Earle-Sears said. “She and her party’s irresponsible behavior have brought us to this point. This is not an isolated incident; we’ve had two Republican delegates in Virginia receive death threats.”
Earle-Sears said she has received death threats of her own since being elected to office.
