Republican AGs double their funding in Virginia after violent texts from Democratic candidates
Democrats won’t let Jay Jones go, says Byron York
Fox News contributor Byron York responds to growing concerns that Virginia gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger has withdrawn her support for Jay Jones amid controversy, on “America Reports.”
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
FIRST ON FOX: A major Virginia election fundraising group doubled its investment in the state’s attorney general race following the revelation of Democrat Jay Jones’ violent text messages, a sign that the controversy could have real effects on his candidacy.
The Republican Attorneys General Association invested $2.5 million in Republican incumbent Jason Miyares on Friday, after losing $2 million in the race earlier this week, Fox News Digital has learned. These figures bring the group’s total contribution to Miyares to a historic $8.5 million.
Spokesman Adam Piper said the text message incident sparked new interest from donors, allowing the group to increase its investment in the race.
YOUNGKIN SUPPORTS DEMS TO KICK JAY JONES OFF VIRGINIA AG TICKET AFTER ‘BEYOND DISQUALIFICATION’ MESSAGES SURFACE
Jay Jones, a candidate for Virginia attorney general in 2025, has come under fire for a series of text messages calling for the deaths of political opponents and remarks about police officers. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post/Getty Images)
Piper, the group’s executive director, said the Republican Attorneys General Association was “all in” on Miyares from the beginning, but that the text messages “completely changed the dynamic” of the race.
“Jason Miyares is rising in the polls and RAGA has been overwhelmed by millions of new donations, allowing us to double our investment in Virginia over the past week,” Piper told Fox News Digital.
The group outspent all other political committees in the gubernatorial race, according to the most recent data from the Virginia Public Access Project. He also broke his previous record of $7 million, spent on his attorney general candidate in 2017.
WINSOME EARLE-SEARS RELEASES SCANTING OPPONENT “TWO BULLETS” TO NOT REQUIRE JAY JONES EXCURSION
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares speaks at a campaign event. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The incidence of low-cost donations dwarfing those earmarked for the gubernatorial race comes after Jones, a lawyer and former state delegate, fantasized in newly published texts in 2022 about the violent death of a Republican lawmaker.
The GOP attorneys general group this week released an internal poll, conducted Oct. 6-7 by Cygnal, that found a sharp 21-point drop in Jones’ favorability from a month ago. The poll found Miyares leading Jones by two points with a month to go before Election Day.
Rep. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., speaks during an interview in her congressional offices in Washington, Feb. 8, 2023. Spanberger is running for governor of Virginia. (AP Photo/Nathan Howard, file)
At the top of the list, recent polls show Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger leading Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears by about ten points, while the race for attorney general is slightly closer.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
While early voting is well underway, it’s unclear how much, if all, Jones’ texts will hurt him and other Democratic candidates in a blue-leaning state. Jones has apologized for the texts but continues to face fierce backlash over them.
In addition to new fundraising headwinds, Jones has been hit by numerous calls from Republicans to drop out of the race amid heightened national concern over political violence. Democrats, including Spanberger, disavowed the texts but did not call on Jones to step down.
