Kaine says Jay Jones scandal won't cause trouble for Spanberger in Virginia election

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) said Sunday that the scandal involving Virginia Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones and his unearthed violent text messages will not cause trouble for former Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.) in her race for governor as the two are both on the ballot next month.

“Senator, very quickly, do you worry that this entire controversy could hurt the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Abigail Spanberger and her chances of winning?” NBC News’s Kristen Welker asked Kaine on “Meet the Press.”

“Kristen, I don't. For your viewers who aren't Virginians, we have a race two weeks from Tuesday, governor, a race for lieutenant governor, a race for attorney general, a race for every seat in our House of Delegates,” Kaine responded.

“Four big races. We're a battleground state. I think those outcomes will send a message, not only about Virginia, but about America in 2025. I think we're going to do very well. I obviously think Jay Jones's race for AG has been significantly affected by that."

Pressure has mounted on Jones in the wake of leaked text messages in which he openly discussed violence toward former Virginia state House Speaker Todd Gilbert (R).

Multiple Republicans in and out of the state have urged Jones to drop out, including President Trump and Vice President Vance. The Republican gubernatorial nominee, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, has pounced on the news, putting out an ad linking Spanberger to Jones.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin said in a recent interview he believed a majority of Virginians had accepted the apology from Jones for the violent text messages.

Martin referred to Jones’s text messages from 2022 about shooting Gilbert as “reckless and unacceptable” in an interview with Politico and said that Jones would be in line with that description.

“He has taken responsibility for what he said, and he’s apologized to the former Speaker and to Virginians,” Martin said. “I believe in free and fair elections, and Virginia voters are the ones that will have to make this decision, and each race is their own, and you know, Virginians will make a final decision on who they want to be their next attorney general.”