Jay Jones
Jay Jones | |
|---|---|
.png) Jones in 2025 | |
| 49th Attorney General of Virginia | |
| Assumed office January 17, 2026 | |
| Governor | Abigail Spanberger |
| Preceded by | Jason Miyares |
| Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 89th district | |
| In office January 10, 2018 – January 2, 2022 | |
| Preceded by | Daun Hester |
| Succeeded by | Jackie Glass |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jerrauld Charles Corey Jones March 14, 1989 Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Mavis Baah (m. 2020) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Jerrauld Jones (father) |
| Education | College of William and Mary (BA) University of Virginia (JD) |
| Website | Campaign website |
Jerrauld Charles Corey "Jay" Jones (born March 14, 1989) is an American politician and attorney who has been the 49th Attorney General of Virginia since 2026.[1] He is a member of the Democratic Party. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates for the 89th district from 2018 to 2022.[2][3]
Jones ran for Virginia Attorney General in 2021, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent Mark Herring.[4][5][6]
2025 Attorney General election
During his campaign for attorney general, Jones was criticized for text messages sent in 2022 in which he supported violence against the then–state house speaker Todd Gilbert and wished death on his children so his wife would feel the pain of gun violence.[7][8][9] Jones apologized for the statements saying he was "ashamed".[10]
Jones was elected Virginia Attorney-General in November 2025, beating Republican incumbent Jason Miyares by a seven percentage point margin.[11][12] He is the first African-American to serve as Virginia Attorney General.
Virginia Attorney General
On January 17, 2026, Jones was sworn into office by his mother, and Norfolk Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court Chief Judge, Lyn M. Simmons.[13][14]
One of his first actions was to support extending Virginia's universal background check gun laws after a Lynchburg Circuit Court said that it unconstitutionally discriminated against adults aged 18 to 20.[15]
References
- ↑ "Virginia Attorney General Results 2025". NBC News. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Bischoff – Martingayle » Jerrauld C.C. "Jay" Jones". bischoffmartingayle.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
- ↑ "2025 June Democratic Primary". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
- ↑ Schneider, Gregory. "Norfolk Del. Jay Jones announces bid for Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general". Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ↑ Otey, Jazmine (March 4, 2021). "Gov. Ralph Northam endorses Jay Jones over incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring". WSLS. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ↑ "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
- ↑ Smith, John (October 4, 2025). "Virginia Elections: Jay Jones's Texts Spark Outrage". Politico. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
In October 2025, text messages were leaked showing Jay Jones wishing death for kids of his political opponents.
- ↑ "Jones fallout". Politico. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
- ↑ Manchester, Manchester (October 6, 2025). "Pressure grows on Virginia Democratic candidate to quit after violent text messages".
- ↑ "'I'm ashamed': In debate, Virginia's Jones apologizes for violence-themed texts". POLITICO. October 16, 2025.
- ↑ "Democrat Jay Jones wins Virginia AG race, overcoming backlash to his violent texts". NBC News.
- ↑ "Blue wave rebuilds the House: Democrats soar to at least 64 seats in Virginia • Virginia Mercury".
- ↑ "Video: Jay Jones is sworn in as attorney by his mother Lynn M. Simmons". Richmond Times Dispatch. January 17, 2026. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
- ↑ "WATCH LIVE: Abigail Spanberger inaugurated as Virginia's first woman governor". PBS. January 17, 2026. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
- ↑ Stanbridge, Alexia (December 10, 2025). "Attorney General-elect Jay Jones seeks extension in Virginia gun law appeal". WSET.
Other websites
Media related to Jay Jones at Wikimedia Commons
- Jay Jones for Attorney General campaign website