Democratic Party candidate for Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones (left) and Republican candidate for Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares (right). (Julia Rendleman; Parker Michels-Boyce via Getty Images)
"I was held accountable. And several years ago, I made very grave mistakes, but I was held accountable not just by the people in my party, but the Virginia State Police," Jones said when asked why Virginia voters should trust his judgment.
The reckless driving criticism coincides with criticism about text messages Jones sent to someone about his Republican political rival in 2022. Jones fantasized in the text exchange about putting "two bullets" in the head of then-GOP Virginia House Speaker Todd Gilbert. Jones also fantasized about violence against Gilbert's children in the text exchange, which has earned him a lot of heat as well amid the campaign for attorney general.
"I've taken accountability for my mistakes, and I know that people in Virginia right now demand and deserve leaders who accept when they make mistakes and can acknowledge that and ever been held accountable. This job right now demands someone who will hold Donald Trump accountable," Jones said when pressed by the debate moderator for a clear answer on why voters should trust his judgment.
Jones continued, "For the last nine months, Jason's had 50 chances to sue the administration, to protect us, to protect our workers, to protect our health care, to protect our K-12 funding, funding for law enforcement. And his office hasn't done a thing because he's too weak and too scared to stand up to the president."
Miyares pushed back, however. He argued he has "sued both administrations," meaning the Biden and Trump administrations. Miyares touted his record supporting veterans and their G.I. benefits in the courts and circled back to comments about how he has been tough on crime to "protect all Virginians."
"Every day I work to make Virginians more safe, more prosperous. That's been our mission," Miyares said. "This office is an executive office. If Jay Jones wants to fight the fights in Washington, then he should run for Congress."
Miyares frequently called Jones a "politician" and not a prosecutor throughout the debate. Miyares added that Jones was hurting Virginiains with his soft-on-crime stances, such as voting in favor of an early-release program for felons.
The Virginia Capitol is seen in Richmond, Va., on March 4, 2010. A Virginia Senate committee voted not to approve Patricia West as Gov. Glenn Youngkin's choice to lead the state's parole board on Jan. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
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While lambasting Jones over his policies Thursday night, Miyares noted how one of Jones' public safety agenda items is to protect children. He used it as an opportunity to drill down on the "two bullets" scandal that has gotten national attention.
"How can anybody who's ever worked in any of the crimes against children, all of the areas of federal and state local law department, how can they ever take you seriously? Be the top prosecutor knowing that you view the children should die to advance a political agenda," Miyares questioned. "How can you ever say you want to represent people to think differently than you politically? Now that we know that you want to see violence against those because they have the wrong ideas."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dem-ag-candidate-jay-jones-grilled-over-reckless-driving-conviction-gop-opponent