Jay Jones

Jay Jones
Jones in 2025
49th Attorney General of Virginia
Assumed office
January 17, 2026
GovernorAbigail Spanberger
Preceded byJason Miyares
Member of the Virginia House of Delegates
from the 89th district
In office
January 10, 2018 – January 2, 2022
Preceded byDaun Hester
Succeeded byJackie Glass
Personal details
Born
Jerrauld Charles Corey Jones

(1989-03-14) March 14, 1989 (age 37)
Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse(s)
Mavis Baah
​
(m. 2020)​
Children2
RelativesJerrauld Jones (father)
EducationCollege of William and Mary (BA)
University of Virginia (JD)
WebsiteCampaign 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. 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.

Jones ran for Virginia Attorney General in 2021, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent Mark Herring.

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. Jones apologized for the statements saying he was "ashamed".

Jones was elected Virginia Attorney-General in November 2025, beating Republican incumbent Jason Miyares by a seven percentage point margin. 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.

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.

References

  1. ↑ "Virginia Attorney General Results 2025". NBC News. November 4, 2025. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Bischoff – Martingayle » Jerrauld C.C. "Jay" Jones". bischoffmartingayle.com. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2017.
  3. ↑ "2025 June Democratic Primary". Virginia Department of Elections. Retrieved 2025-06-28.
  4. ↑ Schneider, Gregory. "Norfolk Del. Jay Jones announces bid for Democratic nomination for Virginia attorney general". Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
  5. ↑ Otey, Jazmine (March 4, 2021). "Gov. Ralph Northam endorses Jay Jones over incumbent Attorney General Mark Herring". WSLS. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  6. ↑ "DDHQ Election Results". results.decisiondeskhq.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2021.
  7. ↑ 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.
  8. ↑ "Jones fallout". Politico. October 8, 2025. Retrieved October 9, 2025.
  9. ↑ Manchester, Manchester (October 6, 2025). "Pressure grows on Virginia Democratic candidate to quit after violent text messages".
  10. ↑ "'I'm ashamed': In debate, Virginia's Jones apologizes for violence-themed texts". POLITICO. October 16, 2025.
  11. ↑ "Democrat Jay Jones wins Virginia AG race, overcoming backlash to his violent texts". NBC News.
  12. ↑ "Blue wave rebuilds the House: Democrats soar to at least 64 seats in Virginia • Virginia Mercury".
  13. ↑ "Video: Jay Jones is sworn in as attorney by his mother Lynn M. Simmons". Richmond Times Dispatch. January 17, 2026. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
  14. ↑ "WATCH LIVE: Abigail Spanberger inaugurated as Virginia's first woman governor". PBS. January 17, 2026. Retrieved January 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ 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