Overview

• Pressed repeatedly on stage, Abigail Spanberger condemned Jay Jones’s 2022 texts but would not withdraw her endorsement or call for him to exit the attorney general race.
• Jay Jones acknowledged sending messages that included giving former House Speaker Todd Gilbert “two bullets to the head” and has apologized, yet remains the Democratic nominee.
• Republican Winsome Earle-Sears dominated the raucous debate with frequent interruptions and direct challenges, while declining to directly condemn President Trump’s rhetoric when asked.
• The Republican Governors Association added $1.5 million to boost Earle-Sears and GOP ads now tie Spanberger to Jones, as Republicans including President Trump urge Jones to drop out.
• Virginia election officials say it is too late to change printed ballots, and with early voting already underway, voters will decide on November 4 with Jones’s name still listed.